Amadeus I of Spain: A Short, Tumultuous Reign (1871-1873)
The Reign of Amadeus of Savoy (1871-1873)
A Democratic Regime Under a Monarch
Prim was tasked with consulting foreign ambassadors and conducting negotiations to establish an international consensus on the candidate for the Spanish throne. The rejection of the Portuguese dynasty and France’s opposition to the German candidate limited the possibilities. Amadeus of Savoy, a man of democratic vision, was chosen. He was elected King of Spain by the Cortes and arrived in the country through the port of Cartagena just days after General Prim’s assassination. On January 2, Amadeus of Savoy was proclaimed King, and Parliament was dissolved.
The Difficulties of the New Dynasty
The new dynasty had limited support, satisfying progressives and unionists, but not everyone. From the beginning, it faced opposition from the aristocracy, clergy, and courtly cliques from the time of Isabella II, especially when the King showed his intention to maintain neutrality in political matters and reduced the pageantry of the Court. Nor did he gain popular support once universal suffrage and political freedoms were established. The King sought to consolidate a democratic regime, but the two-year reign of Amadeus was marked by continuous difficulties, economic problems that led him to issue more public debt, a struggle between political groups, and the resurgence of the Carlist conflict.
A State of Permanent Instability
Amadeus I faced opposition from moderates who remained loyal to the Bourbons. Aware of Isabella II’s unpopularity, they began organizing the Bourbon restoration under Prince Alfonso. Cánovas del Castillo captured progressives, unionists, and dissidents, convincing them that the Bourbon monarchy was a guarantee of order and stability. This option was supported by the Church and the moneyed elite.
The Carlists had reorganized as a political force. The arrival of Amadeus motivated a sector of Carlism to retry armed insurrection, and with Isabella gone, expectations rose to place their candidate, Carlos VII, on the throne. The rebellion became a permanent source of problems and instability, while another faction of Carlism consolidated as an ultracatólica political force. Amadeus I also lacked the support of Republican sectors or popular groups. In 1872, there were further federalist insurgencies, further increasing the regime’s instability.
The conflict in Cuba, initiated in 1868, had popular support due to promises to end slavery on the island. Although the government was in favor, negative economic sectors frustrated the possibility of a peaceful solution to the conflict, and the war became a serious problem. The final reign of Amadeus was the result of the disintegration of the coalition government, which formed two governments in two years and had to call for elections three times. Finally, lacking support, Amadeus abdicated the throne and left Spain, leaving an impression of a country ungovernable and contrary to a democratic monarchy.