Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
Years of reform, 1931–33: Provisional government reform of the army and…
Full specification wording
Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36: Years of reform, 1931–33: Provisional government reform of the army and the church; tackling agricultural problems; reforms under Azana; responses from both left and right; unrest and repression.
The Provisional government (April–December 1931) and the Azaña governments (1931–33) pursued reform.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Provisional government (April–December 1931) and the Azaña governments (1931–33) pursued reform. Army reform under Azaña offered retirement on full pay to reduce the over-officered, monarchist officer corps. Church reform enforced secularisation: religious orders restricted, education secularised and divorce legalised. Agricultural problems were tackled by the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law, which aimed to resettle landless labourers on latifundios, but implementation was slow and underfunded. Autonomy for Catalonia (1932) and women's suffrage (1931) extended reform. Responses divided: the right, including landowners, church and army, resisted; the left, especially anarchists and the CNT, demanded faster change. Unrest included the 1932 Sanjurjada coup attempt and the 1933 Casas Viejas incident, where government repression killed peasants, damaging Azaña's reputation.
What earns the marks
- Explains Azaña's army reform, including retirement on full pay to reduce the officer corps.
- Analyses church reform: restrictions on religious orders, secular education and legalisation of divorce.
- Assesses the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law and its slow, underfunded implementation.
- Explains reforms under Azaña, including Catalan autonomy and women's suffrage.
- Analyses right-wing responses such as the Sanjurjada of 1932.
- Assesses left-wing responses, including anarchist and CNT demands for faster change.
- Explains unrest and repression, including the Casas Viejas incident of 1933.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing the Provisional government with the Azaña governments.
Put it right by distinguishing the 1931 Provisional government from the 1931–33 reform administrations.
Assuming the Agrarian Reform Law was fully implemented.
Put it right by explaining its slow and limited application.
Treating all opposition as right-wing.
Put it right by including left-wing and anarchist criticism of the pace of reform.
Exam tips
- Organise answers by reform area — army, church, agriculture — and then by responses from left and right.
- Use specific examples such as the Sanjurjada and Casas Viejas to support analysis of unrest and repression.
- Explain how each reform provoked opposition, linking policy to destabilisation of the Republic.
Try the lesson
The start of the Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36: Years of reform, 1931–33: Provisional government reform of the army and the church; tackling agricultural problems; reforms under Azana; responses from both left and right; unrest and repression. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which reform of the army did the Provisional government introduce in 1931?
Listen
The Provisional government (April–December 1931) and the Azaña governments (1931–33) pursued reform. Army reform under Azaña offered retirement on full pay to reduce the over-officered, monarchist officer corps. Church reform enforced secularisation: religious orders restricted, education secularised and divorce legalised. Agricultural problems were tackled by the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law, which aimed to resettle landless labourers on latifundios, but implementation was slow and underfunded. Autonomy for Catalonia (1932) and women's suffrage (1931) extended reform. Responses divided: the right, including landowners, church and army, resisted; the left, especially anarchists and the CNT, demanded faster change. Unrest included the 1932 Sanjurjada coup attempt and the 1933 Casas Viejas incident, where government repression killed peasants, damaging Azaña's reputation. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains Azaña's army reform, including retirement on full pay to reduce the officer corps. Analyses church reform: restrictions on religious orders, secular education and legalisation of divorce. Assesses the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law and its slow, underfunded implementation. Explains reforms under Azaña, including Catalan autonomy and women's suffrage. A common slip: Confusing the Provisional government with the Azaña governments. Instead, distinguishing the 1931 Provisional government from the 1931–33 reform administrations. Exam tip: Organise answers by reform area — army, church, agriculture — and then by responses from left and right.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Women's suffrage extended under reform
- 2. Casas Viejas incident and government repression
- 3. Agrarian Reform Law passed
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Provisional government and Azaña reforms
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Army and church reform
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Agrarian reform and agricultural problems
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Responses from left and right, unrest and repression
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Provisional government and Azaña reforms
- The Provisional government of April–December 1931 and the Azaña governments of 1931–33 pursued reform of the army, the church and agriculture.
- Army and church reform
- Army reform under Azaña offered retirement on full pay to reduce the over-officered, monarchist officer corps, while church reform enforced secularisation.
- Agrarian reform and agricultural problems
- The 1932 Agrarian Reform Law aimed to resettle landless labourers on latifundios, but implementation was slow and underfunded.
- Responses from left and right, unrest and repression
- The right, including landowners, church and army, resisted, while the left, especially anarchists and the CNT, demanded faster change, and unrest included the Sanjurjada and Casas Viejas.
There is more to this lesson
The full lesson goes on to check your understanding and help you earn the marks. Create a free account to carry on, with your progress saved.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge
Test your understanding of Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36: Years of reform, 1931–33: Provisional government reform of the army and the church; tackling agricultural problems; reforms under Azana; responses from both left and right; unrest and repression.
Active recall beats re-reading. Take an instant quiz now to test what you’ve learned and lock it into long-term memory.
A week of Premium from your first lesson · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge