dictatorship of Primo de Rivera General Miguel Primo de Rivera's dictatorship over Spain began with a coup on 13 September 1923 and ended with his resignation on 28 January 1930. It took place during the wider reign of King Alfonso XIII. In establishing his dictatorship, ...

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

pronunciamiento A is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état particularly associated with Spain, Portugal and Ibero-America, especially in the 19th century. Typology The is one category of praetorianism: the practice of military figures acting as pol ...

Pact of San Sebastián The Pact of San Sebastián was a meeting led by Niceto Alcalá Zamora and Miguel Maura, which took place in San Sebastián, Spain on 17 August 1930. Representatives from practically all republican political movements in Spain at the time attended ...

pronunciamiento A is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état particularly associated with Spain, Portugal and Ibero-America, especially in the 19th century. Typology The is one category of praetorianism: the practice of military figures acting as pol ...

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the la ...

Acción Republicana Republican Action (AR; ) was a Spanish left-liberal republican party between 1930 and 1934. History The AR was founded in 1925 under the name ''Acción Política'' ("Political Action") by Manuel Azaña and José Giral. Political Action became a p ...

caciquismo Caciquism is a network of political power wielded by local leaders called "", aimed at influencing electoral outcomes. It is a feature of some modern-day societies with incomplete democratization.(ca)coup d'état perpetrated by General Primo de Rivera. By liquidating the parliamentary system, he prevented any possibility of its evolution; and he did so with the consent of King

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

.

Republicanism Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...

had long been a weak political movement. Its main representative, the

Radical Republican Party The Radical Republican Party (), sometimes shortened to the Radical Party, was a Spanish Radical party in existence between 1908 and 1936. Beginning as a splinter from earlier Radical parties, it initially played a minor role in Spanish parlia ...

of

Alejandro Lerroux Alejandro Lerroux García (4 March 1864, in La Rambla, Córdoba – 25 June 1949, in Madrid) was a Spanish politician who was the leader of the Radical Republican Party. He served as Prime Minister three times from 1933 to 1935 and held sever ...

, had a diffuse structure based on small local parties. However, the political perspicacity of its leader allowed him to realize that it was necessary to undertake a reorganization work to receive the inheritance that the

Dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

was going to leave to the movement. The reaction of the Reformist Party of Melquíades Álvarez was very different, as it failed to understand the significance of the political change and simply waited for the return of constitutional normality.

Foundation

The Republican Action Group was born in 1925, when the

dictatorship of Primo de Rivera General Miguel Primo de Rivera's dictatorship over Spain began with a coup on 13 September 1923 and ended with his resignation on 28 January 1930. It took place during the wider reign of King Alfonso XIII. In establishing his dictatorship, ...

had been in existence for a year and a half. Its first promoters were the pharmacist and professor of Biology

José Giral José Giral y Pereira (22 October 1879 – 23 December 1962) was a Spanish politician, who served as the 75th Prime Minister of Spain during the Second Spanish Republic. Life Giral was born in Santiago de Cuba. He had degrees in Chemistry ...

and the lawyer and professor Enrique Martí Jara. Both were linked to the ''Escuela Nueva'', a leftist cultural institution, and had been in correspondence with

Miguel de Unamuno Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo (; ; 29 September 1864 – 31 December 1936) was a Spanish essayist, novelist, poet, playwright, philosopher, professor of Greek and Classics, and later rector at the University of Salamanca. His major philosophical ...

in 1924. In February of that year they announced to the writer that they wanted to form a "grouping, without dogma, of all or the healthiest part of Spanish politics". They began by holding what were called "''novenas''", that is, meetings of a maximum of nine people to avoid incurring in the crime of illegal meeting established by the Dictatorship. Martí incorporated

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the la ...

, who had left the Reformist Party after the Primo de Rivera's ''pronunciamiento'', to the meetings in Giral's backroom. At the beginning of 1925, they also had the assistance of the writer

Ramón Pérez de Ayala Ramón Pérez de Ayala y Fernández del Portal (9 August 1880 – 5 August 1962) was a Spanish writer. He was the Spanish ambassador to England in London (1931–1936) and voluntarily exiled himself to Argentina via France because of the ...

, the criminal lawyer

Luis Jiménez de Asúa Luis Jiménez de Asúa (June 19, 1889 in Madrid – November 16, 1970 in Buenos Aires) was a jurist and Spanish politician. He was vice president of the Spanish parliament and representative of that country before the United Nations. During the ...

and the physician Teófilo Hernando. In May 1925, the group made public its founding manifesto,Manifiesto de Acción Republicana
(in Spanish). although the censorship of the Dictatorship prevented it from being published and circulated. It had been drafted by Azaña. The text expressed "all the rage of our liberal spirit, subjected to tyranny, and all the hope of our Spanish vigor, eager to redeem itself". It called for freedom, which he clearly identified with the Republic. Its purpose seemed to be to unite all Republicans, regardless of whether or not they were already members of any other organization. However, the group also expressed its desire to be an "embryo party" and called for the collaboration of the various republican and proletarian organizations. The text also defended the group's own identity, which did not wish to be confused with the discredited republican parties. It aspired rather to have a moral authority over the existing parties. It was not a political party and seemed to have the ambition of becoming a supra-party organization, as the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

would later become. For the time being, membership of the group was perfectly compatible with membership of a public party. However, the manifesto did not reach thirty signatories. Although some place the creation of the Republican Action Group at that time, the truth is that it was only known as "the group". Little by little it began to be called "political action group"; and then, with capital letters, "Political Action Group". Towards the end of December 1925, it was already called "Republican Action Group". During that year, it had no organization, statutes or quotas, and its informal character was evident. In fact, its first public appearance can be considered a failure; the manifesto had few signatories and was not published; and the Political Action Group did not have members, a board of directors or a representative assembly. This situation would continue for four years. Although Azaña had a certain initial protagonism —which was always supported by Giral and Martí— he soon lost enthusiasm.

