Fifth government of Antonio Maura
5th government of Antonio Maura | |
|---|---|
.svg.png){kind=small} Government of Spain | |
| 1921–1922 | |
.jpg) Maura in the 1910s | |
| Date formed | 14 August 1921 |
| Date dissolved | 8 March 1922 |
| People and organisations | |
Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
Prime Minister | Antonio Maura |
No. of ministers | 9[a] |
Total no. of members | 9[a] |
Member party | Conservative Liberal Liberal Democrats Catalan Regionalists |
Status in legislature | Majority (National unity government) |
Opposition party | Reformist |
Opposition leader | Melquíades Álvarez |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Allendesalazar II |
| Successor | Sánchez-Guerra |
The fifth government of Antonio Maura, was formed on 14 August 1921, following the latter's appointment as prime minister of Spain by King Alfonso XIII and his swearing-in that same day,[1] as a result of the resignation en masse of the government on August 12.[2] It succeeded the second government of Manuel Allendesalazar and was the government of Spain from 14 August 1921 to 8 March 1922, a total of 206 days, or 6 months and 22 days.[3]
The cabinet, which was formed as a national unity government to confront the Rif War after the disastrous Battle of Annual, comprised members of the Conservative Party, the Liberal and the Liberal Democratic parties, the Catalan Regionalists, an independent politician, and a military officer.[4][5]
It resigned due to political disagreements among the parties forming the government over the continuation of the suspension of constitutional guarantees in force since 1919, as well as disputes between several ministers concerning the upcoming military operations in the Rif War.[6]
Formation
Overview
The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy during the Restoration period, awarding the monarch—under the royal prerogative—the power to appoint crown ministers (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny the decree of dissolution of the Cortes, or the adjournment of legislative sessions, to the incumbent or aspiring government that requested it; and the capacity to inform, inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of royal decrees; among others.[7][8]
The monarch would play a key role in the turno system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority.[9] As a result, governments during this period were dependent on royal confidence, which was frequently secured or lost based on the leaders' ability to guarantee the internal unity and parliamentary cohesion of their parties.[10][11] In practice, the royal prerogative was not exercised freely by the monarch, but was carried out through the opening of a round of consultations—with the presidents of the chambers, the leaders of the main parties, the potential candidates and other notable figures—prior to government formation, or when prime ministers raised a matter of confidence to the monarch.[12]
Cabinet crisis
At the Council of Ministers' meeting on 3 August 1921, the government agreed to request the Monarch to initiate consultations with the main political leaders on Moroccan policy and the future of the government.[13] King Alfonso XIII held a round of consultations on 6–11 August 1921 to determine a solution to the political crisis arising from the defeat at the Battle of Annual.[13]
| Consultations King of Spain | ||||
| Date | Consultee | Office/position | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 August 1921[b] | The Marquess of Alhucemas | Leader of the Liberal Democrats Prime Minister (former) |
Liberal Democrat | |
| 6 August 1921 | Antonio Maura | Leader of the Conservative Party Prime Minister (former) |
Conservative | |
| 8 August 1921 | The Count of Romanones | Leader of the Liberal Party Prime Minister (former) |
Liberal | |
| 9 August 1921 | Joaquín Sánchez de Toca | President of the Senate Prime Minister (former) |
Conservative | |
| José Sánchez-Guerra y Martínez | President of the Congress of Deputies | Conservative | ||
| 11 August 1921 | Santiago Alba y Bonifaz | Leader of Liberal Left | Liberal Left | |
| Nominations | ||||
| Outcome → | Nomination of Antonio Maura (Conservative)  Accepted | |||
| Sources:[5] | ||||
The outcome of the consultations led Alfonso XIII to entrust the formation of a new government to Antonio Maura, Leader of the Conservative Party.[2] On August 12, Maura met with the main political leaders and on the morning of August 13, he announced the composition of the new government.[5]
Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers was structured into the office for the prime minister and nine ministries.[5]
| ← Maura V Government → (14 August 1921 – 8 March 1922) | ||||||
| Portfolio | Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Antonio Maura | Conservative | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [15] | |
| Minister of State | Manuel González-Hontoria | Independent | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Grace and Justice | José Francos Rodríguez | Liberal Democrat | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of War | Juan de la Cierva y Peñafiel | Conservative | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of the Navy | The Marquess of Cortina | Liberal | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Finance[c] | Francesc Cambó | Catalan Regionalist | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Governance | The Count of Coello de Portugal | Military | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts | César Silió y Cortés | Conservative | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Development | José Maestre Pérez | Conservative | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
| Minister of Labour | Leopoldo Matos Massieu | Liberal | 14 August 1921 | 8 March 1922 | [16] | |
Notes
References
- ↑ "El nuevo Gobierno". La Acción (in Spanish) (1805): 3. 15 August 1921 – via National Library of Spain.
