Provisional Government of the Second Spanish Republic


The Provisional Government of the Second Spanish Republic was the government that held political power in Spain from the fall of Alfonso XIII of Spain on 14 April 1931 and the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic until the approval of the Spanish 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 was Niceto Alcalá Zamora, who presided until 1936, when Manuel Azaña took over. The new constitution established freedom of speech, freedom of association, extended voting privileges to women, allowed divorce, and stripped the Spanish nobility of their special legal status.

Formation

The local elections of 12 April triggered a government crisis due to their loss in the main cities, where the Republican-Socialist Conjunction achieved major victories.
Following the recommendations of the Count of Romanones, Alfonso XIII decided to hand power over to the republican-socialist "revolutionary committee".
General Sanjurjo informed Miguel Maura of the king's decision. He inmediately gathered the "revolutionary committee" and decided to form a government presided by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora

Cabinet of Alcalá Zamora

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.
ImagePortfolioNamePolitical Party
President of the Provisional GovernmentNiceto Alcalá-Zamora y TorresLiberal Republican Right
Minister of StateAlejandro Lerroux GarcíaRadical Republican Party
Minister of JusticeFernando de los Ríos UrrutiSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of WarManuel Azaña DíazRepublican Action Group
Minister of the NavySantiago Casares QuirogaAutonomous Galician Republican Organization
Minister of FinanceIndalecio Prieto TueroSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of the GovernanceMiguel Maura GamazoLiberal Republican Right
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine ArtsMarcelino Domingo SanjuánRadical Socialist Republican Party
Minister of DevelopmentÁlvaro de Albornoz LiminianaRadical Socialist Republican Party
Minister of LabourFrancisco Largo CaballeroSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of National EconomyLuis Nicolau d'OlwerRepublican Catalan Action
Minister of CommunicationsDiego Martínez BarrioRadical Republican Party

Cabinet of Azaña

In October 1931, the prime minister Niceto 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 appointed José Giral Pereira.
ImagePortfolioNamePolitical Party
President of the Council of Ministers
Minister of War
Manuel Azaña DíazRepublican Action
Minister of StateAlejandro Lerroux GarcíaRadical Republican Party
Minister of JusticeFernando de los Ríos UrrutiSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of the NavyJosé Giral PereiraRepublican Action
Minister of FinanceIndalecio Prieto TueroSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of the GovernanceSantiago Casares QuirogaAutonomous Galician Republican Organization
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine ArtsMarcelino Domingo SanjuánRadical Socialist Republican Party
Minister of DevelopmentÁlvaro de Albornoz LiminianaRadical Socialist Republican Party
Minister of LabourFrancisco Largo CaballeroSpanish Socialist Workers' Party
Minister of National EconomyLuis Nicolau d'OlwerRepublican Catalan Action
Minister of CommunicationsDiego Martínez BarrioRadical Republican Party