Creation of the Republican Alliance

Although the group was little more than a mere gathering of professors and writers at the Ateneo, it played a key role in uniting the different currents of republicanism. Aware of their weakness but jealous of their independence, they established contact with the

Radical Republican Party The Radical Republican Party (), sometimes shortened to the Radical Party, was a Spanish Radical party in existence between 1908 and 1936. Beginning as a splinter from earlier Radical parties, it initially played a minor role in Spanish parlia ...

of

Alejandro Lerroux Alejandro Lerroux García (4 March 1864, in La Rambla, Córdoba – 25 June 1949, in Madrid) was a Spanish politician who was the leader of the Radical Republican Party. He served as Prime Minister three times from 1933 to 1935 and held sever ...

. Despite the discredit of the traditional republican parties, the group needed them to break out of their isolation. For his part, Lerroux was also interested in the renown that this group of intellectuals could bring him. Giral and Azaña had to work hard to overcome the reluctance of other members of the group to deal with the radicals. With the help of Antonio Marsá —a member of the Radical Party also linked to the New School— Giral and Martí organized on February 11, 1926, a joint celebration of the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic that had a great echo throughout Spain and which meant the birth of the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

. The board of this new unitary organization was formed by Lerroux in representation of the Radical Party, the main party of republicanism although it did not have influence in all the territory; Hilario Ayuso for the Federal Party, a political force following the tradition of

Pi y Margall Francesc Pi i Margall (Spanish: Francisco Pi y Margall; 29 April 1824 – 29 November 1901) was a Spanish federalist and republican politician and theorist who served as president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic in 1873. He was a ...

quite divided; Marcelino Domingo for the Catalan Republican Party, an organization that, after fleetingly affiliating with the Communist International in 1920, had been greatly weakened by the violence that plagued Barcelona between the CNT and the Free Trade Unions; Roberto Castrovido for the Republican press, a veteran journalist who had been a deputy in several legislatures; and

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the la ...

, who was appointed to represent the Republican Action Group. Giral, Martí Jara and Marsá were listed as secretaries. The manifesto of the Alliance, which presented a moderate program, was signed by a good number of intellectuals thanks largely to the work of Giral and Jara's group. Although the beginning of the Alliance was encouraging and its organs were created in numerous provinces, it seems that its activity in successive years was almost limited to commemorating the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic. As the Radical Party would later say, the independent intellectuals who were linked to it were generically included in Republican Action. Through the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

, the group supported the failed monarchist ''pronunciamiento'' of June 24, 1926 known as the ''Sanjuanada''. Given the weakness of republicanism, it was considered convenient to collaborate with moderate monarchist sectors opposed to the Dictatorship that would have greater support within the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

. However, the support of the Alliance for the failed ''pronunciamiento'' of Sánchez-Guerra in 1929 caused the most left-wing sector, headed by Marcelino Domingo and

Álvaro de Albornoz Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana (June 13, 1879, Asturias – October 22, 1954, Mexico) was a Spanish lawyer, writer, and one of the founders of the Second Republic of Spain.Fernández, Tomás y Tamaro, Elena: "Biografia de Álvaro de Albornoz Li ...

, to separate from the common front and create the Radical Socialist Party (PRRS) as a reaction to this collaboration with monarchist sectors and to the excessive weight of the Radical Party. It was also abandoned by part of the Federal Party and some intellectuals such as

Gregorio Marañón Gregorio Marañón y Posadillo, OWL (; 19 May 1887 – 27 March 1960) was a Spanish physician, scientist, historian, writer and philosopher. He married Dolores Moya in 1911, and they had four children (Carmen, Belén, María Isabel and Gregor ...

, Jiménez de Asúa and Pérez de Ayala. The PRRS was a clear competitor of Acción Republicana as it was equally to the left of the Radical Party, achieved rapid organizational success against the disjointed local groups of Azaña's grouping, had media that supported it and its leaders were more popular as old republican leaders. In December 1926 the

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

"Dantón" was formed, in which Giral and Martí participated. It belonged to the most "political" sector of

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

and was in favor of the struggle against the Dictatorship. Other members of the group would ascribe to Freemasonry in one way or another.

"''Dictablanda''"

Revitalization

On February 8, 1930, an assembly of the Madrid group was held for the first time, attended by more than two hundred people. In it, Azañ a was not only confirmed as the group's representative on the National Board of the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

, but was also appointed to occupy the new secretariat of Republican Action. This remedied the impossibility of electing representatives due to the political circumstances of the Dictatorship. On this as on other occasions, and in the absence of a national representative body, the Madrid group acted as such. Three days later, at a banquet held to commemorate the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

, Azaña gave an important speech in which he outlined the main points of his future political program: condemnation of both

clericalism Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of the church or in broader political and sociocultural contexts. The journalist has stated that clericalism was not part of the Gospe ...

and

militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...

