Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36 — Edexcel A-Level History
Verified courseTeaching note checked against the official specification.
Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36 explained
Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36 covers 4 specification points, including Impact of political events, 1930–31 and the… and Provisional government reform of the army and….
Read the full explanation
Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Spain, 1930–31: impact of political events, 1930–31 and the creation of the Second Republic; forces of conservatism, including landowners, church, army; political unrest; economic and social problems.
The collapse of Primo de Rivera's regime in January 1930 left a monarchy isolated. The Pact of San Sebastián (August 1930) united republicans, socialists and Catalan nationalists; the December 1930 Jaca rising failed, but April 1931 municipal elections became a plebiscite and Alfonso XIII left, producing the Second Republic on 14 April. Its survival was threatened by conservative forces: landowners held latifundios in the south and resisted land reform; the Catholic Church controlled education and was hostile to secularisation; the army, over-officered and monarchist, resented reform. Unrest included anarchist risings, strikes and church burning in May 1931. Economic and social problems — rural poverty, illiteracy, regional nationalism and the Great Depression — deepened instability.
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. 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.
Years of reaction, 1933–36: creation of CEDA; impact of the 1933 elections; undoing the reforms of 1931–33; the Asturias rising and its consequences; formation of the Popular Front.
The period 1933–36 saw a rightward shift in Spanish politics. The creation of CEDA, a Catholic conservative party, mobilised right-wing support. The 1933 elections brought a centre-right government, which began undoing the reforms of 1931–33, including land reform and labour laws. This provoked the Asturias rising in 1934, a leftist revolt that was brutally suppressed, deepening polarisation. In response, left-wing parties formed the Popular Front, an electoral alliance that would win the 1936 elections. Thus, the years 1933–36 were a time of reaction and counter-reaction, setting the stage for the Civil War.
The failure of the Popular Front 1936: election of February 1936; political instability and social unrest; the significance of Sotelo’s assassination; the attempted coup July 1936.
The Popular Front won the February 1936 elections, but its victory failed to bring stability. Political instability and social unrest escalated, characterised by strikes, land occupations, and violent clashes between left and right-wing factions. The assassination of José Calvo Sotelo, a leading right-wing politician, in July 1936 acted as a crucial catalyst for military rebellion. Because state police (Assault Guards) were involved in the killing, the government was blamed, providing a pretext for the right. The attempted coup in July 1936, led by generals including Franco, failed to take immediate control of major cities like Madrid, but it successfully fractured the country and sparked the Spanish Civil War, which ultimately destroyed the Second Republic in 1939.
Your focus
- Explain how the political events of 1930–31 led to the creation of the Second Republic.
- Analyse the role of landowners, the church and the army as forces of conservatism.
- Evaluate the impact of political unrest and economic and social problems on the new Republic.
Show all 13 objectives
- Explain the reforms of the army, church and agriculture under the Provisional government and Azaña.
- Analyse the responses of the left and right to reform.
- Evaluate how unrest and repression contributed to the destabilisation of the Second Republic.
- Students can describe the creation and aims of CEDA.
- Students can explain how the 1933 elections led to a reversal of reforms.
- Students can analyse the causes and consequences of the Asturias rising.
- Students can explain the formation of the Popular Front as a response to reaction.
- Describe the outcome and polarising effect of the February 1936 elections.
- Explain the causes and manifestations of political instability and social unrest in 1936.
- Analyse the significance of Sotelo's assassination and the July 1936 attempted coup in sparking the Civil War.
Creation and destabilisation of the Second Republic, 1930–36 exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains how the Pact of San Sebastián (August 1930) allied republicans, socialists and Catalan nationalists against the monarchy.
- Analyses the December 1930 Jaca rising as a failed military coup that nevertheless discredited the monarchy.
- Assesses the April 1931 municipal elections as a decisive political event leading to Alfonso XIII's departure and the Second Republic.
