CAMBRIDGE AS HISTORY: KING ALFONSO XIII ABDICATION. Contains: timeline, King Alfonso XIII, the RIF war, Primo de Rivera, the seeds of authoritarianism, reasons for king Alfonso abdication, country, religion, monarchy, king in voluntary exile, the velvet revolution.

1. HISTORY CAMBRIDGE AS (PAPER 2)
PRESENTATION 10 (PLUS HOMEWORK)
1933-1939 MODULE

2. Thomas, The Spanish Civil War
Wadsworth, Chapter 3
Spanish Civil War. (2016). Encyclopædia Britannica.
The Happiest Living Monarch, New York Times.
Morris, Jan. The Matter of Wales (1986 ed.).

3. 1931 Apr Second Spanish Republic proclaimed
1933 Nov Spanish right wins general election
1934 Oct Asturias rising
1936 Feb Popular Front government elected
July Army rising

4. King Alfonso XIII (1885–
1931) was not a modernizer.
The impact of military
defeat in Morocco, and the
post-World War I
Depression, put pressure on
the King, and after 12
unsuccessful governments
during the period 1918–23
Alfonso did not resist the
coup of General Primo de
Rivera.

5. Following World War I, Spain entered the lengthy yet victorious Rif
War (1920–1926) to preserve its colonial rule over northern
Morocco.
Critics of the monarchy thought the war was an unforgivable loss
of money and lives, and nicknamed Alfonso el Africano ("the
African").
In 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marqués de Estella,
seized power in a military coup. He ruled as a dictator with
Alfonso's support until 1930. The poetic Generation of '27 and
Catalan and Basque nationalism grew in this era.

6. Don Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja (January 8, 1870 –
March 16, 1930) was a dictator, aristocrat, and military officer
who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during
Spain's Restoration era.
He deeply believed that it was the politicians who had ruined
Spain and that governing without them he could restore the
nation.

7. De Rivera tried to establish an authoritarian right-wing regime to
redress Spain’s problems, similar to the Italian fascist model. He
started various infrastructure programmes for railways, roads and
electrification, as well as irrigation schemes.
Industrial production developed at three times the rate of output
before 1923 and he ended the war in Morocco in 1925.
Nevertheless, he ran up massive debts that put Spain into a
dreadful situation when the Wall Street Crash came.

8. Spain did not have a large industry except Bilbao which was only
focused on iron boundaries and Barcelona textile, this industry was
hit by the Great Depression.
Unemployment in both agriculture and industry rose. Those in
work had to put up with the wages as the country struggled to
survive the depression.
Due to the Great Depression, Rivera was forced to step down due
to the high unemployment rate, losing the support of the army
and Spain was in chaos.
Due to the large amount of poverty and growth, the people posed
a threat to civil war.

9. His slogan was "Country, Religion, Monarchy."
Historians depict him as an inept dictator who lacked clear ideas
and political stamina, and who alienated his potential supporters
such as the army.
He did not create a base of support among the voters, and
depended instead on elite elements.
His actions discredited the king and ruined the monarchy, while
heightening social tensions that led in 1936 to the Spanish Civil
War.

10. Alfonso (left) in 1930 with his
dictatorial Prime Minister, Le
Marqués de Estella.

11. He managed to alienate most of the powerful elements of society,
including the landowners and the army.
Thus De Rivera resigned in 1930, having not resolved Spain’s
economic problems, or brought about long-term political stability.
It seemed that dictatorship as a solution to Spain’s problems had
failed.

12. After municipal elections in April showed support for the San
Sebastian Pact coalition of parties (republicans, liberals, socialists
and Catalans), the King went into voluntary exile.
This time neither the church nor the army intervened to save the
King – there seemed nothing they could put in his place.
A ‘velvet revolution’ had occurred and the Second Republic was
established.

13. In 1930, due to economic problems and general unpopularity,
the 2nd Marqués de Estella resigned.
Alfonso, as the Marqués's ally, shared the popular dislike.
In April 1931, General Le Marqués del Rif told him even the army
was not loyal.
On 12 April, the republican parties won a landslide victory in
municipal elections.
On 14 April, he fled the country as the Second Spanish Republic
was proclaimed, but did not abdicate. He settled eventually in
Rome.

14. From this presentation, Internet research and consulting your
book, explain the events that led to the fall of King Alfonso in 1931.