, the search for a formula of concord for all Hispanic peoples, the creation of a republican school and social reform. After saying that it was necessary to sweep away "the infectious clericalism of the State" and "the friar demagogy that the moderate liberals of a century ago already found repugnant", he set out his conception of the republic for which he was fighting in a phrase that even today continues to be the subject of different interpretations among the scholars of the time:

The Republic will undoubtedly shelter all Spaniards; to all it will offer justice and liberty; but it will not be a monarchy without a king: it will have to be a republican Republic, thought up by republicans, governed and directed according to the will of republicans.In the opinion of a sector of historians, such as Juan Avilés Farré, these words of Azaña announced a conception that would be shared by many left-wing republicans according to which only the republicans had the right to govern the Republic, regardless of what the vote of the citizens decided (Avilés Farré, 2006, p. 58). However, Azaña's biographer Santos Juliá makes a more conjunctural interpretation of the comment. He considers that Azaña intended to put an end to the triple concertation that had been forming in which the Republicans were flanked by monarchists on their right and by
socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...
on their left. According to Juliá, later statements by Azaña would go in this direction of denying the enlargement of the political front by the right if the incorporation to it was not accompanied by an explicit profession of republican faith (Juliá, 2008, pp. 262–263). On the contrary,
Pío Moa Luis Pío Moa Rodríguez (Vigo, Galicia, 1948) better known as simply Pío Moa, is a Spanish writer and journalist. He has authored historical essays about the origins of the Spanish Civil War, the Second Republic in Spain, Francoism and the va ...
, a best-selling writer of popular history books, considers that this speech by Azaña reflects a key and permanent idea in his political thought, and describes it as Jacobin and antidemocratic (Moa, 2003, p. 50).

The fall of the dictator and his replacement by General Berenguer revitalized the activity of the group, which until then had operated only within the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

. In March of the same year it issued a manifesto in which it expressed its objective of establishing the Republic and of serving to channel the republicanism that was not active in the existing parties. Not being a political party, the group lacked a hierarchical organization.

The Republican Action Group operated through a central body constituted in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and bodies constituted in many other cities. It has no president, much less a leader. All its affiliates are equal. Each body delegates to one or more of its members when matters affecting the whole Group are to be dealt with jointly. The most urgent thing is to intensify the propaganda entrusted to each local organization, to perfect the organization, to create it where it does not exist, to keep the censuses up to date, to activate as much as possible the communication of some organizations with others. In all other political matters, including the constitutional problem of the Republic to be established, the Group does not formulate any program nor asks its members to have a common profession, nor hinders them to propagate their personal points of view inside or outside the Group, while maintaining the republican affirmation.

Among the 140 signatories, all from the Madrid group, there were twenty-seven professors, sixteen lawyers, thirteen doctors, twelve pharmacists, seven employees, six writers, six professors and five journalists. Intellectuals predominated, therefore, and among them, those of science over those of letters. Several of them, like Azaña, belonged to the

Ateneo de Madrid The Ateneo de Madrid ("Athenæum of Madrid") is a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain that was founded in 1835. Its full name is ''Ateneo Científico, Literario y Artístico de Madrid'' ("Scientific, Literary and Artistic ...

. Seven of the signatories were Masons. Different from Azaña's speech was the tone of the manifesto of the

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

group:

In the Republican Action Group of Murcia, there is room for the most diverse tendencies, provided that all of them pursue as a common objective the establishment of the Republic in Spain, keeping among the members, reciprocally, the most exquisite respect for the convictions and feelings of each one, both in the religious and social order (...). All shades of republicanism have a place, from the extreme right to the most radical leftist, always, of course, based on the maintenance of social order. Fortunately, those times in which the concept of Republic was confused or tried to be confused with those of licentiousness, anarchy and the derangement of all the organs of power and authority are long gone.

In March, the Republican Alliance declared itself in favor of the autonomy of the regions. Also at that time, a group of Castilian writers, including Azaña, traveled to

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

at the invitation of their Catalan colleagues. The reason was to receive gratitude for the support they had given to the

Catalan language Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...

during the

Dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

. During the visit, Azaña made a speech that was very much to the liking of the

Catalan nationalists Catalan nationalism promotes the idea that the Catalan people form a distinct nation and national identity. A related term is Catalanism (, ), which is more related to regionalism and tends to have a wider meaning, most people who define themsel ...

, as he said that Catalonia had the right to self-government and that, if one day it wanted to "row its own ship", it would have to be allowed to do so. This was clear support for the possibility of secession. During this period, Acción Republicana was still not a political party, but merely a loose political organization of cadres.

Growth and alliances

The Dictatorship had strengthened republicanism, but it was necessary to coordinate the dispersed existing groups. A first breakthrough was achieved in May, when the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

and the Radical Socialist Party signed an agreement creating a coordinating committee which was gradually joined by other organizations. On July 11 the Alliance began negotiations with the

Spanish Socialist Workers Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in government longer tha ...

