The first government of Diego Martínez Barrio was formed on 9 October 1933, following the latter's appointment as Prime Minister of Spain by President Niceto Alcalá-Zamora and his swearing-in the same day. It succeeded the first government of Alejandro Lerroux and was the government of Spain from 9 October 1933 to 16 December 1933, a total of 69 days, or 2 months and 8 days.
The cabinet comprised members of the Radical Republican Party, the Radical Socialist Republican Party, Republican Action, the Republican Left of Catalonia, the Galician Republican Party, the Progressive Republican Party and the Radical Socialist Left.
The main purpose of the government was the organization of the next general elections to solve the parliamentary deadlock that arose as a result of the animosity between the left and the radicals, making impossible the formation of a new government. With its main purpose completed, the new government resigned after the elections.
Formation
Overview The Constitution of 1931 enshrined Spain as a semi-presidential republic, awarding the President of the Republic the capability of appointing government ministers at will unless the Cortes refused explicitly, that is to say, through a motion of no confidence. He could also inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of presidential decrees and dissolve the Cortes.
Round of consults The President of the Republic, Alcalá-Zamora, held a round of negotiations as well as several individual interviews to solve the political crisis arising from Lerroux's resignation. The round of consults was carried out on 4 October and several interviews were carried out on 6 October and 7 October to seek solutions to the crisis after the failure of the successive candidates to form a governing coalition: ConsultationsPresident of the Republic Date Consultee Office/position Party 4 October 1933 Julian Besteiro President of the Cortes PSOE Mariano Ruiz-Funes Member of Republican Action AR Marcelino DomingoMinister of GovernancePRRSI Miquel Santaló (1º time)Minister of Communications Leader of the Catalan Left GroupERC Félix Gordón OrdásLeader of the Radical Socialist Republican PartyPRRS Remigio Cabello ToralLeader of the Socialist Republican GroupPSOE Miguel MauraLeader of the Conservative Republican PartyPRCVicente IranzoMinister of NavyInd.Santiago Casares Quiroga Leader of the Galician Republican PartyPRG Juan Castrillo SantosLeader of the Progressive Republican Parliamentary GroupPRP José Franchy y RocaLeader of the Federal Republican Parliamentary GroupPRDF Juan Botella AsensiLeader of the Radical Socialist LeftIRS Rodrigo SorianoLeader of the dissident federalistsPRDF Manuel AzañaLeader of Republican ActionAR Ángel Ossorio y GallardoLeader of the Independent Republican Parliamentary GroupInd. Miguel de UnamunoMember of the Independent Republican Parliamentary GroupInd. Gregorio Marañón (1º time)Member of the Service to the Republic Parliamentary GroupInd. Felipe Sánchez RománMember of the Independent Republican Parliamentary GroupInd.Melquíades ÁlvarezLeader of the Liberal Democrat Republican PartyPRLD Amadeu Hurtado MiróMember of Catalan Republican ActionACR Santiago AlbaMember of the Independent Republican Parliamentary GroupInd. José Manuel PedregalMember of the Liberal Democratic Republican PartyPRLDRaimundo de AbadalMember of the Catalanist LeagueLCJosé Ortega y GassetLeader of the Service to the Republic Parliamentary GroupInd. Claudio Sánchez-AlbornozMinister of StateARAlejandro LerrouxPrime minister Leader of the Radical Republican PartyPRR 6 October 1933 Miguel Santaló (2º time)Minister of Communications Leader of the Catalan Left GroupERC Diego Martínez Barrio Minister of GovernancePRR Gregorio Marañón (2º time)Member of the Service to the Republic Parliamentary GroupInd. 7 October 1933 Gregorio Marañón (3º time) Member of the Service to the Republic Parliamentary GroupInd. Result Outcome → . Sources:
After the round of consultations, Alcalá-Zamora nominated Sánchez Román, who refused to form a government with catalanist ministers. He then nominated José Manuel Pedregal who refused after facing the opposition of the PRRS and the PRRSI. The next nomination was Gregorio Marañón who rejected outright to form a government but accepted helping the President of the Republic to carry out negotiations to seek an agreement.* González Posada was then nominated but refused after failing to create an agreement between the radicals and the socialists. Finally, the fifth nomination, Martínez Barrio, managed to create a coalition and formed a government.
Cabinet changes On 29 November 1933, Botella Asensi resigns as Minister of Justice due to infighting within the government, being replaced by Domingo Barnés Salinas.*
Council of Ministers ImagePortfolioNamePolitical Party President of the Council of Ministers Diego Martínez Barrio Radical Republican Party Minister of State Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz Republican Action Minister of Justice Juan Botella Asensi Radical Socialist Left Minister of War Vicente Iranzo Enguita Independent Minister of Navy Leandro Pita Romero Galician Republican Party Minister of Finance Antonio Lara Zárate Radical Republican Party Minister of Governance Manuel Rico Avello Independent Minister of Public Works Rafael Guerra del Río Radical Republican Party Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Domingo Barnés Salinas Radical Socialist Republican Party Minister of Labour and Foresight Carles Pi i Sunyer Republican Left of Catalonia Minister of Industry and Commerce Félix Gordón Ordás Radical Socialist Republican Party Minister of Communications Emilio Palomo Aguado Radical Socialist Republican Party Minister of Agriculture Cirilio del Río Rodríguez Progressive Republican PartyChanges 29 November 1933ImagePortfolioNamePolitical Party Minister of Justice Domingo Barnés Salinas Radical Socialist Republican Party Source:
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