ntellectual crosscurrents. The political crisis was the primary factor above all
             The coming of the Second signified a threat to the most privileged members of society and raised inordinate hopes among the most humble (Preston, P, 1986). Ultimately, the new regime was to fail because of its failure to carry through it's threatened reforms and the fulfillment of Utopian expectations of its most fervent supporters. The success of the right in blocking change would so exasperate the rural and urban working classes as to undermine their faith in Parliamentary democracy.
             The establishment of the Republic meant that for the first time, political power had passed from the oligarchy to moderate left. This consisted of representatives of the most reformist section of the organized working class, the socialist some of whom were idealist and many of whom were cynics ( Thomas, H 1961). Together, they hoped despite considerable a
             ...