- 1 2 "El Sr. Maura forma Gobierno". La Publicidad (in Spanish) (12960). Madrid: 2. 12 August 1921. Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via National Library of Spain.
- ↑ Cuenca Toribio, José Manuel (2022). "Personajes: Antonio Maura y Montaner". Historia Hispánica (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Crisis resuelta". La Época (in Spanish) (25467). Madrid: 1. 13 August 1921 – via National Library of Spain.
- 1 2 3 4 Soldevilla 1921, p. 262.
- ↑ Moral Roncal, Antonio Manuel (2022). "La Conferencia de Pizarra: Una reunión decisiva en la Guerra de Marruecos (1922)". Andalucía en la historia (75): 77. ISSN 1695-1956 – via Dialnet.
- ↑ Calero 1987, p. 275.
- ↑ Constitution (1876), arts. 32 & 54.
- ↑ Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
- ↑ Calero 1987, pp. 283–289.
- ↑ Ferrera Cuesta, Carlos (2022). "Personajes: Segismundo Moret y Prendergast". Historia Hispánica (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History. Retrieved 18 August 2025.: "... according to the political practice of the Restoration, since voters did not determine majorities due to electoral manipulation, the requirement demanded of any leader to retain power was to guarantee the unity of the Party. [Spanish: ... según la práctica política de la Restauración, dado que los votantes no determinaban las mayorías a causa de la manipulación electoral, el requisito exigido a cualquier líder para conservar el poder pasaba por garantizar la unidad del Partido.]"
- ↑ Calero 1987, pp. 289–291.
- 1 2 Soldevilla 1921, pp. 257–260.
- ↑ "García Prieto en Palacio". La Acción (in Spanish) (1796): 2. 4 August 1921 – via National Library of Spain.
- ↑ Office of the Prime Minister (15 August 1921). "Royal Decree of 14 August 1921 appointing Mr. Antonio Maura y Montaner, Member of Parliament, as President of the Council of Ministers" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (227): 725. Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via Boletín Oficial del Estado.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Office of the Prime Minister (15 August 1921). "Royal decrees of August 1921 appointing Crown ministers" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (227): 726–727. Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via Boletín Oficial del Estado.
- ↑ Office of the Prime Minister (23 August 1921). "Royal Decree ordering the dismissal of José Gómez-Acebo, Marquess of Cortina, Minister of the Navy, from the ordinary discharge of duties as Minister of Finance" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish) (235). Retrieved 14 May 2026 – via Boletín Oficial del Estado.
Bibliography
- Constitución de la Monarquía Española (PDF) (Constitution). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). King of Spain. 30 June 1876. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- Soldevilla, Fernando (1921). El Año Político 1921 (in Spanish). Madrid: National Library of Spain. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- Soldevilla, Fernando (1922). El Año Político 1921 (in Spanish). Madrid: National Library of Spain. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- Calero, Antonio María (1987). "La prerrogativa regia en la Restauración: teoría y práctica (1875-1902)" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (55). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 273–315. ISSN 0048-7694.
- Martorell Linares, Miguel Ángel (1997). "La crisis parlamentaria de 1913-1917. La quiebra del sistema de relaciones parlamentarias de la Restauración" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (96). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 137–161. ISSN 0048-7694.
- Martínez Ruiz, Enrique; Maqueda Abreu, Consuelo; De Diego, Emilio (1999). Atlas histórico de España. El Reinado de Alfonso XIII (1902-1931) (in Spanish). Vol. 2. Bilbao: Ediciones KAL. pp. 121–132. ISBN 9788470903502.
- González, María Jesús (2002). "'Neither God Nor Monster': Antonio Maura and the Failure of Conservative Reformism in Restoration Spain (1893–1923)" (PDF). European History Quarterly. 32 (3). SAGE Publications: 307–334. doi:10.1177/0269142002032003059. ISSN 0265-6914. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
External links
- The governments of the sixth period of the Conservative Party (1919–1922) (under Alfonso XIII). Lluís Belenes i Rodríguez History Page (in Spanish).
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