Liberal Triennium in Spain: A Period of Freedom and Reform
The Liberal Triennium in Spain
Stage 2: A Period of Great Freedom
During this constitutional period, Spain experienced an atmosphere of great freedom, marked by a measurable increase in the number of newspapers and centers of political discussion that emerged over the years. Some liberal revolutions adopted or imitated the Constitution of Cadiz. The Holy Alliance closely monitored the Spanish political situation and, in 1823, decided to send an army (the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis) to end the liberal regime. Fernando VII conspired against his own constitutional government and organized absolutist guerrilla groups. The division of liberals into two factions, the moderates and the exalted, contributed to weakening the regime.
The Return to the Constitution of Cadiz
Consequences of the regime change included:
- The freedom of the press allowed the proliferation of newspapers of all political persuasions.
- The right of assembly also contributed to an atmosphere of freedom and pluralism.
- Patriotic societies were founded in almost every city, becoming areas of freedom open to public debate about current politics.
The Spanish people learned to live and think freely and to participate in public life. Another channel of political participation was the elections to the Cortes.
The Division of Liberalism: Two Opposing Parties
- The Moderate Party ruled for most of the Triennium. They intended to change the unicameral Cortes to a bicameral system and reduce the electoral roll, making it more elitist and manageable. Key figure: Martínez de la Rosa.
- The Exalted Party criticized the moderates in power, considering them to be betraying the Constitution. They claimed to speak on behalf of the people and idolized Rafael del Riego. Key figure: Romero Alpuente.
Economic Reforms
Main measures:
- Halving the tithe.
- Confiscation of church property.
- Prohibition of the importation of foreign corn.
- Securing foreign credit to meet expenditures.
- Allowing the aristocracy to sell their land.
- Law of manors.
- Tax reform.
These measures were aimed at:
- Raising money for the state.
- Reducing the power of the Church.
- Modernizing Spanish agriculture.
Fernando VII and the Absolutist Opposition
Absolutism began to plot against the liberal regime, with the support of the Church and the aristocracy. The ongoing clash between Fernando VII and the constitutional governments led the king to impede the progress of the liberal regime. Spanish absolutism eventually found external allies against the constitutional regime. The absolutists created a guerrilla army that posed a real danger to the regime. The geography of this absolutist guerrilla movement roughly coincided with the map of Carlism from the 1830s.
Absolutism staged several coups d’état against the constitutional regime. The most significant occurred in Madrid in 1822 and was led by the Royal Guard. It was the most serious attempt to overthrow the constitutional regime from within. Its failure had important consequences:
- The Moderate Party joined the opposition, and the Exalted Party formed the government for the first time, with Evaristo Fernández de San Miguel as the general minister of the State.
- Liberal public opinion considered Fernando VII an accomplice in the coup. The split between the Liberals and the king was now irreversible.
- The failure of the coup and the constitutional military victory over the absolutist guerrillas led the king to consider foreign intervention as the only way to overthrow the constitutional system.