Section 3: Years of reaction 1933-36

Question 1

Following the 1933 elections, what did the new right-wing government, led by Lerroux attempt to do?

Answer 1

attempted to reverse the reforms of the previous two years

Question 2

What did Lerroux’s left-wing critics describe the new government’s period in power as?

Answer 2

as the bienio negro: ‘black two years’

Question 3

What happened to political divisions during Lerroux’s gov?

Answer 3

they widened. The right and the left both began talking about abandoning democracy.
-Gil-robles spoke out in praise of Hitler’s regime, while PSOE leader Largo Caballero threatened violent revolution.

Question 4

What did the Asturias uprising show?

Answer 4

showed that there were groups on both sides who were prepared to use violence. It also showed that the right were better prepared and willing to use brutal force to suppress their opponents

Question 5

With a new election in the horizon, what did the left do?

Answer 5

the parties in the left formed a new alliance. The Popular Front was established in 1936 to give the left a chance of beating CEDA.

Question 6

What did the formation of the Popular Front demonstrate about the left?

Answer 6

demonstrated that in spite of militant speeches, the left were still committed to democracy. Nonetheless, as a result of the Asturias uprising the right were able to claim that the formation of the Popular Front was the first step towards a Marxist revolution

Question 7

Before the 1933 elections, what did the right argue?

Answer 7

they argued that a new united right-wing movement would capitalise on the discontent caused by the lefts anti-clericalism and military reform, and be the best chance of stopping a further left-wing victory at the next election

Question 8

Who was the predominant figure in the creation of CEDA?

Answer 8

Jose Maria Gil-Robles, leader of the Accion Popular. He began negotiations to establish a coalition of right-wing groups that would contest the 1933 elections as a single unified party. This led to the creation of CEDA in February 1933

Question 9

What was CEDA’s declared focus?

Answer 9

its declared focus was to defend Catholicism, property rights and the unity of Spain.

Question 10

What did CEDA receive from landowners and industrialists, and what did they hope?

Answer 10

• CEDA received a significant amount of funding from landowners who had felt threatened by Azana’s agricultural reforms.
• Wealthy industrialists also contributed funds to the group as they felt the republic was dominated by left-wing groups that supported the workers at the expense of the employers.
  -both the landowners and industrialists hopes that CEDA would reverse the reforms of the previous gov

Question 11

What did left-wing politicians view Gil-Robles as?

Answer 11

as an enemy of democracy and the republic

Question 12

Why did the Left view Gil-Robles in such a way?

Answer 12

-he had visited Germany and Italy and was impressed by what he considered to be the strength and dynamism of Hitler and Mussolini.
-Moreover, he recognised the value of propaganda, which he exploited to gain support in the 1933 elections.

Question 13

What did many on the left fear about Gil-Robles?

Answer 13

many on the left feared that Gil-Robles was planning to establish an authoritarian government or even dictatorship similar to the one led by Primo de Rivera in the 1920’s

Question 14

What were the results of the November 1933 elections?

Answer 14

-the PSOE’s shares of the vote dropped dramatically in the 1933 election
-PSOE had 58 seats in the cortes
-Republican action party had 7 seats in the cortes
-Radical Republicans had 104 seats in the cortes
-CEDA had 115 seats in the cortes

Question 15

Why did the PSOE’s shares of the vote drop so dramatically in the 1933 election?

Answer 15

-first, its record of unsuccessful reform and its willingness to use force against working people meant there was little popular enthusiasm for the party.
-second, the PSOE decided to contest the 1933 elections without seeking alliances with other parties

Question 16

despite the Election results, what did president Alcala-Zamora do? and why?

Answer 16

he refused to appoint Gil-Robles as prime minister. He believed that Gil-Robles was determined to undermine democracy and establish an authoritarian regime.
-as a result he asked Lerroux to form a new gov.

Question 17

so what did the new gov consist of?

Answer 17

consisted of primarily the Radical Republicans with support in the cortes from CEDA

Question 18

what was the new government’s key aim?