- Explains the power of landowners, including latifundios and control of rural labour, as a force of conservatism.
- Analyses the Catholic Church's influence over education and its opposition to secular reform.
- Assesses the army's over-officered, monarchist character and its resistance to reform.
- Explains political unrest such as anarchist risings, strikes and church burning in May 1931.
- Analyses economic and social problems: rural poverty, illiteracy, regional nationalism and the Great Depression.
- 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.
- Explain the creation of CEDA as a Catholic conservative party that aimed to defend religion and property, and its role in mobilising the right.
- Analyse the impact of the 1933 elections, including the victory of the centre-right and the exclusion of the left from power.
- Describe how the reforms of 1931–33 were undone, such as the reversal of land reform and the repeal of labour legislation.
- Account for the Asturias rising of 1934, its causes and consequences, including the brutal suppression by the army and the subsequent polarisation.
- Explain the formation of the Popular Front as a left-wing electoral alliance in response to the right's actions.
- Election of February 1936: the Popular Front, an electoral coalition of left-wing parties, secured a narrow victory, returning the left to power and polarising the nation.
- Political instability and social unrest: the election aftermath saw widespread strikes, illegal land seizures by peasants, and escalating retaliatory violence between political extremes.
- The significance of Sotelo’s assassination: the July 1936 murder of the right-wing leader by leftist militants and state police (Assault Guards) outraged the right and provided the immediate justification for a military uprising.
- The attempted coup July 1936: military conspirators launched a rebellion that failed to seize total control of Spain, resulting in a divided nation and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Link each political event to the creation of the Second Republic, showing cause and consequence rather than listing dates.
- 💡Use precise terms such as latifundios, caciquismo and plebiscite to demonstrate secure knowledge.
- 💡When discussing conservative forces, explain how each group could obstruct reform, not merely that it existed.
- 💡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.
- 💡Use specific examples, such as the reversal of the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law, to illustrate the undoing of reforms.
- 💡When discussing the Asturias rising, mention the role of the army under Franco and the subsequent repression.
- 💡Link the formation of the Popular Front to the failures of the right's reaction, showing causation.
- 💡Use precise dates, such as the election on 16 February 1936 and the coup on 17–18 July 1936.
- 💡When discussing Sotelo's assassination, explicitly mention the Assault Guards to explain why the government was held responsible by the right.
Common Mistakes
- Treating the April 1931 elections as a general election rather than municipal elections that acted as a plebiscite; correct by specifying their municipal character and plebiscitary effect.
- Assuming the Second Republic was created by a violent revolution; correct by explaining the peaceful departure of Alfonso XIII after republican electoral success.
- Describing the church, army and landowners as a single undifferentiated bloc; correct by distinguishing their separate interests and methods of resistance.
- Confusing the Provisional government with the Azaña governments; correct by distinguishing the 1931 Provisional government from the 1931–33 reform administrations.
- Assuming the Agrarian Reform Law was fully implemented; correct by explaining its slow and limited application.
- Treating all opposition as right-wing; correct by including left-wing and anarchist criticism of the pace of reform.
- Confusing CEDA with a fascist party; CEDA was conservative and Catholic but not fascist, though it cooperated with the right.
- Assuming the 1933 elections were won by a single party; they were won by a coalition of centre-right parties, not just CEDA.
- Believing the Asturias rising was a general strike; it was a revolutionary uprising in Asturias, mainly by miners, though it had support elsewhere.
- Error: Thinking the Popular Front was a single political party. Correction: It was an electoral coalition of various left-wing and republican parties united primarily to defeat the right.
- Error: Stating the July 1936 coup marked the immediate end of the Second Republic. Correction: The coup failed to take full control, sparking a Civil War; the Republic survived in divided form until 1939.
- Error: Attributing Sotelo's assassination solely to independent militants. Correction: The involvement of the state police (Guardia de Asalto) was crucial, as it allowed the right to blame the government and justify the coup.