(PSOE). Azaña was again a member of the negotiating group. Shortly afterwards, the

Liberal Republican Right The Liberal Republican Right () was a Spanish political party led by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, which combined immediately with the incipient republican formation of Miguel Maura just before the Pact of San Sebastián, of which they formed a part, as ...

of the former monarchists

Niceto Alcalá-Zamora Niceto Alcalá-Zamora y Torres (6 July 1877 – 18 February 1949) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served, briefly, as the first prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic, and then—from 1931 to 1936—as its president. Early life ...

and

Miguel Maura Miguel Maura Gamazo (13 December 1887 – 3 July 1971) was a Spanish politician who served as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), minister of interior in 1931 being the first politician to hold the post in the Second Spanish Republic. He was th ...

joined the agreement. All that was missing was the support of the Catalan nationalists, who distrusted Lerroux's centralism. First Marcelino Domingo and later José Salmerón were in charge of building bridges with them. The result was that the Catalan Republican parties agreed to participate in a meeting to be held in San Sebastian on August 17. The discussions that took place during the meeting of the so-called

Pact of San Sebastian Pact, The Pact or PACT may refer to: Entertainment * ''The Pact'' (novel), by Jodi Picoult, 1998 * ''The Pact'' (2002 film), adaptation of Picoult's '' The Pact'' * ''The Pact'' (2003 film), Australian film * ''The Pact'' (2006 film), Americ ...

were difficult, especially with regard to

Catalan nationalism Catalan nationalism promotes the idea that the Catalan people form a distinct nation and national identity. A related term is Catalanism (, ), which is more related to Regionalism (politics), regionalism and tends to have a wider meaning, most pe ...

. Azaña was once again the representative of the Republican Action Group, but he arrived late to the meeting and did not participate in the discussions on nationalist aspirations. Finally a vague agreement was reached in favor of autonomy for

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, which had to be extended to the Basque Country and Galicia. A revolutionary committee was also created, presided over by Alcalá-Zamora, of which Azaña was a member representing the group. Pedro Rico

Around this time, the growth of the group, as well as that of the Republican parties, began to be very pronounced. On September 28, 1930, a large Republican rally was held in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

's bullring in front of more than 20,000 people. Azaña spoke on behalf of the Republican Action Group, although the last intervention corresponded to Lerroux in recognition of the strength and seniority of his party. Azaña called to be "men, determined to conquer the rank of citizens or perish in the endeavor". Together with Alcalá-Zamora, both leaders of the Alliance were the main speakers. The success of the rally favored other monarchist politicians to switch to the Republican side. Taking advantage of the rally, the Republican Alliance held an assembly the following day in which the Radical Party was predominant and the Republican Action Group had, at most, 10% of the delegates. The possible participation in the next elections was discussed. A proposal was presented which called for abstention in the face of the imminent elections which General Berenguer was planning to call, with the argument that they would serve to strengthen the monarchy. Against it,

Pedro Rico Pedro Rico López (1888 – 1957) was a Spanish Republican politician. He served as mayor of Madrid from 1931 to 1934 and again in 1936, during the Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, and Madrid was besieged ...

made a decisive intervention in which he recalled that the Socialists were not going to abstain and argued that abstention would mean the disappearance of the movement if it was permanent, and would mean accepting what was decided by the monarchists if it was temporary. Finally, it was decided that the member parties of the Alliance would sovereignly decide the path to follow. A 31-member national council was also elected, which included thirteen members of the Group. The six-member executive committee was parity, and included Azaña, Giral and Honorato de Castro. It was during this period that the Alliance deployed its highest level of propaganda, in contrast to the scant activity of the monarchist right wing.

Failure of the conspiracy

The negotiations between Republicans and Socialists were long and required several meetings between Azaña and Alcalá-Zamora, on the one hand, and

Julián Besteiro Julián Besteiro Fernández (, 21 September 1870 – 27 September 1940) was a Spanish Socialism, socialist politician, elected to the and in 1931 as Speaker of the Constituent Cortes of the Second Spanish Republic, Spanish Republic. He also was ...

,

Largo Caballero Francisco Largo Caballero (15 October 1869 – 23 March 1946) was a Spanish politician and trade unionist who served as the prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. He was one of the historic leaders of the Spa ...

and

Fernando de los Ríos Fernando de los Ríos Urruti (8 December 1879 – 31 May 1949) was a Spanish professor of political law and socialist politician who was in turn Minister of Justice, Minister of Education and Foreign Minister between 1931 and 1933. in the early y ...

on the other. On October 19 a definitive agreement was reached with the Socialists, who joined the revolutionary committee and undertook to support the planned ''pronunciamiento'' with a general strike. Shortly afterwards, the committee decided to call itself a "provisional government" and to make a distribution of ministerial portfolios. Azaña was given the post of Minister of War, one of the most important in the event that the republic was implemented due to the monarchist predominance in the ranks of the armed forces, the participation of many military personnel in the Dictatorship and the existence of internal conflicts that were difficult to resolve. It seems that it was one of the few portfolios that were assigned by virtue of the presumed technical training of the "minister", since Azaña had made some studies on the military policy of France, had visited the fronts during the

Great War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and had elaborated the military paper of the Reformist Party in its 1918 congress. The now "provisional government" was preparing the traditional insurrectionary path. To this end, it maintained contacts with a revolutionary military committee presided over by General Queipo de Llano to prepare the ''pronunciamiento'', but it was unsuccessful in its attempt to win the collaboration of the

National Confederation of Labor National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(CNT), which was planning its own insurrection. This was unleashed between November 17 and 20, was a failure and involved the arrest of numerous anarcho-syndicalist militants. The Republicans finally set December 15 as the day on which their uprising would take place. However, Captain

