Spain’s Revolutionary Six Years and Monarchy Restoration
Spain’s Revolutionary Six Years (1868-1874)
The 1868 Revolution and Provisional Government
Federalists and Republicans sought significant changes, including regime alteration, the abolition of the quintas (forced military conscription), the abolition of slavery, and laws protecting workers.
The Cortes framed the Constitution of 1869, which established principles such as:
- National sovereignty with a constitutional monarchy
- Declaration of individual rights
- Bicameral legislature
- Executive power vested in the monarch
- Existence of independent courts of law
- Parliamentary system
- Universal male suffrage
Once approved, General Serrano was named regent. The new system immediately faced a number of serious problems:
- Popular and Republican uprisings
- Workers joining hard-liners, leading to federal and republican revolutions
- Initial steps of the labor movement
Economic and Colonial Challenges
Agricultural problems persisted. The finance minister established the peseta as the national currency and lowered tariffs, aligning with trade liberalism. However, no significant tax reform was implemented, so public debt remained unreduced.
The War in Cuba, which began as an independence uprising in 1868, saw Cuban guerrillas harassed by Spanish troops. The war ended with the Peace of Zanjón. Landowners conspired to instill “Alfonsine fear” regarding the abolition of slavery.
The Reign of Amadeo I (1871-1873)
The search for a king led to Amadeo of the Italian House of Savoy. His government was weak due to limited political and social support. He also had to contend with the ongoing War in Cuba and the Third Carlist War. The ruling party fractured into the Constitutionalist Party and the Radical Party. Within two years, his government was succeeded, and elections were called three times.
Despite rivalries between parties, Amadeo I attempted to stabilize the system through a series of political agreements. Ultimately, due to a lack of support, Amadeo I abdicated the throne. A republic was then established as the only solution agreed upon by the Radical Party and the Federal Republicans.
The First Spanish Republic (1873-1874)
Proclamation and Early Instability
The Republic was proclaimed in February 1873. Initially, it was a provisional and politically unstable regime. A government was formed, headed by the Republican Estanislao Figueras, but it faced challenges from more radical factions.
Republicans sought to convene a Constituent Assembly. However, radicals, aiming to prevent coups, promoted a government that left only two Republicans in power.
Pi i Margall’s Federal Project
Elections were held, resulting in a majority government. President Pi i Margall began drafting a constitution based on principles such as:
- A federal republic
- National sovereignty
- Separation of church and state
- A Senate representing 17 federal states
- Social legislation for worker protection
Rightward Shift and Collapse
The Republic then took a rightward turn, supported by the army (Alfonsine military). Succeeding presidents, including Nicolás Salmerón and then Emilio Castelar, ruled in an authoritarian manner. Republicans eventually forced Castelar to resign during a meeting of the Cortes, which Colonel Pavía then dissolved with the Civil Guard.
In 1874, power passed to General Serrano, who continued Castelar’s policies. Serrano was supported by veteran liberals. Another military coup, led by Martínez Campos, ended the six revolutionary years and imposed the restoration of the monarchy.
The Restoration Regime (1874-1902)
Martínez Campos’s Pronouncement
The Restoration began with a military pronouncement by General Martínez Campos in Sagunto (Valencia) on December 29, 1874.
Architect of the System: Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
The architect of the Restoration’s political system was Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. He drafted the Sandhurst Manifesto, signed by Prince Alfonso in December 1874 and published in Spain.
The Restoration period generally concluded with Alfonso XIII, son of Alfonso XII, reaching his majority in 1902.
Cánovas was a pragmatic politician and leader of the Alfonsine Liberal Union party. His main achievement was establishing a liberal yet authoritarian system for the restored monarchy, which allowed for peaceful alternation in government between two political forces: the right and the left.