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YearMaps
Industrial Era1932 CE – 1938 CEPeak: 854,092 km² (1934 CE)

Second Spanish Republic: Map & History

The Spanish Republic, commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic, was the democratic government of Spain from 1931 to 1939.

4.5
1932 CEDrag timeline:1934 CE1938 CE
1932 CE
1935 CE
1935 CE
1935 CE
1938 CE
Capital: MadridCapital at 40.42°N, 3.70°WPeak Extent: 854,092 km²Vector Attribution: Cliopatria (CC BY 4.0)Wikidata: Q178038 ↗
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Wikipedia: Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic historical cartography
Government of Spain, 1931–1939

The Spanish Republic, commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic, was the democratic government of Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII. It was dissolved on 1 April 1939 after surrendering in the Spanish Civil War to the Nationalists rebels led by General Francisco Franco.

Capital / Seat
Madrid
Common Languages
Spanish
Imperial Currency
Spanish peseta
State Governance
Unitary semi-presidential republic
Peak Territory
854,092 km²
Key Dynasts / Leaders
Diego Martínez Barrio
Preceded By
Restoration (Spain)Kingdom of Spain
Succeeded By
Francoist SpainSpanish State, Spanish Republican government in exileSpanish Republican, Government-in-Exile
Content & infobox metadata adapted from Wikipedia (Second Spanish Republic)

Modern Countries Once Part of Second Spanish Republic

At its mapped extent, Second Spanish Republic covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.

Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.

Second Spanish Republic in Depth

History

On 28 January 1930, the military dictatorship of General Miguel Primo de Rivera (who had been in power since September 1923) was overthrown. This led various republican factions from a wide variety of backgrounds (including conservatives, socialists and Catalan nationalists) to join forces. The Pact of San Sebastián was the key to the transition from monarchy to republic. Republicans of all tendencies were committed to the Pact of San Sebastian in overthrowing the monarchy and establishing a republic. The restoration of the royal Bourbons was rejected by large sectors of the populace who vehemently opposed the King. The pact, signed by representatives of the main Republican forces, allowed a joint anti-monarchy political campaign.

Economy

The Second Spanish Republic's economy was mostly agrarian, and many historians call Spain during this time a "backward nation". Major industries of the Second Spanish Republic were located in the Basque region (due to it having Europe's best high-grade non-phosphoric ore) and Catalonia. This greatly contributed to Spain's economic hardships, as their center of industry was located on the opposite side of the country from their resource reserves, resulting in immense transportation costs due to the mountainous Spanish terrain. Compounding economic woes was Spain's low export rate and heavily domestic manufacturing industry. High levels of poverty left many Spaniards open to extremist political parties in search of a solution.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Second Spanish Republic (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Second Spanish Republic: Key Facts

Key facts about Second Spanish Republic
CapitalsMadrid, Barcelona
Official languageSpanish
Currencypeseta
Founded14 April 1931
Dissolved1 April 1939

Preceded by

  • Spain under the Restoration

Succeeded by

Facts from Wikidata Q178038 (CC0).

Second Spanish Republic Timeline

Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion

1 Epochs
Territorial Apex1934 CE

Expansion to peak recorded area of 854,092 km² in 1934 CE.

Second Spanish Republic: Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Second Spanish Republic exist?

The Second Spanish Republic is dated to 1932 CE – 1938 CE, in the Industrial era.

What was the capital of the Second Spanish Republic?

The capital of the Second Spanish Republic was Madrid.

How large was the Second Spanish Republic at its peak?

At its peak in 1934 the Second Spanish Republic covered about 854,092 km².