Fernando VII’s Reign and the Liberal Triennium
Fernando VII’s Reign (1814-1820)
Sexenio Absolutista
The king returned to Spain in March 1814 with the support of the people, the nobility, the church, and the army. They were unhappy with the Constitution of Cadiz, and the king dissolved the repeals and the courts. Before the courts dissolved, a third of the deputies had presented to the King “The Manifesto of the Persians,” which showed their discontent with national sovereignty and the advanced laws of the constitution. They proposed to convene courts and estate laws, which they wanted to come from the courts and the king.
The king began personal rule, devoid of a political and economic agenda, which led the country into chaos. Ministers came and went constantly, and gangs played an important role.
During these six years of government, the most important issues were:
1. Repression and Liberal Francophiles
At first, Fernando VII supported the French style, but when he arrived in Spain and saw the hostile atmosphere against them from the population, he banished people who had held positions in the church, army, and administration under Joseph I. He also stopped the Liberals who had voted for national sovereignty because it was against the sovereignty of the king. It was the first time that such a high number of people were punished for their political ideas.
2. Attempts to Reform Finances
The economic situation the king found in Spain was disastrous. Besides causing the South American Independence, it began cutting almost brutal trade and the arrival of stamped metal to produce money. The lack of currency paralyzed the economic life of the country, and prices dropped. Businesses closed, and commercial traffic was greatly reduced. This aggravated the finance deficit. The nobles and clergy did not pay direct taxes, and the king did not want to borrow abroad. Then, Martin de Garay attempted to resolve the situation by cutting public spending and attempting to create a general contribution proportional to the income of each taxpayer, but this was stopped due to opposition from all social strata.
3. Tightening of the Liberal Opposition
The regime’s position affected two main groups:
- Liberals framed in Masonic lodges.
- Part of the army. This consisted of two groups: the former headquarters officials who emerged from the academies and the guerrillas.
When the king returned, the officers occupied the top positions, and the latter were relegated, losing part of their pay, prompting them to join the Liberals. Every year, they tried to stage failed military uprisings until the lifting of Irrigation Cabezas de San Juan. Troops were concentrated for shipment to America, and soldiers and officers were unhappy, ruling in favor of the constitution. In the end, the king had to accept the constitution.
Liberal Triennium (1820-1823)
This time, liberalism failed because it was poorly implemented in the country, and the new regime depended on the army that had made it possible. The reforms initiated new courts to enforce the decrees of Cadiz, but the king used his veto power to stop them temporarily. In this context, liberals were divided between moderates and extremists.
The moderates incorporated the king, nobles, and clergy in the necessary reforms in a moderate way.
The extremists saw potential and wanted to end the structures of the old regime and its political and economic power. They failed because they could not secure popular support.
- The first two years were governed by the moderate liberals: they wanted to change the constitution, making it more conservative, and considered the king necessary to avoid falling into Republican anarchy. They lowered taxes to boost domestic production and create an internal market and reduced the budget. But there still remained a deficit, so they confiscated and sold church property. They abolished the Inquisition and the Jesuits. Many monasteries and convents were closed. All these measures increased the government’s enemies, who had to ask for help from foreign powers. Spain was divided into 49 provinces with their treasuries and deputies to collect more taxes.
- The extremists arrived in the summer of 1822 in an atmosphere of anarchy and radicalism caused by liberal tension. To get people’s support, the extremists divided the lands of the nobles, the church, and the rural municipalities.
When French troops entered Spain, the Congress of Verona European powers asked France to restore the absolutist regime in Spain to prevent the spreading revolution that already existed in Naples, Piedmont, and Portugal. The people did not flinch, and 100,000 children of San Luis Fernando VII returned to his powers as an absolute monarch.