This article is about the specific polity Second Spanish Republic and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics
The Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII. It ended in 1939, after the Spanish Civil War was won by the Nationalists of Francisco Franco who created the Spanish State.
Summary
The Second Spanish Republic was established in 1931 after the abdication of King Alfonso XIII, marking the end of the Bourbon monarchy that had ruled Spain since the 18th century. The republic lasted until 1939, when it was overthrown by Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War.
The origins of the Second Republic can be traced to the political instability of the early 20th century, with the Restoration Monarchy failing to address growing regionalist, socialist, and anarchist movements. In 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera had established a military dictatorship, but this too collapsed in 1930. Facing growing unrest, Alfonso XIII abdicated in 1931, paving the way for the establishment of the Second Republic.
The new republic was proclaimed in April 1931 following municipal elections that saw republican and left-wing parties make major gains. A coalition of liberal, socialist, and regionalist parties formed the first republican government under Niceto Alcalá-Zamora as president.
The first years of the republic saw major reforms, including the disestablishment of the Catholic Church, land redistribution, and the granting of autonomy to regions like Catalonia. However, these reforms also sparked a backlash from conservative and religious sectors of society.
In 1933, more conservative parties gained power, leading to a rolling back of the republic's reformist agenda. This in turn led to growing unrest, including a socialist-anarchist uprising in Asturias that was brutally suppressed.
In 1936, a left-wing Popular Front coalition won the general election. This victory was contested by right-wing and military forces, leading to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. The republic was bitterly divided, with the left-wing government in Madrid opposed by the Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco.
After three years of bloody conflict, the Nationalist forces emerged victorious in 1939, marking the end of the Second Republic.
Establishment
April 1931: The Catalan Republic was a state proclaimed in 1931 by Francesc Macià as the "Catalan Republic within the Iberian Federation".
April 1931: The Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed after the deposition of Alfonso XIII.
April 1931: The government of the new Spanish Republic, concerned about the proclamation of the Catalan Republic and the duality of powers it created, sent three ministers (Fernando de los Ríos, Lluís Nicolau d'Olwer and Marcel·lí Domingo) to Barcelona in order to negotiate with Macià and the Catalan Government. Macià reached an agreement with the three ministers, in which the Catalan Republic was renamed the Generalitat of Catalonia, becoming an autonomous government within the Spanish Republic.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was a civil war in Spain fought between the Republicans (that wanted to keep the current Republican system) and the Nationalists (that wanted to end the Republican system and replace it with a Monarchy or a Fascist regime). The war resulted in the victory of the Conservatives led by General Francisco Franco, who established a totalitarian regime in Spain.
July 1936: Pamplona, Zaragoza, Oviedo, Salamanca, Ávila, Segovia, and Cádiz fall in rebel hands.
July 1936: The town garrison of Oviedo, under the command of Colonel Antonio Aranda Mata, declared its support for the Nationalist uprising.
July 1936: Seville fell to the rebels.
July 1936: Rebels took Majorca.
July 1936: The Nationalist insurgents have control of the Spanish zones of Morocco, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands except Menorca, as well as Spain north of the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Ebro River (except Asturias, Cantabria, the north of the Basque Country, and Catalonia).
July 1936: Vallehermoso, Santa Cruz de Tenerife in la Gomera, a village of 4000, was the last place in the Canary Islands to fall to the rebels.
August 1936: Ibiza and Formentera are back in Republican hands.
August 1936: The Nationalists take Mérida.
August 1936: Nationalist forces under Colonel Juan Yagüe attack and conquer Badajoz.
August 1936: Battle of Almendralejo.
September 1936: The Basque city of Irún is taken by the Nationalists.
September 1936: In Punta Amer and Porto Cristo, the Republicans were unable to withstand the Nationalist counterattack on the ground and fell back in confusion, abandoning their guns and equipment. Their evacuation began on September 5, and the Republicans held the beaches until September 12, when the last ship steamed off in retreat.
September 1936: A week after the retreat from Majorca, Cabrera had once again fallen to the Nationalists.
September 1936: The Basques surrendered San Sebastián to the Nationalists rather than risk its destruction.
September 1936: Ibiza was captured by the Nationalist Majorca garrison.
September 1936: Formentera conquered by Nationalists.
September 1936: Toledo falls to the Nationalists.
October 1936: Territorial gains by the Spanish Nationalists by September 1936.
November 1936: The Nationalist army arrive in Madrid.
December 1936: Villarreal Offensive.
December 1936: Battle of Lopera.
January 1937: Nationalists take Boadilla.
February 1937: Málaga taken by Franco's troops.
