Editing First Spanish Republic (section)

=== Figueras government ===
The first government of the Republic was composed of federalists and progressives who had been ministers during the monarchy. Four ministers in particular had served with King Amadeo: [[José Echegaray|Echegaray]] ([[Ministry of Finance (Spain)|Finance]]), [[Manuel Becerra Bermúdez|Becerra]] ([[Ministry of Development (Spain)|Development]]), [[Fernando Fernández de Córdova|Fernández de Córdoba]] ([[Minister of War (Spain)|War]]) and {{ill|José María Beránger|lt=Beránger|es|José María Beránger}} ([[Ministry of the Navy (Spain)|Navy]]).

At the beginning, the government was plagued by a terrible economic situation, with a 546M [[Spanish peseta|peseta]] budgetary [[Government budget deficit|deficit]], 153M in debts requiring immediate payment and only 32M available to fulfill them. The Artillery Corps had been dissolved in the most virulent moment of the [[Third Carlist War|Carlist]] and Cuban wars, for which there were not enough soldiers or armament, nor money to feed or purchase them. Besides, Spain was going through a deep [[economic crisis]] matching the [[Panic of 1873]] and which was exacerbated by the political instability. In previous years, [[unemployment]] had risen steeply amongst field and industrial workers, and proletarian organizations responded with [[Strike action|strikes]], [[demonstration (people)|demonstration]]s, protest rallies and the occupation of abandoned lands.

On 23 February the newly elected Speaker of the National Assembly, radical [[Cristino Marcos]], plotted a failed [[coup d'etat]] in which the [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Civil Guard]] occupied the Ministry of Governance and the National Militia surrounded the [[Congress of Deputies (Spain)|Congress of Deputies]], in order to establish a unitary republic. This prompted the first remodeling of the government in which the progressives were ousted and replaced with federalists. Twelve days after the establishment of the Republic, compulsory [[military service]] was removed and voluntary service set up with a daily salary of 1 peseta and one crust (loaf?) of bread. A ''Republican volunteers'' corps was also established with an enlistment salary of 50 pesetas and a daily salary of 2 pesetas and 1 crust of bread.

The second Figueras government had to contend with the proclamation of a [[Catalan State (1873)|Catalan state]] within the Spanish republic on 9 March. The proclamation was rescinded two days later on 11 March in exchange for the dissolution of the Spanish army in Catalonia. On 23 April a new coup attempt was set in motion; this time by a collusion of ''alfonsino'' monarchists, members of the old Liberal Union and monarchic sectors of the Army; but failed when several units refrained from supporting it at the last hour.

[[Francisco Pi y Margall]] is usually considered the heart of this government, which had to face several problems already endemic to the Republic, such as the Third Carlist War, separatist insurrections (this time from Catalonia), military indiscipline, monarchic plots, etc. His government dissolved the National Assembly and summoned [[Constituent Cortes]] for 1 May. On 23 April Cristino Martos, Speaker of the old National Assembly, attempted a new coup, now supported by the Civil Governor of Madrid: a battalion of militiamen took positions along the [[Paseo del Prado]], and four thousand more perfectly armed volunteers gathered near [[Puerta de Alcalá|Independence Square]] under the pretext of passing review. Having heard from the plot, Pi i Margall mobilized the [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Civil Guard]]. For his part, after the Minister of War appointed [[:es:Baltasar Hidalgo de Quintana|Baltasar Hidalgo]] as the new [[Captain General]] for Madrid, he ordered Brigadier Carmona and a battalion of infantry and various artillery and cavalry units, to march on the militiamen. The coup d'état failed as soon as it started, and the government dissolved the military units participating and the Permanent Committee of the Assembly.

The writs were issued for Constituent Cortes elections on 10 May which resulted 343 seats for federal republicans and 31 for the rest of the political forces. The elections themselves developed in a quite unorthodox environment, and the resulting representation was ridiculous, as most factions in Spain did not participate: the Carlists were still waging war against the Republic, while the ''alfonsino'' monarchists of [[Antonio Cánovas del Castillo]], the unitary republicans and even the incipient workers' organization close to the [[First International]] all called for [[abstention]]. The result was clearly favourable to the federal republicans, which captured 343 of the 371 seats, but turnout was probably the lowest in Spanish history, with about 28% in Catalonia and 25% in Madrid.