Spanish History: Carlist Wars & Reigns of Isabel II & Habsburgs

Carlist Wars (1833-1876)

First Carlist War (1833-1840)

The Carlist Wars began as Infante Carlos, Count of Molina, challenged the regency of Maria Cristina. The Carlists gained strength, consolidating power under a colonel. After his death, the Carlists forced Maria Cristina and Isabella II to flee. General Espartero eventually defeated the Carlists, ending the war with the Convention of Vergara.

Second Carlist War (1846-1849)

Primarily fought in Catalonia, the Carlists were defeated in Barcelona by Manuel Gutiérrez’s troops.

Third Carlist War (1872-1876)

Supporters of Carlos VII attacked the liberal army after Amadeo I of Savoy’s ascension. This war concluded with a Carlist defeat, bolstering the liberal army’s prestige.

Liberalism During the Reign of Isabel II (1843-1868)

Moderate Decade (1843-1854)

In 1843, General Narváez’s anti-Espartero movement ended the regency and ushered in Isabel II’s rule. Narváez, a conservative, defended the monarchy, Catholicism, a centralized state, and the existing bourgeois order. The 1837 constitution was repealed and a new one proclaimed in 1845, establishing shared sovereignty between the crown and the courts, religious unity, limited suffrage, and a centralized government.

In 1851, a concordat with the Church recognized Catholicism as the state religion, ensuring peace with the Vatican and acceptance of Isabel II’s monarchy.

Other reforms included the organization of municipalities, the creation of the Civil Guard, new civil and criminal codes, and the secularization of universities.

Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)

General Leopoldo O’Donnell’s 1854 pronunciamiento in Vicálvaro led to a revolution, spurred by rising grain prices, Carlist agitation, and political corruption. Espartero returned to government, enacting reforms such as a new constitution, the Anonymous Societies Law, railway development, the creation of the Bank of Spain, and the Madoz Disentailment. Labor strikes and peasant unrest followed. O’Donnell eventually took over the government.

Return to Conservatism (1858-1863)

The 1845 constitution was reinstated, and the Moyano Law established compulsory primary education. Imperialist prestige grew, but political corruption and repression of democrats and workers led to the 1868 revolution.

Habsburg Rule

Charles I (1516-1556)

Charles I faced internal conflicts with the Castilian Cortes over language, finances, and foreign influence. Uprisings occurred in Castile (1521) and Valencia (1521). His reign saw the expansion of the Spanish Empire in the Americas, including the first circumnavigation of the globe, the founding of Buenos Aires, and the organization of viceroyalties. The Aztec and Inca empires were conquered.

Charles I also became Holy Roman Emperor in 1519. He fought wars against France and the Ottoman Empire and struggled against Protestantism. He eventually abdicated, dividing his empire between his son, Philip II (Spain), and his brother, Ferdinand (Austria).

Philip II (1556-1598)

Philip II, son of Charles I, ruled Spain from 1556 to 1598. He established an absolute monarchy, centralized power, and faced conflicts in Aragon. He fought against Protestantism in Spain, persecuted Moriscos, and inherited the Portuguese crown. He expanded the colonial empire, defended Catholicism against Protestants and Ottomans, and faced war with England and the Dutch Revolt.