March 1937: In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco advanced towards Madrid via Brihuega.
March 1937: Republican divisions under Cipriano Mera and Enrique Líster with 60 T-26 tanks of the Pavlov Brigade take back Brihuega.
June 1937: The Nationalists enter Bilbao without opposition.
July 1937: The International Brigades (IBs) took control of Quijorna, a town in Spain. The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries who fought in support of the Second Spanish Republic against the Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco.
July 1937: Republican troops take Villanueva del Pardillo.
July 1937: Battle of Brunete.
August 1937: The Santoña Agreement was an agreement signed in the town of Guriezo, near Santoña, Cantabria, on August 24, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Vasco or PNV), fighting for the Spanish Republicans, and Italian forces, fighting for Francisco Franco. With the agreement, the remnant Basque County fell to the Nationalists.
September 1937: Battle of Belchite.
November 1937: Territorial gains by the Spanish Nationalists by October 1937.
November 1937: Battle of Sabiñánigo.
April 1938: Battle of Gandesa.
April 1938: Battle of Lérida (1938).
December 1938: Territorial gains by the Spanish Nationalists by December 1938.
February 1939: Battle of Minorca (1939).
1.1.Asturias Offensive
Was a Nationalist offensive in Asturias during the Spanish Civil War.
September 1937: Nationalists capture Llanes.
September 1937: The Nationalists occupied Ribadesella.
September 1937: Battle of El Mazuco.
October 1937: Covadonga conquered by Nationalists.
October 1937: The Nationalist Navarrese Brigades enter Cangas de Onis.
October 1937: On 14 October Arriondas fell to the Nationalists.
October 1937: The Nationalists entered Gijón, completing the occupation of Asturias.
1.2.Aragon Offensive
Was a Nationalist offensive in Aragon during the Spanish Civil War.
March 1938: Battle of Caspe.
March 1938: On March 25, Yagüe (Nationalists) took Fraga.
April 1938: The Nationalists reached the Mediterranean at Vinaròs, dividing the Republican zone in two.
1.3.Catalonia Offensive
Was a Nationalist offensive in Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War.
January 1939: In 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, General Solchaga, a Nationalist military leader, attacked the town of Les Borges Blanques.
January 1939: The Nationalist Aragon and Maestrazgo Corps conquered Cervera.
January 1939: The Moroccan Corps after a one-day march of 50 km occupied Tarragona.
January 1939: On January 24, 1939, General Garcia Valiño, a Nationalist military leader during the Spanish Civil War, occupied Manresa, a city in Catalonia.
January 1939: The Nationalists finally occupied Barcelona.
February 1939: On February 2, the Nationalists entered Girona.
February 1939: The Nationalists occupied Figueres on February 8.
February 1939: By February 9, the Nationalists reached the French frontier, and on the following day the last units of Modesto's Army of the Ebro crossed into France and the Nationalists sealed the frontier.
1.4.Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War
Was the final Nationalist offensive of the Spanish Civil War which resulted in the occupation of Madrid and the surrender of the Republicans.
March 1939: Colonel Prada, commander of the Army of the Centre, surrendered to the Nationalist troops, who occupied Madrid.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Jaén, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Albacete and Sagunto.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Valencia and Gambara’s troops entered Alicante.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Almeria, Murcia and Cartagena.
April 1939: By 1 April 1939, the Nationalists were in control of Spain and the civil war was effectively over.
Disestablishment
January 1939: In 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, General Solchaga, a Nationalist military leader, attacked the town of Les Borges Blanques.
January 1939: The Nationalist Aragon and Maestrazgo Corps conquered Cervera.
January 1939: The Moroccan Corps after a one-day march of 50 km occupied Tarragona.
January 1939: On January 24, 1939, General Garcia Valiño, a Nationalist military leader during the Spanish Civil War, occupied Manresa, a city in Catalonia.
January 1939: The Nationalists finally occupied Barcelona.
February 1939: On February 2, the Nationalists entered Girona.
February 1939: The Nationalists occupied Figueres on February 8.
February 1939: By February 9, the Nationalists reached the French frontier, and on the following day the last units of Modesto's Army of the Ebro crossed into France and the Nationalists sealed the frontier.
February 1939: Battle of Minorca (1939).
March 1939: Colonel Prada, commander of the Army of the Centre, surrendered to the Nationalist troops, who occupied Madrid.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Jaén, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Albacete and Sagunto.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Valencia and Gambara’s troops entered Alicante.
March 1939: The Nationalists occupied Almeria, Murcia and Cartagena.
April 1939: By 1 April 1939, the Nationalists were in control of Spain and the civil war was effectively over.
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Second Spanish Republic
