Bourbon Reforms: Centralization in 18th Century Spain
Bourbon Reforms & Centralization in Spain
The change of dynasty to the Bourbons was central. They implemented a uniform administrative model based on Castilian and French systems, leading to the abolition of most traditional charters (fueros) in the former Hispanic kingdoms.
These charters, known as fueros, were sets of rules, rights, and privileges granted by the monarch to specific locations, used in the Iberian Peninsula since the Middle Ages.
The Nueva Planta Decrees
The first Spanish Bourbon
Read MoreOpposition Movements Against Franco’s Dictatorship in Spain
External Opposition to Franco’s Dictatorship
If anything defined the political opposition, it was division and confrontation. However, these forces coordinated to create an image of cohesion, hoping for an Allied intervention to end the dictatorship. In 1943, the Spanish Junta of Liberation was formed. To capitalize on the situation, the Republican government in exile was created. Based in Mexico, the Republican institutions continued until 1977, when they dissolved after the restoration of democracy
Read MoreSpain’s Popular Front: Prelude to Civil War (1936)
Popular Front (February-July 1936)
The Popular Front refers to the period of the Second Spanish Republic from February to July 1936. The name originates from the electoral coalition formed by Republicans and Socialists, later joined by Communists and Anarchists, as a strategy to counter the influence of Gil-Robles.
Origins and Stalin’s Influence
The origin of the Popular Front is closely related to the approach of Stalin’s policies.
The 1936 Election Campaign
The 1936 election campaign was highly virulent.
Read MoreSpain’s Political Framework: Monarchy and Parliament
Spain’s Parliamentary Monarchy
The political form of the Spanish State is the parliamentary monarchy. It is a monarchy because the Head of State is the King, and parliamentary because it is based on a bicameral parliamentary system consisting of:
- The Congress of Deputies
- The Senate
The King is the Head of State and is separate from the three branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) and their relationships. To ensure political stability, the figure of the King is not subject to liability;
Read MoreSpanish Confiscations: Economic & Social Consequences
The Confiscation in Spain
Repossessing measures adopted by different liberal governments throughout the century found their concretion in Royal Decrees, laws, orders, etc.
Effects of Confiscation
The confiscation, by decoupling lands from their owners, broke the existing legal organization, making them suitable to be sold, alienated, or divided. With the introduction of private property and a free market in the area, a new stage opened in Spanish agriculture. However, the results were as diverse as
Read MoreThe Rise and Rule of Primo de Rivera in Spain
Context and Causes of the 1923 Coup
The precedents for this dictatorship can be traced back to the Crisis of ’98 and the subsequent politics of regenerationism. However, the immediate causes lie in the crisis that began around 1917, when the political system of the Restoration entered a process of disintegration. This included:
- Frequent shifts between governing parties (the failing turno pacífico).
- Thirteen total and thirteen partial government crises.
- Social unrest despite the illusion of economic