Galán Cerro Galán is a caldera in the Catamarca Province of Argentina. It is one of the largest exposed calderas in the world and forms part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, one of the three volcanic belts found in South America. One of ...

prematurely revolted the garrison of Jaca on the 12th, a rebellion that was easily put down after causing some deaths and which concluded with the execution by firing squad of Galán himself and his companion García Hernández. On the 14th most of the members of the revolutionary committee were arrested, the military conspirators did not dare to act and the socialists did not call the general strike in Madrid. However, the executions of Galán and García, who became martyrs, did much more damage to the Monarchy than the ineffective insurrection. Azaña avoided prison by hiding in his father-in-law's house, where he remained isolated for several months and without any contact with his comrades. There is no known activity of the Republican Action Group during this time, with the exception of a meeting of the Madrid group held on February 10, 1931, which ratified –''a posteriori''— the decision of the Republicans not to participate in the elections. However, the imprisoned members of the "Provisional Government" continued to conspire from prison, since the Republican movement had not lost popular support. The refusal of the latter to take part in the electoral process finally provoked the resignation of General Berenguer on February 14, 1931.

Proclamation of the Republic

The desperation of the regime was evident in the fact that

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

tried to entrust the formation of a new government to the

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

Santiago Alba, who had been the object of fierce attacks by the

Dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

. The latter, exiled in Paris, refused. The monarch then offered the post to Sánchez Guerra, who had led a ''

pronunciamiento A is a form of military rebellion or coup d'état particularly associated with Spain, Portugal and Ibero-America, especially in the 19th century. Typology The is one category of praetorianism: the practice of military figures acting as pol ...

'' against

Primo de Rivera Primo de Rivera is a Spanish family prominent in politics of the 19th and 20th centuries: *Fernando Primo de Rivera (1831–1921), Spanish politician and soldier *Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870–1930), nephew of Fernando, military officer and dictat ...

. The veteran

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician visited the members of the Republican committee in prison and offered them to participate in the cabinet, but they refused any collaboration with the Monarchy. Finally, the king appointed Admiral Aznar as head of government. The visit of Sánchez-Guerra to the imprisoned committee was interpreted as a confirmation of the weakness of the regime and the triumph of the Republicans, as Azaña himself affirmed in an article published in ''La Tierra'' on April 2. On March 23, 1931, the imprisoned members of the committee were sentenced to a reduced sentence of six months and one day in prison and released, which was even more damaging to the monarchist government. Aznar first proposed to hold municipal elections on April 12, and Republicans and

Socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

agreed to participate in them. Primo de Rivera's regime had broken the Conservative and Liberal parties, the mainstays of the Restoration regime for decades, although the

caciques A cacique, sometimes spelled as cazique (; ; feminine form: ), was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles at the time of European cont ...

still retained their influence in the countryside. On the other hand, the fall of the Dictatorship had revitalized republicanism, which had been traditionally weak. On the same day, April 10, Azaña expressed to '' Solidaridad Obrera'' his confidence that the imminent triumph of the Republican-Socialist Conjunction would provoke a "national uprising" and his skepticism regarding the possibility that the king would resign. It is difficult to assess the presence that Acción Republicana had within the coalition, as only fragmentary data is known. In

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

, three of the thirty candidates were from the group: Honorato de Castro, the doctor Fernando Coca and the lawyer

Pedro Rico Pedro Rico López (1888 – 1957) was a Spanish Republican politician. He served as mayor of Madrid from 1931 to 1934 and again in 1936, during the Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, and Madrid was besieged ...

. In

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

it also occupied three of the twenty-nine candidacies, which were totally successful. However, it had no representation in

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

because a local section of the group had not been formed. Its position in

Logroño Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...

was stronger because it had inherited almost all the local organization of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

due to the passage to its ranks of its leader Amós Salvador. Thanks to this it held five of the twenty seats: the professor Benigno Marroyo, the businessman Bernabé Bergasa, and the engineers Manuel Sánchez Herrero, Bonifacio Fernández Torralba and Amadeo Navascués. All of them were elected. The

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

gave a clear victory to the Republican-Socialist conjunction in most of the big cities, a triumph that was not compensated by the victory of the monarchists in the rural areas. The Government accepted the result as a plebiscite and did not resort to the use of force. In addition, General Sanjurjo, director of the Civil Guard, said that he could not guarantee the loyalty of the corps. Faced with the passivity of the government, the revolutionary committee occupied the

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...

and proclaimed the Republic without any kind of transfer of power and without the need for any violence. On the night of April 14, the committee appeared on the balcony, now transformed into an authentic

provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

. At 11:00 pm, Azaña took possession of the

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) ( 600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of War (Esto ...

, confirming in his post the

Undersecretary Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is a ...

General Ruiz Fornells, who was the one who went out to receive him.

Provisional government

Military reform

The same night of April 14–15, Azaña sent a telegram to all the garrisons communicating that he was taking charge of the Ministry of the Army, the new name for the

Ministry of War Ministry of War may refer to: * Ministry of War (imperial China) ( 600–1912) * Chinese Republic Ministry of War (1912–1946) * Ministry of War (Kingdom of Bavaria) (1808–1919) * Ministry of War (Brazil) (1815–1999) * Ministry of War (Esto ...

