The Republic of Spain (Spanish: República Española), also known as the Second Spanish Republic (Spanish: Segunda República Española) , refers to the democratic system of government that existed in Spain from 1931 to 1939 . The proclamation was made on April 14 , 1931, following the proclamation of the Republic, following the overthrow of Alfonso XIII of Spain. Earlier , on April 1, 1939, the rebel group was defeated in the Spanish Civil War , which helped establish a military dictatorship under the rule of Francisco Franco.