Provisional Government of the Spanish Republic | |
|---|---|
.svg) Government ofSpain | |
| 1931 | |
 Provisional Government | |
| Date formed | 14 April 1931 |
| Date dissolved | 11 December 1931 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Vacant |
| Prime Minister | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora (April-Oct 1931) Manuel Azaña (Oct - Dec 1931) |
| Totalno. of members | 12 |
| Member parties | Republican Action Spanish Socialist Workers' Party Radical Republican Party Radical Socialist Republican Party Autonomous Galician Republican Organization Catalan Republican Action Liberal Republican Right (until Oct 1931) |
| Status in legislature | Majority (multi-party) |
| Opposition parties | National Action Traditionalist Communion Agrarian Group Revolutionary Radical Socialist Republican Party Liberal Democrat Republican Party Liberal Republican Right (from Oct 1931) |
| Opposition leader | José María Gil-Robles y Quiñones |
| History | |
| Election | 1931 Spanish general election |
| Predecessor | Aznar-Cabañas |
| Successor | Azaña II |
TheProvisional Government of the Second Spanish Republic (Spanish:Gobierno Provisional de la Segunda República Española) was the government that held political power inSpain from the fall ofAlfonso XIII of Spain on 14 April 1931 and the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic until the approval of theSpanish Constitution of 1931 on 9 December and the formation of the first regular government on 15 December. The King's departure created the need for a provisional government, whose first president wasNiceto Alcalá Zamora, who presided until 1936, whenManuel Azaña took over. The new constitution establishedfreedom of speech,freedom of association, extendedvoting privileges to women, allowed divorce, and stripped theSpanish nobility of their special legal status.[1]
Thelocal elections of 12 April triggered a government crisis due to their loss in the main cities, where the Republican-Socialist Conjunction achieved major victories.
| Consultations King of Spain | ||||
| Date | Consultee | Office/position | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 April 1931 | Council of Ministers | Ministers | Military | |
| Count of Romanones | Minister of State Leader of theLiberal Party | Liberal | ||
| José Sánchez-Guerra y Martínez | Member of theConservative Party | Conservative | ||
| Miguel Villanueva y Gómez | Member of theLiberal Party | Liberal | ||
| Melquíades Álvarez | Leader of the formerReformist Party | Reformist | ||
| Council of Ministers (again) | Ministers | Military | ||
| Result | ||||
| Outcome → | Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, power handed over to the Revolutionary Committee. | |||
| Sources[2][3] | ||||
Following the recommendations of the Count of Romanones, Alfonso XIII decided to hand power over to the republican-socialist "revolutionary committee".General Sanjurjo informedMiguel Maura of the king's decision. He inmediately gathered the "revolutionary committee" and decided to form a government presided byNiceto Alcalá-Zamora[4]
The cabinet of Alcalá-Zamora lasted until 15 October 1931, when he and Minister of the Interior Miguel Maura resigned due to disagreements over the religious policy carried out by parliament with the approval of Article 26 of the Constitution.[5]
| Image | Portfolio | Name | Political Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | President of the Provisional Government | Niceto Alcalá-Zamora y Torres | Liberal Republican Right | |
 | Minister of State[6] | Alejandro Lerroux García | Radical Republican Party | |
.jpg) | Minister of Justice[7] | Fernando de los Ríos Urruti | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
 | Minister of War[8] | Manuel Azaña Díaz | Republican Action Group | |
 | Minister of the Navy[9] | Santiago Casares Quiroga | Autonomous Galician Republican Organization | |
.jpg) | Minister of Finance[10] | Indalecio Prieto Tuero | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
 | Minister of the Governance[11] | Miguel Maura Gamazo | Liberal Republican Right | |
 | Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts[12] | Marcelino Domingo Sanjuán | Radical Socialist Republican Party | |
 | Minister of Development[13] | Álvaro de Albornoz Liminiana | Radical Socialist Republican Party | |
.jpg) | Minister of Labour[14] | Francisco Largo Caballero | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
 | Minister of National Economy[15] | Luis Nicolau d'Olwer | Republican Catalan Action | |
 | Minister of Communications[16] | Diego Martínez Barrio | Radical Republican Party |
In October 1931, the prime ministerNiceto Alcalá-Zamora and the minister of the Governance,Miguel Maura, left the government. Alcalá-Zamora was replaced by the minister of War and Maura was replaced by the minister of the Navy,Santiago Casares Quiroga. To replace Casares as minister of the Navy, Azaña appointedJosé Giral Pereira.
| Image | Portfolio | Name | Political Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | President of the Council of Ministers Minister of War | Manuel Azaña Díaz | Republican Action | |
| Minister of State | Alejandro Lerroux García | Radical Republican Party | |
| Minister of Justice | Fernando de los Ríos Urruti | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
 | Minister of the Navy | José Giral Pereira | Republican Action | |
| Minister of Finance | Indalecio Prieto Tuero | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
| Minister of the Governance[17] | Santiago Casares Quiroga | Autonomous Galician Republican Organization | |
| Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts | Marcelino Domingo Sanjuán | Radical Socialist Republican Party | |
| Minister of Development | Álvaro de Albornoz Liminiana | Radical Socialist Republican Party | |
| Minister of Labour | Francisco Largo Caballero | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
| Minister of National Economy | Luis Nicolau d'Olwer | Republican Catalan Action | |
| Minister of Communications | Diego Martínez Barrio | Radical Republican Party |
