1926 Spanish coup attempt

Gradually, the dictatorship took control of the Board of Classification of Generals and Colonels, granting Primo de Rivera the final say on promotions and rewarding like-minded military leaders while punishing dissenting voices.

"Many of the memoirs and political works written by military officers during this and later years reveal personal grievances, rather than an anti-dictatorship militancy based on deep ideological convictions," notes Gonzalez Calleja.

[4] The conspirators, who included prominent figures from the "old politics" such as the Count of Romanones and Melquíades Álvarez (presidents of the closed Chambers), intended to re-establish the Constitution of 1876 and reconvene the parliament suspended in 1923, under the slogan, devised by Romanones, "neither reaction nor revolution; Monarchy and parliamentary regime", although López Ochoa disagreed, arguing that the objective should not be the return to the situation before Primo de Rivera's coup d'état, but to convene a Constituent Parliament.

The conspiracy gained importance when the two most senior generals in the Spanish Army joined it: Valeriano Weyler —apparently instigated by the former regent María Cristina de Habsburgo-Lorena, who feared the identification of her son, King Alfonso XIII, with the Dictatorship— and Francisco Aguilera y Egea.

Immediately Melquíades Álvarez and the Count of Romanones would visit the king to demand the dismissal of Primo de Rivera and the appointment of Aguilera as the new head of government, a position in which he would remain for a short time to give way to a civilian cabinet.

Maintenance of order and adoption of measures to guarantee the constitution of a freely elected Parliament which, as a sovereign body, needs to express the true national will.In accordancce with the agreed plan, General Aguilera, accompanied by Colonel Segundo García, went to Valencia where he arrived on the afternoon of June 23,[9] but when he met in Godella, a few kilometers from Valencia, with the local leaders of the coup, he found that the committed forces had been greatly reduced —some conspirators had been arrested by the police and others had distanced themselves from the coup due to police action—.

[12] Meanwhile, in Madrid, on the night of San Juan, the Manifesto of the coup was read at the Ateneo de Madrid "in a climate of euphoria", according to Gabriel Cardona, but the security forces controlled the capital and the Civil Guard arrested the group of engineering students who, headed by Antonio María Sbert, were going to take over the Palace of Communications in the Plaza de Cibeles, in order to take over the telegraph service.

[13] One of the reasons for the failure of the coup was that the plan was known by the King, because some of the conspirators had contacted people close to the monarch —Aguilera himself had informed the queen mother María Cristina—, and Alfonso XIII "decided to bet on Primo de Rivera, who seemed safer and, of course, more comfortable" and because "he suspected that, if the Dictatorship fell, it would be very difficult to establish a stable government", states Gabriel Cardona.

On June 26 the newspapers published an "unofficial note" from the Government in which it gave its version of what had happened:A small number of people, blinded, undoubtedly, by passions, ambition or desperation, had been trying for some weeks to organize a plot, basing it on the fact that a long time has passed without enjoying the liberties or the pure constitutional regime.

They yearn, as far as can be seen, for the times prior to September 13 when they enjoyed that and, in addition, terrorism, separatism, impiety, monetary disrepute, world disdain, the disorder in Morocco and the ruin and abandonment of agricultural and industrial production.

The mosaic of the conspirators could not be more motley and grotesque: a group of trade unionists, another of republicans and anarchist intellectuals, qualified by their constant demolishing action, some people who, by their age, category and position, nobody would believe them capable of marching in such company and the dozen disgruntled military men of rebellious and undisciplined character, who are the exception of the class, and always voluntary liaison agents for this kind of adventures.

It does not seem necessary to anticipate the measures that the Government will take in disciplinary and governmental terms, without prejudice to the penalties that the Courts may impose in due course; public opinion will become aware of them, and it is to be hoped that it will be satisfied with the vigor with which the Government takes care of social tranquility and guarantees against disturbances to the national development.Without waiting for the trial, Primo de Rivera imposed heavy fines on those involved, proportional to their wealth.