The End of Basque Autonomy: A Legal and Political Analysis
This is a first-hand legal text that was written by the courts and ratified by the King on the 29th of July 1876. The aim of this was to put an end to the Basque provinces’ autonomy.
Political Instability and the Fall of Isabella II
When O’Donnell died, his party, the Liberal Union, now directed by General Serrano, approached the progressives, aiming to put an end to Isabella II’s government. The progressives, under Prim’s direction, and the democrats, in favor of universal suffrage, signed the Ostende treaty, compromising to fight against the Queen. The democratic uprising started in 1868 in Cadiz, where Admiral Topete started a military pronunciamiento. The uprising managed to gain control almost without opposition, and the Queen fled to France. The Glorious Revolution had succeeded. General Serrano became the president of the provisional government, and General Prim was assigned War Minister. Unionists, Progressives, and Democrats formed a cabinet. The new government organized elections, and they started writing a new constitution.
The Reign of Amadeo of Savoy
The constitution was approved by the state, defined as a monarchy. They started looking for a candidate for the Spanish throne, and the person chosen was Amadeo of Savoy. The same day Amadeo arrived in Spain, Prim was assassinated, a fact that weakened the position of the new king. He immediately found strong opposition. There were several groups confronted: Carlists, active in the Basque Country and Navarre; Alfonsinos, in favor of the return of the Bourbons; and the Republicans, asking for new radical reforms.
The alliance that had brought Amadeo to the throne started to split up. The two years he was in the government were characterized by political instability, with differences among the parties. As a result, the changes of government were frequent. Unable to solve the situation, Amadeo resigned and went back to Italy.
The First Republic and the Bourbon Restoration
The republican regime continued for a year but under Serrano’s dictatorship, and it was a temporary measure until the Bourbons were restored. The Alfonsinos, commanded by Cánovas del Castillo, worked in favor of Isabella II’s son. The restoration was accelerated by the military coup of General Martínez Campos in December 1874. Isabella II’s son was proclaimed king with the name of Alphonse XII; with him, the restoration began.
The Abolition of Basque Privileges
The text stated that, just like all the other citizens of Spain, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, and Araba would have to take part in the army. It also meant that they would have to pay the same amount of taxes as the other Spanish people.
They took centralist measures for the unified state, such as those of 1876 that ended the foral system of the Basque Country.
Centralist Policies and Opposition Control
Between 1876 and 1880, Cánovas’ party was in the government; the most important issues taken by the moderates were:
- Finishing armed conflicts in Cuba and with the Carlists.
- Taking centralist measures for a unified state, such as those of 1876 that ended the foral system of the Basque provinces.
- In 1877, a protectionist tariff was created to protect Spanish industry, unable to compete with foreign products.
- Limited suffrage rights in the 1878 elections.
- Creating laws to limit the individual rights accepted in the constitution.
The aim of these measures was to control and silence opposition.
Political Turnover in the 1880s
During the 1880s, the turnover of the liberal and conservative parties worked properly; from 1881 to 1884, Sagasta was head of the government, and from 1884 to 1885, Cánovas.