Spanish Foreign Policy & Enlightenment: 18th Century
9.5. Evolution of Spanish Foreign Policy in Europe
The main objectives of the Bourbon foreign policy were: recovering territories lost in the Treaty of Utrecht and defending the Spanish colonial empire.
In the first half of the 18th century, the revised Treaty of Utrecht was mixed with the Italian ambitions of Philip V’s wife, Elizabeth Farnese, who desired Italian possessions (Naples, Tuscany, Parma) for her children. Spain’s sole bid for these possessions led to confrontation with European countries.
From the 1730s, a policy of alliance with France began, known as the Family Pacts:
In the First Family Compact (1733), Spain supported France against Austria and Prussia in the War of Polish Succession. France granted Spain trade privileges with America, and Spain’s Italian aspirations were supported. Following this, Carlos was proclaimed King of the Two Sicilies (1734).
In the Second Family Compact (1743), Spain supported France against Austria and Great Britain in the War of the Austrian Succession. In return, Spain received the Duchy of Parma for another son of Philip V and Elizabeth Farnese.
The reign of Ferdinand VI (1746-1759) was marked by neutrality and peace. However, under Carlos III (1759-1788), Spain became an active player in foreign policy again.
In 1761, the Third Family Compact was signed during the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) to halt British expansion in North America. The war ended with territorial losses for Spain and France.
In the American War of Independence, France and Spain aided the American colonists against Great Britain. The Peace of Versailles (1783) saw Spain recover lost territories (Florida, Minorca, Colonia del Sacramento), but not Gibraltar.
9.6. The Enlightenment in Spain
The Enlightenment was the defining cultural phenomenon of 18th-century thought. It built upon the 17th-century scientific revolution, concluding that nature is governed by laws understandable through human reason and scientific inquiry.
The Enlightenment was based on the cult of reason, believing it could explain the laws of nature, society, and humanity, and even improve them. Progress and happiness were its watchwords.
However, the Enlightenment remained a minority phenomenon, confined to intellectual circles of the nobility, bourgeoisie, and clergy. It wasn’t revolutionary; it aimed to reform and modernize society without destroying the privileges of the nobility and clergy. Yet, its critiques of traditional society undermined the old regime’s political and socioeconomic foundations.
The Enlightenment reached Spain later. The reigns of Philip V and Ferdinand VI can be seen as a preparatory stage. New ideas were channeled through two groups: the novatores (a derogatory term for those advocating intellectual renewal), and the ilustrados (those proposing concrete reforms to address the country’s problems).
New thinking flourished in Spain during the second half of the 18th century under Charles III, a king who encouraged reforms and surrounded himself with enlightened advisors and ministers such as the Count of Aranda, Count of Floridablanca, and especially the Count de Campomanes. Other leading figures included Pablo de Olavide and Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos. These men strived for the welfare and happiness of the people, but without, and if necessary, against the people.
Since this was top-down change, it required convincing society of the reforms’ desirability. Disseminating new ideas was crucial. Economic Societies of Friends of the Country and the cultural and scientific press were key vehicles.
Education was a priority for the learned. However, the ideal wasn’t universal education, but differentiated education based on social position and pragmatic purpose. The upper classes were to be prepared for leadership, while the masses received basic skills and technical training for increased productivity.
Ultimately, the reforms were partial and didn’t fully achieve their objectives.