. In his first official act as minister —the end of the captains' course at the Central Shooting School— he gave a speech in which he stated that no military man would be asked about his convictions and announced his intention to reform the Army to turn it into an effective weapon. A decree of the Presidency of the government repealed the

Law of Jurisdictions The Law of Jurisdictions (in Spanish: ''Ley de Jurisdicciones''), or "Law for the Repression of Crimes against the Motherland and the Army" ("''Ley para la represión de los delitos contra la Patria y el Ejército''"), was a Spanish law that was in ...

of March 23, 1906; it also proceeded to appoint captains general and commanders at the head of the different

divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...

. The Republican Action Group had only one minister, but Azaña's performance at the head of the Ministry of the Army was one of the most outstanding of the

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

. The new minister had been interested in military matters for years and intended to reform the Army to prepare it to face any foreign enemy. One of his first measures was symbolic: a decree of 22 April 1931 gave all military personnel four days to swear an oath of loyalty to the Republic or leave the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

. Although few soldiers opted for retirement, more were offended by the demand. The conservative press spread the rumor that those who did not pledge loyalty to the Republic would be expelled from the Army. In reality, what was actually done was to transfer them to the reserves with the corresponding salary. Of greater significance was the decree of 25 April which sought to address the problem of the excess of chiefs and officers that the Army had been suffering from for a long time and which would become known as the Azaña law. The minister's solution was to offer the transfer to the reserve, while maintaining full pay, to all commanders who requested it. More than eight thousand soldiers opted for this retirement. Despite the voluntary nature of the solution, the regulation was controversial. The decree stated that, after thirty days, any surplus officer who had not voluntarily opted for the measure could lose his rank without receiving any compensation. Although the threat was never put into practice, many military officers felt pressured by having to make a momentous decision in a short period of time. On the other hand, Republicans who wished to purge the armed forces criticized the fact that the occasion was not used to get rid of commanders disaffected with the Republic. Azaña did not know how to win over important military men either. In April it was reported that the

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

,

Miguel Maura Miguel Maura Gamazo (13 December 1887 – 3 July 1971) was a Spanish politician who served as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), minister of interior in 1931 being the first politician to hold the post in the Second Spanish Republic. He was th ...

, had suggested that he appoint

General Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republ ...

as High Commissioner in Morocco. However, the minister preferred to opt for General Sanjurjo for the post. Other controversial measures were the suppression of the rank of lieutenant general and that of the captaincies general. In general, Azaña's policy was reformist and not revolutionary, but the way it was carried out hurt the sensibilities of the military. Even those who shared the opinion that there was a surplus of personnel felt uncomfortable with such a drastic reduction of the officer corps. Moreover, the minister tended to be advised by military officers who sympathized with the Republic rather than by military officers of higher rank and prestige, which annoyed the majority of the officer corps. This group of collaborators, which included Commanders Hernández Saravia and Menéndez López, was known disparagingly as the "black cabinet". The uneasiness in the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

was accentuated by the "campaign of responsibilities". This was an issue that had been going on since before the establishment of the Dictatorship, but the Provisional Government added events that took place during the governments of

Primo de Rivera Primo de Rivera is a Spanish family prominent in politics of the 19th and 20th centuries: *Fernando Primo de Rivera (1831–1921), Spanish politician and soldier *Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870–1930), nephew of Fernando, military officer and dictat ...

and Berenguer. With the death of the former, the latter was the propitiatory victim. On April 17, Berenguer was arrested; on April 21, General Mola was arrested for his performance as Director General of Security. Although not many were affected and the campaign helped to maintain the Republican popular fervor, in the long run it took a heavy toll by creating the image of a vengeful Republic.

Burning of convents in May

The

anticlericalism Anti-clericalism is opposition to clergy, religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historically, anti-clericalism in Christian traditions has been opposed to the influence of Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secul ...

of the Republicans was to provoke events that were to be of great importance. On Sunday, May 10, incidents occurred on the occasion of a monarchist meeting. Republican sympathizers confronted the monarchists and many of them tried to storm the headquarters of the monarchist newspaper ''

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

''. The

Guardia Civil The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...

prevented the attack, but at the cost of causing the death of two of the aggressors. The

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

,

Miguel Maura Miguel Maura Gamazo (13 December 1887 – 3 July 1971) was a Spanish politician who served as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), minister of interior in 1931 being the first politician to hold the post in the Second Spanish Republic. He was th ...

, received reports that extremist members of the Ateneo were distributing lists of churches they wanted to burn the following day. Despite a request from Maura, Azaña, who was a director of the Ateneo, refused to talk to the radicals. On the 11th there was an organized burning of convents in the capital. Some Republican sympathizers —among them Cipriano Rivas Cherif, Azaña's brother-in-law and member of the Republican Action Group— celebrated the event and the provisional government remained passive. In fact, within the

Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...

there was a strong debate on the matter. Maura proposed using the Civil Guard to put an end to arson. However, Azaña led a strong opposition to such a measure and went so far as to affirm that all the convents in Madrid were not worth the life of a Republican. Azaña's position of categorical opposition to the use of the Civil Guard to prevent the arsonists from acting has been later commented in books of memoirs by at least three of the attendants to the meeting of the Council of Ministers (Avilés Farré, 2006, p. 93, note 10). The then Minister of the Interior

Miguel Maura Miguel Maura Gamazo (13 December 1887 – 3 July 1971) was a Spanish politician who served as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), minister of interior in 1931 being the first politician to hold the post in the Second Spanish Republic. He was th ...

relates in his book ''Así cayó Alfonso XIII''... (How Alfonso XIII fell), among other things, the following: The President of the provisional government,

Niceto Alcalá-Zamora Niceto Alcalá-Zamora y Torres (6 July 1877 – 18 February 1949) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served, briefly, as the first prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic, and then—from 1931 to 1936—as its president. Early life ...

