Carlism and the First Carlist War (1833-1840)
Item 12.1 (first part) The Queen Elizabeth II. The opposition to liberalism [including issue of succession]: Carlism and Civil War. The question foral.
In 1830, Ferdinand VII issued the Pragmatic Sanction, which stated that if the king had no male heir, the eldest daughter would inherit. This meant in practice abolish the Salic Law, in force in Spain since the reign of Felipe V, which prevented the access of women to the throne. Thus, Ferdinand’s daughter (Elizabeth, born 1830) was proclaimed heir
The Spanish Second Republic: From Monarchy to Civil War
The Fall of the Monarchy and the Birth of the Second Republic
The Republican electoral victory in the cities led to the overthrow of the monarchy on April 14, 1931. The transition was bloodless, with King Alfonso XIII going into exile after realizing he lacked military support. The Provisional Government, chaired by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, assumed power and began transforming the state.
The Catalan Question
A key challenge emerged when Francesc Macià, leader of the Catalan Republican Left, proclaimed
Read MoreThe Glorious Revolution of 1868: A Turning Point in Spanish History
The Glorious Revolution of 1868
Background
Topete’s pronouncement in 1868, along with the unstable political situation and the agricultural, industrial, and financial crises, ushered in the Glorious Revolution. This movement resulted from an alliance between Progressists, Unionists, and Democrats—a coalition formed in 1866 with the signing of the Ostend Manifesto—along with the presence of civil, bourgeois, and middle-class participants, to overthrow the Queen. The revolution was swift and resulted
Read MoreThe Spanish Second Republic: Reform and Instability (1931-1933)
The Spanish Second Republic (1931-1936)
The 1931 Constitution and the Reformist Two-Year (1931-1933)
Proclamation of the Republic
The success of republican candidates in urban areas led to the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic on April 14, 1931. King Alfonso XIII, isolated and lacking support, went into exile. A Provisional Government, led by Alcalá Zamora and comprised of left and right republicans, socialists, and nationalists, was formed to govern until a constituent assembly could be
Read MoreThe Statute of Estella and the Second Spanish Republic
The Statute of Estella
On June 14, 1931, Estella drafted a statute. The Mayor convened a meeting, bringing together Carlist nationalists, Basque Studies representatives, and local councils. The project, initially planned for Pamplona, was ultimately moved to Estella. The Statute of Estella, with its nationalistic and confessional leanings, emerged from this meeting, where point-by-point discussions and agreed-upon changes were made.
Spain’s Provisional Government (April-December 1931)
This period
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Military Phases and Rearguard Actions
The Spanish Civil War: Military Actions and Responses
The Insurrection
The insurrection began in Melilla on July 17, 1936. General Francisco Franco, recently arrived from the Canary Islands, took command of the African Army in Morocco. Civilians loyal to the Republic were targeted. On July 18th, Queipo de Llano initiated the uprising in Seville, and that evening, Mola declared a state of war across Spain. By July 20th, the country was divided, with the rebels controlling rural Spain while the rest
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