Ruling Military Dictatorship: Spain 1923

Spain was in severe distress economically, politically and socially by the end of WWI. Radical labor movements had developed due to poor working conditions, low wages, and high unemployment rates. Unable to import goods because of the war, inflation soon made Spain a commonplace of riots, terrorist acts, and civil unrest. Political factions had the government in turmoil as to how to meet the needs of the people. Alfonso XIII finally resorted to martial law in order to bring the country under control. General Miguel Primo de Rivera, Barcelona’s military governor was then given authority to head the government. Thus, Spain’s first military dictatorship took charge.

General de Rivera’s immediate action was to ban all political parties, leaving military leadership as the sole political party. He then brought the costly war with Spanish Morocco to an end. The people however, where not happy to know that the monarchy put its fate in authoritarian rule and felt betrayed. Rivera then appointed a civilian government and led the country as a prime minister. The military directorate was therefore abolished by 1925. The people still protested his administrative rulings which focused on economic development and the launching of a broad program of public works. He made major investments on roads and railroads, schools and universities and new irrigation works. The army was however dissatisfied with Rivera and protest erupted. By the late 1920’s he became increasingly unpopular. With the onset of the worldwide depression and strong support from the military, Alfonso had Rivera dismissed by 1930.

Although the people felt betrayed by the monarchy, Alfonso tried to return a constitutional government, however without threatening the monarchy. He agreed to call municipal elections in April 1931. Many of the factions throughout Spain including the army had been cooperating with the republican democracy. Support for the monarchy collapsed when the election gave overwhelming majorities to the republican candidates. Alfonso, forced into exile, refused to give up his crown and the second Spanish Republic now assumed leadership.

During the first two years Prime Minister Manuel Azana gave the republic a progressive overtone. Elections became democratic. Women received the right to vote. The Catalonia and Basque provinces received autonomy. Working conditions improved, taxes were made equitable, education was secularized and divorce became legal. Yet in light of these reforms, the worldwide depression plagued the efforts of the Second Republic at progressive reform. The depression reduced demands for Spanish exports. As a result poverty was on the rise which only aggravated social tension. Azana’s program that broke up large estates in southern Spain for redistribution to peasants alienated landowners. It further left the peasants dissatisfied because it simply was not moving fast enough. The Roman Catholics also resented the government. It made attempts at closing private Catholic schools throughout the country. It further caused them to lose influential political power. Consequently by 1933, the governing Second Spanish Republic was voted out of power.