, recounts the events as follows: The then Minister of Communications,

Diego Martínez Barrio Diego Martínez Barrio (25 November 1883, in Seville – 1 January 1962) was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic, Prime Minister of Spain between 9 October 1933 and 26 December 1933 and was briefly appointed again by Manuel A ...

, uses the following words in his memoirs: The Minister of the Army threatened to resign if the forces of order caused a single wounded person. After long hesitations, the Government opted to declare a state of war and bring the army into the streets to restore order, which put an end to the fires in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. On the 12th, the assaults spread to other towns in

Andalusia Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...

and Levante, particularly Malaga. Only on the 15th did the arsonists cease their activity. A hundred buildings had been affected, and in several towns, the friars and nuns had abandoned their convents in fear of the anticlerical explosion. The consequences would be very negative for the image of the new regime. In the words of President Alcalá-Zamora "they created enemies he did not have; they broke the compact solidity of his seat; they stained his credit until then diaphanous and unlimited". The note of protest that Cardinal Vidal y Barraquer sent to the President on the 17th was along the same lines: "facts of this nature... diminish the confidence that a large sector of Catholics had inspired in the discreet action of the Government in many of its first dispositions". A few days later, the Council of Ministers debated the possibility of expelling the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

from Spain. Azaña, together with the socialist radicals

Álvaro de Albornoz Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana (June 13, 1879, Asturias – October 22, 1954, Mexico) was a Spanish lawyer, writer, and one of the founders of the Second Republic of Spain.Fernández, Tomás y Tamaro, Elena: "Biografia de Álvaro de Albornoz Li ...

and Marcelino Domingo and the socialist

Fernando de los Ríos Fernando de los Ríos Urruti (8 December 1879 – 31 May 1949) was a Spanish professor of political law and socialist politician who was in turn Minister of Justice, Minister of Education and Foreign Minister between 1931 and 1933. in the early y ...

, was in favor of proceeding with the expulsion at that moment, with the argument of not having to do it later, pressured by new assaults on convents. Despite his opinion, the measure was not adopted.

Transformation into a party

Until the arrival of the Republic, the Republican Action Group had been limited to being a platform of support for Lerroux's Radical Party within the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

. The transition to the Republic, which was its objective, had been achieved quickly and without the group's protagonism. Having achieved the objective of regime change, the group, which was constantly receiving new members, had to decide whether to dissolve or organize itself as a political party. In favor of the first option was the fact that there were already two more solid republican parties, the Radical and the Radical Socialist. In favor of the second, the clear determination maintained by Azaña and Giral in favor of the independence of the group. In the event of restructuring, it should not only choose leaders —which meant a substantial change with respect to its previous trajectory— but should also opt for a political program, abandoning the lack of definition of which the

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

group had spoken. After consulting the other groups in Spain, on May 19 the Madrid group met under the initial presidency of Giral, who handed it over to Azaña. Those gathered decided that the group should "constitute itself as a party with a left-wing orientation". To this end, they elected a provisional national council in charge of preparing the first national assembly of the party. The provisional council was composed of Azaña, Giral,

Pedro Rico Pedro Rico López (1888 – 1957) was a Spanish Republican politician. He served as mayor of Madrid from 1931 to 1934 and again in 1936, during the Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, and Madrid was besieged ...

, José Serrano Batanero, Manuel Martínez Risco, José Royo Gómez, Honorato de Castro, Hipólito Rodríguez Pinilla, Luis Fernández Clérigo, Luis Doporto,

Clara Campoamor Clara Campoamor Rodríguez (12 February 1888 – 30 April 1972) was a Spanish politician, lawyer and writer, considered by some the mother of the Spanish feminist movement. She was one of the main promoters for women's suffrage in Spa ...

and Amós Salvador. The national assembly was held on May 26 and 27 in Madrid and its debates were chaired by Azaña. The new

Acción Republicana Republican Action (AR; ) was a Spanish left-liberal republican party between 1930 and 1934. History The AR was founded in 1925 under the name ''Acción Política'' ("Political Action") by Manuel Azaña and José Giral. Political Action became a p ...

party defined itself as a left-wing party and proclaimed the following objectives:

parliamentary democracy A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of the legisl ...

, municipal autonomy, legal recognition of the regions,

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...

, reduction of the army,

tax deduction A tax deduction or benefit is an amount deducted from taxable income, usually based on expenses such as those incurred to produce additional income. Tax deductions are a form of tax incentives, along with exemptions and tax credits. The diff ...

for labor, progressive taxes on

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. F ...

and

wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an ...

,

laicism Laicism (also ''laicity'', from the Ancient Greek "''λαϊκός"'' "''laïkós"'', meaning "layperson" or "non-cleric") refers to a legal and political model based on the strict separation of religion and state. The French term ''laïcité'' ...

of the State,

secularization In sociology, secularization () is a multilayered concept that generally denotes "a transition from a religious to a more worldly level." There are many types of secularization and most do not lead to atheism or irreligion, nor are they automatica ...

of religious orders,

State monopoly In economics, a government monopoly or public monopoly is a form of coercive monopoly in which a government agency or government corporation is the sole provider of a particular good or service and competition is prohibited by law. It is a monopoly ...

of education, recognition of the social function of property, approval of divorce, social assistance and

agrarian reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...

