THE “DISASTER” OF 1898 King Alfonso XII died in 1885, before the birth of his son, who became Alfonso XIII in 1902. Meanwhile, Queen María Cristina acted as regent. But still the Conservative and Liberal Parties alternated in government. It took place the Cuban War of Independence (1895-98), where military forces sent from Spain suffered losses from epidemics. In 1898, USA entered the conflict and defeated the Spanish Army and, following the Treaty of Paris, Cuba became supposedly “independent”

coup (d’état) a sudden and often violent overthrow of a government by a small group of people, usually with the help of the army. 

Popular Front the union of left-wing parties that narrowly won the Spanish election of 1936.

crimes against humanity crimes committed against a large group of civilians who are innocent, which are planned or accepted by the government. 

satellite state an independent country that is controlled or strongly influenced by another country.

SS (Schutzstaffel) the security

3

The reign of Alfonso XIl acceded to the throne in 1902 in a political environmentcharacterised by the crisis of Cánovas del Castillo’s political system,the influence of regenerationism and the deaths of Cánovas (1897) and Sagasta (1903). When studying his reign, historians usually look at two stages, divided by the crisis of 1917.

The continued practice of party rotation (1902-1917). Up until the year 1917, the two-party rotational system was maintained between the Conservative Party, led by