Spain’s Bourbon Restoration (1874-1902)
The Bourbon Restoration (1874-1902)
The Political System of the Restoration
A New Political System
Spanish conservative groups welcomed the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty, hoping the return to monarchy and political stability would end any attempts at democratic revolution and social upheaval. The new political system, based on the principle of a constitutional monarchy and designed by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, is known as the Bourbon Restoration.
Bipartisanship and Peaceful Transition
The stability of the new regime was based on several key elements. First, bipartisanship and the alternation in power between the Conservative and Liberal parties, who renounced the use of military force (pronouncements) to gain power. Second, the monarchy, an institution considered above all political decisions and holding an arbitration role. Third, the army, which sought to permanently distance itself from political interference.
The End of War
The stability of the system was also favored by the end of the Cuban and Carlist Wars.
Third Carlist War (1872-1876)
While the Carlists had been strong in various areas of Catalonia, in 1875 the new government went on the offensive. They drove the Carlists from their strongholds and ultimately defeated them in Catalonia.
Political Power and Alternation
Dynastic Parties
Cánovas formed the Liberal-Conservative Party, which brought together conservative political groups (excluding Carlists and fundamentalists) and eventually became known as the Conservative Party. This party supported Alfonso XII, who had been championed during the six-year period leading to the restoration of the monarchy.
Election Falsification and Caciquism
While this bipartisanship resembled the British system in theory, in practice it was based on corruption and electoral caciquism. This ensured that any election resulted in an absolute majority for the ruling party, with pre-determined deputies elected.
Period of System Development
During the period between 1876 and 1898, the system functioned regularly. Of the six elections held, the Liberals won four and the Conservatives two. Although the system faced difficult times, the first major crisis occurred as a result of the Disaster of 1898, which eroded the political and dynastic parties.
The Marginalized Political System
The Evolution of Republicanism
After the failure of the First Republic, republicanism faced disappointment among its followers and governmental repression. Emilio Castelar evolved towards increasingly moderate positions and created the Possibilist Republican Party, which accepted the restored political game.
Carlism
Following the Carlist defeat in 1876, the pretender Charles de Borbón was explicitly forbidden from staying in Spain. This defeat plunged Carlism into a severe crisis, and the party struggled to adapt to the new circumstances.
War Overseas
Cuba, the Pearl of the Antilles
After the Peace of Zanjón (1878), Cubans hoped the Spanish government would implement reforms granting them the same political representation in the Cortes as Spaniards in the Peninsula.
The Great Uprising
In 1879, an attempted uprising led to the so-called Little War (Guerra Chiquita). It was defeated the following year due to lack of support, weapons, and the superiority of the Spanish army.
The Intervention of the United States
The United States had set its sights on the Caribbean and the Pacific, where its influence was already felt in Hawaii and Japan, as its preferred areas of expansion.
The Consequences of the Disaster of ’98
A Political and Moral Crisis
Despite the magnitude of the Crisis of 1898 and its symbolic meaning, its immediate effects were less severe than expected. Although the war brought significant material losses to the colony, the impact on the mainland was less pronounced. The economic crisis had a limited impact, despite the negative effects of losing colonial markets.
Regenerationism
The failure of the Revolution of 1868 had left a mark on intellectuals who felt a great opportunity to modernize the country had been missed.
The Closure of Banks
In 1899, following the dynastic rotation mechanism, the Queen Regent called upon Francisco Silvela to form a conservative government. The new government showed some willingness for political renewal.
The End of an Era
The Disaster of 1898 marked the end of the Restoration system as Cánovas had designed it. It also signaled the emergence of a new generation of politicians, intellectuals, scientists, social activists, and entrepreneurs who began to shape the new reign of Alfonso XIII.