. The program was very similar to that of the Radical Socialist Party, although it omitted any reference to equality of the sexes and had less rhetoric concerning popular control of the state apparatus. In the new national council there was a woman:

Clara Campoamor Clara Campoamor Rodríguez (12 February 1888 – 30 April 1972) was a Spanish politician, lawyer and writer, considered by some the mother of the Spanish feminist movement. She was one of the main promoters for women's suffrage in Spa ...

, who however soon left the party.

Clara Campoamor Clara Campoamor Rodríguez (12 February 1888 – 30 April 1972) was a Spanish politician, lawyer and writer, considered by some the mother of the Spanish feminist movement. She was one of the main promoters for women's suffrage in Spa ...

herself explained some years later that she had belonged to the Republican Action group since 1929 but that, when it became a party, she had opted for the

Radical Radical (from Latin: ', root) may refer to: Politics and ideology Politics *Classical radicalism, the Radical Movement that began in late 18th century Britain and spread to continental Europe and Latin America in the 19th century *Radical politics ...

. Clara Campoamor, ''El voto femenino y yo'', Sevilla, Instituto Andaluz de la Mujer, 2001 (1st ed, 1936), , p. 235. It also expressed the will to demand the responsibility of the governments of the Monarchy and of the Monarchy itself. The commitment to the Republican Alliance was maintained and the intention to collaborate with the

Socialists Socialism is an economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes the economic, political, and socia ...

was reaffirmed. Consequently, it pronounced itself in favor of maintaining the Republican-Socialist Conjunction with a view to the elections to the

constituent Cortes The Constituent Cortes () is the description of Spain's parliament, the Cortes, when convened as a constituent assembly. In the 20th century, only one Constituent Cortes was officially opened (Cortes are "opened" in accordance with a mediaeval ...

.

Transcendence

The Republican Action Group was not an important political force during the

Dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

. Azaña himself later said that it was no more than "an Ateneo gathering, made up of professors and writers". Its main contribution during this period was to serve as a unifying and revitalizing force for the fragmented and discredited Republican opposition. Through the

Republican Alliance The Republican Alliance () was a Spanish political platform that brought together several republican parties and groups during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. The alliance was formed on 11 February 1926, and consisted of four political groups ...

he supported the various civil-military conspiracies that were plotted against the Dictatorship, but he played a clearly subordinate role to openly monarchist or "constitutionalist" politicians who carried the weight of his organization. It was the fall of the dictator that led the Group to begin to act with its own personality. The historian

Stanley G. Payne Stanley George Payne (born September 9, 1934) is an American historian of modern Spain and Europe, European fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He retired from full-time teaching in 2004 and is currently Professor Emeritus at its Dep ...

considers that it was a group led by intellectuals and professionals younger than those of the old republican parties, and that it proposed a more "radical and leftist" republic than the one advocated by the old Radical Party. The proclamation of the Republic and the entry into the

provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...

revealed Azaña as one of the most outstanding ministers. His

military reform A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

was highly praised at the time by the philosopher

José Ortega y Gasset José Ortega y Gasset (; ; 9 May 1883 – 18 October 1955) was a Spanish philosopher and essayist. He worked during the first half of the 20th century while Spain oscillated between monarchy, republicanism and dictatorship. His philosoph ...

. However, the resistance of the Minister of the Army to the Government's combating the burning of convents in May had a decisive influence on the passive posture of the executive and led to the destruction of ecclesiastical patrimony. The event would end up having disastrous consequences for the Republic, as the then head of government Alcalá-Zamora later wrote. The historian Hugh Thomas assesses the event saying that "evidently a stain had fallen on the record of the Republic", while the aforementioned Payne describes the behavior of the Government as "spasmodic", not knowing how to adopt prudent measures at the beginning and then overreacting. The Group would give rise to a Republican Action party which, although small in size, played an important role in the coalition governments of the first two years of the new regime and ended up being the nucleus of the Republican Left. In general,

Acción Republicana Republican Action (AR; ) was a Spanish left-liberal republican party between 1930 and 1934. History The AR was founded in 1925 under the name ''Acción Política'' ("Political Action") by Manuel Azaña and José Giral. Political Action became a p ...

has been considered an elite group composed of qualified intellectuals. One of its main contributions to Spanish politics was that of its undisputed leader,

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the la ...

, who would become president first of the government and later of the Republic. His authority within the political formation gave it great cohesion despite the internal ideological diversity, which strengthened the party.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *

Primary sources

* * *

External links

{{Wikisource, Manifiesto de Acción Republicana

Disclaimer

* The quotations included in note 2 are from primary sources whose content is not yet in the public domain and is protected by copyright law. They have been included for informational purposes in accordance with

U.S The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. law. Users must take this into account in order not to make improper use of these texts in accordance with the legislation applicable in their place of residence. Republicanism in Spain Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera

Background

Foundation

Creation of the Republican Alliance

"''Dictablanda''"

Revitalization

Growth and alliances

Failure of the conspiracy

Proclamation of the Republic

Provisional government

Military reform

Burning of convents in May

Transformation into a party

Transcendence

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

Primary sources

External links

Disclaimer