Spain’s ‘Disaster’ of 1898: Crisis and Regeneration
The “Disaster” of 1898-1902: Loss of Colonies and its Aftermath
The loss of Spain’s colonies in 1898, known as the “Disaster,” was not an isolated incident in Europe, as other Latin countries experienced similar situations. However, Spain experienced this loss as a catastrophe. The end of the Spanish colonial empire, while traumatic, did not result in a complete national collapse: the monarchy continued, the Treasury was rebalanced after the costs of the colonial war, and the dynastic parties continued their alternation. The trauma of 1898 initiated a progressive crisis characterized by political instability; between 1901 and 1923, there were 32 changes in the presidency.
The Restoration system faced growing ideological and political opposition, culminating in the Generation of ’98 and the rise of Regenerationism. Regenerationism was a political and nationalist reform movement. It argued that Spain needed to address its core issues to overcome the widespread social dissatisfaction. This movement advocated for the moralization of public management, state reform, and investment in public education, drawing inspiration from Spain’s past glories. Joaquin Costa called for a “revolution from above.”
When Costa died, the Regenerationist movement faded. One attempt at reform was made by the conservative government of F. Silvela in 1899. The Queen entrusted him with the government, and he tried for two years to improve the conditions of workers, cut public spending, and impose a more equitable tax system. However, he opposed any kind of autonomy in Andalusia. Increased taxes, impacting both the lower classes and the wealthy, led to several crises, and Silvela resigned in 1901.
Camilo García de Polavieja proposed a Regenerationist policy and published a manifesto in 1898 seeking Catalan cooperation by offering administrative decentralization. This led a sector of the Catalan bourgeoisie to form the Regional Board of Endorsements to General Polavieja’s program.
Underlying Problems: Spain faced economic backwardness, a corrupt and artificial political regime, and the lingering effects of the defeat in Cuba. Furthermore, groups of gunmen, allegedly in the service of employers’ associations, added to the instability.
Kabila/Cabila: The name given to each of the Bedouin tribal organizations and Berbers, mainly to the inhabitants of North Africa near the Atlas Mountains.
First Crisis (1902-1907)
In 1905, the satirical newsweekly *Cu-Cut!* published an anti-militarist joke. Three hundred officers took justice into their own hands and assaulted the offices of *Cu-Cut!* and *La Veu de Catalunya*, a newspaper close to the Regionalist League (a Catalan political party created in 1901 in Barcelona as a result of the fusion of the Catalan National Center and the Regionalist Union; in 1933, it adopted the name Catalan League).
The military demanded that the government establish a Law of Jurisdictions, placing crimes against the nation and the army under the control of military tribunals.
Catalan Solidarity: A coalition of all Catalanist forces, from Carlists to Republicans, organized by the Regionalist League.
Second Crisis (Pardo Crisis, 1907-1912)
Maura ruled for 33 months and attempted to resolve some problems. He made a law promoting local decentralization, but his work was interrupted by the crisis of the Tragic Week of 1909. Defeats of the Catalan army near the border of Melilla led to the call-up of reservists, most of whom had families. The unpopularity of the war caused a protest strike in Catalonia. Barcelona was filled with barricades, and uncontrolled crowds burned churches and religious buildings. The government sent troops from Valencia and Zaragoza to control the situation.
The repression was very harsh. Five people were executed, including Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, a freethinker blamed for organizing the events, who was sentenced without a proper trial. The consequences of the Tragic Week were severe: the breaking of Catalan Solidarity and widespread protests in Europe and Spain against Maura’s repressive policies.
In 1913, the Liberals launched a campaign against Maura after the Tragic Week. Canalejas restored political consensus, following a Regenerationist program. He approved a project on provincial commonwealths, established state arbitration of social conflicts, and amended military service, eliminating the possibility of redemption through cash payments. He also agreed with France on sharing areas of influence in Morocco. In 1912, his work was interrupted by an anarchist assassin.