The First Carlist War in Spain: Causes, Key Figures, and Aftermath
The First Carlist War
The First Carlist War began after the death of Ferdinand VII (1833). This conflict pitted the Carlists, supporters of Ferdinand VII’s brother Charles’s dynastic rights, against the Isabelline faction, who defended the rights of his daughter, Isabel, to the throne. This confrontation arose because Isabella’s mother, Maria Cristina, enacted the Pragmatic Sanction (1830), amending the law of succession to favor Isabel. The Carlists, in contrast, upheld Salic law, a law of French origin preventing women from ascending the throne.
In 1833, rebels proclaimed Prince Charles, Count of Molina, their king, believing he would defend absolutism and traditional society. A long civil war ensued, pitting defenders of the Ancien Régime against those favoring liberal reforms. The Carlists, defending the old regime, held a traditionalist ideology; their motto was “God, Fatherland, and King.” Liberals opposed absolutism and enjoyed support from much of the nobility, high officials, and a segment of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
Francisco de la Rosa, a moderate liberal, initiated limited reforms. In 1834, he proposed the Estatuto Real (a set of rules to convene a court), but these proved insufficient. The Civil War and disastrous economic conditions fueled demands for expanded political rights and suffrage, leading to power shifting to the progressives. A rebellion in 1836 forced the regent to accept the 1812 constitution, though a new, more moderate constitution (1837) was drafted, incorporating national sovereignty, a declaration of citizens’ rights, separation of powers, and a non-confessional state. This constitution included revolutionary laws: the Law of Statement (1836) (abolishing prior censorship) and the Electoral Act (1837) (establishing a limited suffrage).
After the First Carlist War (1839), a moderate government under Perez de Castro enacted reforms limiting the participation of urban middle classes in city councils, sparking popular revolts. Maria Cristina was forced to resign, and the parliament elected Espartero as regent. Initially supported by progressive liberals, Espartero ruled until 1843, repressing moderates and ruling without parliament, alienating many. Some progressive liberals (democrats) initially opposed him due to his authoritarian and repressive methods.
In 1843, a military uprising led by Narvaez forced Espartero into exile in London, returning to Spain in 1849.
Moderate Decade (1844-1854)
The 1844 elections, using limited suffrage, resulted in a moderate government headed by General Ramón María Narváez, ending Espartero’s reign. Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth II ascended the throne (1843), and her training aligned with the moderate government. Supported by bourgeois conservatives, the moderate party ruled for ten years. They annulled the 1837 constitution and created a new one in 1845, reflecting moderatism: shared sovereignty between the king and the courts, increased executive power, and support for the Church. Important reforms included tax laws, a civil code, and criminal law. A concordat with the Vatican restored many Church privileges. In 1844, the Civil Guard was created to maintain rural order, effectively protecting landowners’ property rights. Corruption and authoritarianism led to popular support for a progressive liberal uprising (1854).
The Two Years of Progress (1854-1856)
1854 began with the Vicalvaro pronunciamiento, instigated by General Leopoldo O’Donnell, leader of the Liberal Union. This uprising aimed not to dethrone Queen Elizabeth II but to force democratic reforms. A new political phase began, lasting two years, marked by attempts to create a new charter. Elizabeth II appointed Espartero to form a government, leading to radical measures such as the expulsion of the Jesuits and the expansion of a second seizure (1855) of municipal property.