General Primo de Rivera, who had run a military dictatorship in Spain since 1923, resigned as head of government in January 1930.

[1] Dámaso Berenguer was ordered by the king to form a replacement government, but his dictablanda dictatorship failed to provide a viable alternative.

[6] Any electoral list gaining an outright majority of votes in a district would be guaranteed and simultaneously restricted to 80% of the seats.

[9] Led by Alejandro Lerroux, the Radical Republican Party occupied most of the middle ground and was far more successful at winning conservative, moderate support.

That was the case with the Radical Socialist Party, led by Álvaro de Albornoz and Marcelino Domingo, which promulgated extremist views.

Azaña was keen to change the political system quickly – he hated the moderation and compromise being argued by Lerroux.

[9] The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party stood to the left of the political spectrum, and was kept in line with the coalition by a majority of its leadership, rather than unanimously.

[7] The Republic and Socialist coalition won a huge victory and was helped by a public that was more liberally inclined than in 1933 or 1936.

[11][nb 1] Summary of the 28 June 1931 election results:[12] Party divisions at the start of the Cortes, after seats had been awarded between coalitions:[12]