Answer 18

it was to reverse the reforms introduced under Azana

Question 19

What 3 things did the new government do to undo the reforms of 1931-33?

Answer 19

1) it attacked the laws that had entrenched worker’s rights. As a result the wages of industrial and agricultural workers fell.
2) it reversed land reform. Consequently, wealthy landowners were able to retake the land that had been confiscated by the previous gov and the peasants who had taken the land were evicted
3) Lerroux refused to enforce the aspects of the constitution that separated the Church and the state

Question 20

How did the FNTT respond to Lerroux’s agricultural policy?

Answer 20

responded by organising a general strike. Lerroux responded by ordering the Civil Guard to crush the strike

Question 21

What were president Alcala-Zamora’s good reasons for wanting to exclude CEDA from government?

Answer 21

-first, CEDA deputies had refused to swear loyalty to the republic
-second, Alcala-Zamora, like many outside, suspected that Gil-Robles and CEDA intended to run Spain into a dictatorship akin to Mussolini’s Italy or Hitler’s Germany
-finally, in 1934, the PSOE leader, Largo Caballero, proposed an armed uprising if CEDA were to enter a Spanish government

Question 22

However, why was excluding CEDA from government proving to be very difficult?

Answer 22

because it had a large number of deputies

Question 23

What did Gil-Robles threaten in October 1934?

Answer 23

he threatened to withdraw CEDA’s support for the new gov in the Cortes unless CEDA members were given positions in the gov

Question 24

How did Alcala-Zamora respond to Gil-Robles’ threat and why?

Answer 24

CEDA was the largest group in the Cortes and therefore a withdrawal of its support would have destroyed the gov. As a result, Alcala-Zamora was forced to reconsider.
-In order to save the gov, he allowed CEDA to enter the governing coalition.

Question 25

What would the new coalition include?

Answer 25

it would include 3 CEDA ministers, responsible for labour, justice and agriculture respectively

Question 26

What did Largo Caballero do, on hearing that CEDA was about to enter the government?

Answer 26

he repeated his threat of revolution

Question 27

What was Caballeros talk of revolution part of?

Answer 27

was part of a broader move on the Spanish Left away from democracy towards more radical methods. The 1933 defeat had radicalised the Spanish left

Question 28

What did the failure of democracy to deliver reform do?

Answer 28

it persuaded many socialists that they should abandon democracy and embrace revolution

Question 29

Did other leaders of the PSOE expect Alcala-Zamora to allow CEDA into government?

Answer 29

no they did not. Hence the PSOE’s promise to initiate revolution was half-hearted
-Largo Caballero misjudged the situation, but felt unable to backdown

Question 30

Therefore, what did Alcala-Zamora’s decision to allow CEDA into Lerroux’s gov prompt the Socialists to do?

Answer 30

prompted them to stage the revolution they had been threatening

Question 31

What was the revolution called and was it a succes?

Answer 31

it was the called the ‘October Revolution’ and it was a failure

Question 32

Why was the October Revolution a failure?

Answer 32

-the PSOE had not expected CEDA to enter the government and therefore had not prepared for an uprising.
-Moreover, although the PSOE was not actually considering a revolution, the CEDA-backed gov had been preparing for a complete suppression of the left since the summer of 1934.
-indeed, the government initiated a military training exercise in Leon in September, designed to prepare the army for suppressing a left-wing revolution.
-General Franco, who played a key role in the training exercise, would later lead the army in its suppression of the uprising in Asturias

Question 33

What was Asturias’ dominant industry?

Answer 33

coal mining

Question 34

What was the economy / situation like in Asturias?

