Liberal State Under Isabel II: Features & Analysis (1843-1868)
Features of the Liberal State During Isabel II’s Reign (1843-1868)
The core characteristics of the liberal state during the reign of Isabel II are detailed below:
Constitution of 1845
The Constitution of 1845 established national sovereignty (shared between the King and the Cortes), census-based male suffrage, Catholicism as the official religion, and press censorship.
Political and Administrative Centralization
The division of Spain into 49 provinces by Javier de Burgos, each headed by a civil governor, significantly increased the central government’s power over local entities. The Crown, upon the proposal of the civil governor, appointed mayors of provincial capitals and municipalities with over 2,000 inhabitants. The moderates aimed for political and administrative unification, creating a civil service, a unitary legal order, and reorganizing the judiciary with the Supreme Court at its apex. The metric system was also implemented.
Church-State Relations
The state remained confessionally Catholic, with varying degrees of tolerance for other faiths. Initially, the state adopted a hostile stance towards the Church, seeking to diminish its sociological, economic, and political influence. This included establishing civil marriage, secular public education, and expropriating clergy property. The religious issue was a central point of contention, culminating in the Concordat of 1851. The Concordat recognized Catholicism as the official religion, the Church’s right to own property, and the Catholic inspiration of all education. The state also provided funding for the maintenance of worship and clergy. In return, the Church recognized the new liberal state and the fact of the confiscation, with the state returning unsold church property.
Role of the Army and the Guardia Civil
The military played a crucial role in the implementation and development of the Spanish liberal state. Military coups often preceded significant political changes. The Carlist War marked the beginning of the military’s prolonged involvement. This intervention was due to the wars creating a special relationship between politicians and military leaders, corruption within the civil power, the absence of popular support for liberalism, and the inability of the Crown and political parties to establish peaceful political change. Military service exemptions, which could be bought, disproportionately affected the lower classes. The Civil Guard, with its military discipline and strong hierarchy, ensured the stability of the liberal political and social order, particularly in rural areas.
Reform of the Treasury
The Spanish economy suffered from a persistent imbalance between revenues and expenditures. Government borrowing became expensive, impacting the economy. The budget deficit made the state the largest capital applicant, absorbing much of the country’s savings. After the fall of Espartero, public finances were unsustainable. Minister Mon implemented a tax reform, introducing direct taxes (property, agricultural, industrial, and trade) and indirect taxes (consumption and transfer of goods). The Bank of Spain was created in 1856. The tax system, which relied heavily on indirect taxes, tariffs, and monopolies, disproportionately burdened the poor and failed to meet budget targets, leading to a large public debt.
Liberal Education Policy
The goal was to establish a centralized, state-controlled school system. The educational model was based on universal, compulsory, and free primary education, with primary, secondary, and university levels. The system was mixed, with the state increasing its interference and the Church maintaining moral and ideological control. The General Plan Study of 1845 created provincial institutes of secondary education. Funding was provided by municipalities for primary education, provincial councils for secondary and teacher training, and the state for universities. Despite these efforts, illiteracy remained high, exceeding 60%, indicating a significant cultural backwardness and the failure of educational policy.
Differences Between Moderate and Progressive Parties
MODERATE
PROGRESSIVE
Social classes
Rich bourgeois, aristocrats and generals
Businessmen, generals, officials, journalists, artisans
Monarchy
Broad constitutional powers
Cutting constitutional powers.
Sovereignty
Shared king and Cortes
National
Freedoms
Limited
Individual
Suffrage
Very restricted based on census
Less restricted based on census
Denominational
State Catholic
Catholic religious tolerance
Centralization
Administrative Policy
With some autonomy and democratization.
Economic Policy
Protectionism
Free trade
Previous government
1837-1840, 1844-1854, 1863-1868
1835-1837, 1854-1856