Political Consolidation: Alfonso XII and the Spanish Restoration (1874-1902)

Posted on Jan 28, 2026 in History

Political Developments: Alfonso XII (1874-1885) and María Cristina’s Regency (1885-1902)

The Reign of Alfonso XII (1875-1885)

This period represents the consolidation of Cánovas’s political system. The government primarily served the Conservative Party, making Cánovas del Castillo the main protagonist of the era. He successfully restored the Bourbon monarchy in Spain and stabilized the political system through several key achievements:

  • Promulgation of the 1876 Constitution.
  • Ending the prominence of the military and *pronunciamientos*.
  • Completion of two wars inherited from the previous period (Carlist and Cuban).
  • Benefiting from a favorable international economic environment.

Stabilization of Political Life and Strengthening Civilian Power

The main objective of Cánovas, with the restoration of the monarchy in the figure of Alfonso XII, was the creation of a stable political system based on social order. Cánovas thus fulfilled the wishes of the majority of the late nineteenth-century bourgeoisie, who were tired of political experiments and fearful of radicalization.

The system devised by Cánovas, modeled on the English political system, was stable, yet corrupt and undemocratic. This stability was achieved by three factors:

  • An elastic constitution, which allowed political parties to govern with different programs.
  • The integration of the major ideological currents of the time into one of the two major parties (the *turnismo* system).

Completion of the Third Carlist War (1876)

This war, which started in 1872 during the reign of Amadeo of Savoy, ended due to several causes:

  • The military weariness of the Carlist troops.
  • The new political situation, which regained support from those who had previously rejected the policies of the *Sexenio Democrático* (Six-Year Democratic Period).
  • The military capabilities of the new regime, which provided decisive campaigns against Carlism.

In February 1876, the Pretender, Charles VII, crossed the border into France, thus ending the Third Carlist War. This definitively resolved the Carlist problem and further consolidated the new system.

End of the Ten Years’ War in Cuba (1878)

This was an open front with no apparent external solution during the *Sexenio*. However, after the adoption of the 1876 Constitution, conditions were created to strengthen military force in Cuba. General Martínez Campos was sent with an army of 25,000 men.

During 1877, Martínez Campos combined military victories with political efforts to settle the dispute. The result was the Peace of Zanjón (February 1878), which ended the war and included:

  • Better policies for the island, similar to those of Puerto Rico.
  • A broad amnesty, which included insurgents and Spanish deserters.
  • Freedom for slaves.
  • Facilities so that anyone who wished could leave the island.

The Regency of María Cristina (1885-1902)

After the early death of Alfonso XII (at age 28), his widow, María Cristina, assumed the regency until their son, the future Alfonso XIII, came of age.

This new stage began with the Liberal Party in power, which introduced a more progressive bent by enacting important laws. However, in 1897, the regime suffered a blow with the assassination of Prime Minister Cánovas del Castillo, carried out by an anarchist. But the real crisis began with the loss of the last colonies in 1898.

Legislative Work of the Liberal Government (1885-1890)

Upon the death of Alfonso XII, Sagasta replaced Cánovas due to the shift system (*turnismo*). Thus began a period of almost five years, which, because of its unusual duration, is called the “Long Parliament.” The Liberals took this opportunity to introduce certain progressive aspirations compatible with the 1876 Constitution.

With the enactment of the Civil and Commercial Codes, the process of codification in Spain culminated. However, the most significant measures of this period are:

  • The Law of Associations (1887): This allowed the legalization of labor organizations, which had been operating in hiding since the dictatorship of Serrano.
  • The Law of Jury (1888): This allowed jury trials for certain crimes. This had been one of the main objectives of progressives throughout the nineteenth century.
  • The Law of Universal Suffrage (1890): Cánovas had replaced universal suffrage with census suffrage. Now, Sagasta reinstated universal suffrage, not necessarily because he agreed with it, but as a political maneuver to strengthen his leadership. Even so, the parties of the shift system would not let the measure pass unchallenged in elections.