Spain’s Restoration Era: Politics, Society, and Crisis
Electoral System and Turnismo
Elections were manipulated to ensure a majority for the governing party through the influence of local bosses (caciques), who controlled voters directly through pressure or various forms of vote-buying. If this failed, they resorted to electoral fraud (pucherazo), manipulating results by falsifying vote counts, swapping ballot boxes, and employing other fraudulent methods to ensure the government’s preferred candidate won. This system persisted for several reasons:
- Widespread
Spain’s 1936 Election: Popular Front Victory & Road to War
The Triumph of the Popular Front
The harsh repression against leftists during the Two Black Years led to the unification of forces against the conservative government. In the elections of February 16, 1936, two clearly antagonistic blocs formed: the right and the left.
The February 1936 Elections
To contest the election, the leftist parties (Republicans, Socialists, and Communists) grouped together in the Popular Front. This electoral coalition was based on a common agenda advocating amnesty for those
Read MoreSpain in the 18th Century: Carlos III & Foreign Policy
Carlos III: Enlightened Despotism in Spain (1759-1788)
Carlos III (1759-1788), brother of Fernando VI and son of Felipe V and Elizabeth Farnese, had been King of Naples before being proclaimed King of Spain. Like many other European absolute monarchs, he adopted the idea of enlightened despotism. All power was concentrated in the king’s person, and he did not want to end the Old Regime. However, he wished for the welfare of his people, so his efforts were directed to encourage progress and rationality
Read MoreLabor Movements & World War I Origins in Spain
7th Labor Movement: Anarchism and Marxism
Industrial society disadvantaged those who could not access property and had to exchange labor for a wage. The industrial or agricultural proletariat found a vehicle for expression in trade unions and new social ideas.
7.1 The Beginnings of Unionism
The limited Spanish industrialization meant a relatively small number of workers. In the mid-nineteenth century, there were approximately 150,000 workers, with 100,000 in the Catalan textile industry.
The earliest
Read MoreParis Peace Conference: Redrawing Europe After World War I
Peace Treaties and the New Map of Europe
The Paris Peace Conference (1918)
In January 1918, President Wilson outlined his Fourteen Points at the conference, aiming for a fair peace:
- The suppression of secret diplomacy.
- Freedom of navigation and international trade.
- The reduction of armaments.
- Recognition of the right to independence of ethnic and linguistic minorities within the former empires.
- The creation of a League of Nations to ensure the security and territorial integrity of states, preventing future
Cadiz Cortes and the Spanish Constitution of 1812
The Cadiz Cortes and the Constitution of 1812
The Junta Central, which had assumed power in Spain during the French occupation until Ferdinand VII returned, moved to Cadiz in 1810. The Board was disbanded soon after, but not before agreeing to call for a court to decide the political model once Spain had won the War of Independence.
The Cadiz Court: A Heterogeneous Assembly
The Cadiz Court began its work in September 1810. It was unicameral, and its composition was heterogeneous. The deputy election
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