Answer 34

The Depression of the early 1930’s resulted in a collapse in demand for coal. The owners of coal mines responded by reducing wages and cutting the workforce, which enraged miners

Question 35

Explain the events of the Asturias uprising

Answer 35

-the miners, who were already radicalised by the results of the Depression, eagerly joined the revolt against CEDA’s inclusion in the cabinet.
-a range of left-wing groups in the Asturias region worked together to fight the army and the police, making it difficult for the authorities to suppress the uprising.
-following a successful attack on the Civil Guard the rebels quickly established control over the province.
-the victorious workers established an independent workers republic, which controlled approximately a third of the Asturias province, including its regional capital Oviedo and 80% of its population
-revolutionary committees controlled key aspects of daily life, including food supplies, communication and public order.
-in addition the revolutionaries moved quickly against their enemies.

Question 36

What were some of the horrible things the revolutionaries in Asturias did during their period of controll?

Answer 36

-they burned 58 churches
-took hostages including businessmen, right-wing supporters and clergymen, 31 of whom were murdered

Question 37

How was the Asturias uprising suppresesed?

Answer 37

-the government responded by sending 20,000 troops into the region of Asturias. Many of these troops had previously served in North Africa.
-the Spanish Navy was authorised to shell major cities along the coast and the air force bombed towns and villages.

Question 38

Who oversaw the suppression of the revolt?

Answer 38

General Franco, who remained in Madrid, oversaw the suppression of the revolt

Question 39

What was General Franco’s strategy based on? What was an advantage of having trained the troops in Leon?

Answer 39

based on the military training that had taken place in September in Leon.
-Notable, Leon is just south of Asturias, and therefore the troops were well prepared for fighting in the region.

Question 40

How long did fighting go on for?

Answer 40

fighting went on for two weeks, by the end of which the uprising had been crushed

Question 41

How brutal was the military suppression of the uprising? (explain some bad things done)

Answer 41

-on the outskirts of Oviedo 61 civilians were shot.
-in addition, as many as 50 prisoners were executes in the Pelayo barracks.
-the total casualties from the uprising amounted to almost 1,400 killed, of which 1,100 were revolutionaries, and 2951 wounded - again, the majority were rebels.

Question 42

What date did the rebels surrender?

Answer 42

on 19th October 1934

Question 43

Despite the rebels surrendering, what continued?

Answer 43

the army action still continued.
-whole villages were burned down, prisoners were tortured and executions without trial took place across the region.
-thousands of members of trade unions and members of the UGT lost their jobs and many were imprisoned

Question 44

In addition to military action, what did the gov do?

Answer 44

it suspended Catalan autonomy and ordered thousands of arrests of left-wing activists, even in areas that had not participated in the uprisings.

Question 45

What were the 6 consequences of the uprising?

Answer 45

-polarisation
-radicalisation on the right
-CEDA starts to call for a fascist dictatorship
-CEDA gains ground
-military preparations
-impact on the left

Question 46

Why was polarisation a consequence of the uprising?

Answer 46

-the Asturias uprising led to further polarisation of Spanish politics.
-on the right people believed that the rebellion had been a genuine threat to the republic. Many on the right argued that it was evidence that the left were preparing a revolution designed to sweep away the gov, the church and the army and create a Soviet-style communist gov.
-the left saw things differently. for most on the left, the rebels in Asturias were heroes who had been trying to defend their rights and their jobs. Socialists, communists and anarchists viewed the suppression of the revolt as a barbaric and wholly unjustified use of the army. They argued that it was evidence that Gil-Robles was planning a military takeover of power - the first step towards establishing a fascist dictatorship

Question 47

What did the right-wing press claim about the revolt?

Answer 47

claimed that the revolt showed the left no longer respected democracy.
-rather than waiting for the next election, the PSOE and its allies had tried to take power from a democratically elected gov by force

Question 48

Why was radicalisation on the right a consequence of the uprising?

Answer 48

-many moderate Spaniards and members of the middle class were concerned by the Asturias uprising. They viewed left-wing violence against the Church and business people as a threat to their way of life.
-what is more, the Spanish media had sensationalised alleged atrocities committed by left-wing forces, such as the widespread raping on nuns, which again made some Spaniards more supportive of right-wing groups.
-therefore, the middle class tended to move to the right, hoping that a strong right-wing leader would stand up to left-wing groups and defend the property and privilege of the middle class

Question 49

Why was CEDA calling for a fascist dictatorship a consequence of the uprising?

Answer 49

-Gil-robles spoke out against the weakness of Leroux’s government and the need for a strong alternative to the Radical Republican-led government.
-Gil-Robles also publicly praised Hitler, arguing that Nazism in Germany had created an ‘economic miracle’ and that a similar approach could lead to economic recovery in Spain.
-Youth for Popular Action (JAP), a right-wing youth group, began to adopt fascist symbols and military-style uniforms similar to those in Italy and Germany.
-Gil-Robles began to be referred to as the ‘chief’ and JAP began to demand ‘all power to the chief’, again copying the style of Nazi and Fascist dictatorships

Question 50

Why was CEDA gaining ground a consequence of the uprising?

Answer 50

-the PSOE attempted revolution meant that Gil-Robles could push for greater CEDA influence in government.
-in essence, he argued that the gov needed to take left-wing threats more seriously and therefore Leroux needed to work more closely with CEDA, as CEDA was committed to standing up to the revolutionary left
-By May 1935 Lerroux and the president gave in. CEDA gained more seats in the cabinet and Gil-Robles was promoted minister of war

Question 51

Why were military preparations a consequence of the uprising?

Answer 51

-as minister of war, Gil-Robles began military preparation.
-he promoted right-wing officers to key positions and began a secret rearmament programme. Gil-Robles never made his real intentions clear. However his preparations could have been the beginnings of a military takeover or he could have been preparing for civil war
-he used his position to appoint general Franco as chief of the general staff.
-he also promoted general Joaquin Fanjul, a well known monarchist who was associated with groups plotting to overthrow the republic.
-working on Gil-Robles’ orders, Franco and Fanjul began to purge the army of officers who supported the republic. Officers with monarchist or fascist sympathies were promoted to replace them and put into key positions within the army.

Question 52

What were some of the other military policies put into place by Gil-Robles?

Answer 52

-munitions factories were placed under military guard. Gil-Robles claimed this was to protect them from attacks by left-wing groups
-army training increased in areas where there was strong union movement
-arms production increased as part of a new secret rearmament programme

Question 53

What was the impact on the left as a result of the uprising?

Answer 53

-the failure of the uprising persuaded many on the left of the need to re-engage with democracy.
-the revolution had failed and therefore many in the PSOE and other left-wing groups began to argue they should attempt to gain power through election.
-several left-wing groups began to co-operate during the Asturias uprising and this co-operation continued after the uprising was suppressed, creating the possibility of an electoral alliance
-however, the Asturias uprising undermined the left’s democratic legitimacy. The 1934 October Revolution was perceived by many as an attempt to overthrow a democratically elected gov.
-critics of the left argued that the PSOE and other left-wing parties had decisively rejected democracy. Therefore it was difficult for the left to claim that they were committed to or willing to defend democracy

Question 54

In January 1936, ahead of a new general election, what did leaders of several left-wing groups form?

Answer 54

they formed the Popular Front, an electoral alliance designed to give the left a chance of winning the forthcoming election

Question 55

What did the Popular Front consist of?

Answer 55

of:
-Socialists
-communists
-the Republican left and the Republican Union Party

Question 56

What were the 4 reasons why the Popular Front was created?

Answer 56

-the failure of the October Revolution persuaded many on the left of the need to create an effective political force in order to win elections
-Azana, learning from the success of CEDA, played a key role working with left-wing groups to create an electoral alliance. He argued that left-wing groups should work together to protect democracy and prevent the emergence of a fascist or military dictatorship
-the Soviet Union changed its policy. In the early 1930’s the Soviet gov had directed communist parties across the world to work independently of Socialist groups. However, following Hitler’s victory in Germany, the Soviet gov ordered communist parties to work with other left-wing groups to resist the rise of fascism across Europe
-Largo Caballero was initially war of Azana’s idea but was convinced by the Spanish communists to support Azana