The Reign of Ferdinand VII: Absolutism, Liberalism, and the Carlist Wars
Fernando VII: Absolutism and Liberalism
The international situation following Napoleon’s defeat favored a return to the old regime. The powers that defeated Napoleon at the Congress of Vienna (1815) restored absolutism and created the Holy Alliance in its defense. Spain, ravaged by the War of Independence, was relegated to a secondary role internationally. Napoleon returned the crown to Ferdinand VII (1814-1833) by the Treaty of Valençay (1813).
On April 12, 1814, absolutist deputies presented the Manifesto of the Persians, demanding a return to absolutism. On May 4, 1814, Ferdinand VII issued a decree dissolving the Cortes of Cádiz, abolishing the 1812 constitution, and restoring the old regime and absolutism (1814-1820).
Ferdinand VII, inclined to maintain estate privileges, refused any tax reform to increase state income. His government focused on repressing Liberals, who formed secret societies or went into exile in France or England. Given their weak social base, the Liberals relied on military support for conspiracies and uprisings, such as those of Espoz y Mina (1814), Porlier in La Coruña (1815), and General Lacy in Barcelona (1817). Meanwhile, independence uprisings occurred in the American colonies, encouraged by American and liberal principles. Trade with America halted, worsening Spain’s economic situation.
The Liberal Triennium (1820-1823)
On January 1, 1820, Major Rafael del Riego proclaimed the 1812 Constitution. On March 9, 1820, Ferdinand VII swore to uphold the Constitution. The Liberal Triennium (1820-1823) had two stages:
- The Moderates (1820-1822): Abolished the Inquisition and privileges, and confiscated church lands.
- The Exalted (1822-1823): Held more radical attitudes.
Absolutist reactions, with the king’s complicity, included the revolt of the Royal Guard (July 1822) and the creation of the Regency of Urgel. The Regency’s failure led Ferdinand to ask the Holy Alliance for help. The Congress of Verona (1822) sent the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis, a French army that conquered Spain and restored Ferdinand VII, who reinstated the old regime and repression against liberals.
The Ominous Decade (1823-1833)
The ominous decade (1823-1833) began. As Liberals continued military conspiracies, Ferdinand dissolved the army and asked France to retain the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis. The independence of the American colonies (1824), except Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, worsened the treasury’s plight. Minister Luis López Ballesteros began timid economic and administrative reforms. This led to opposition from liberals and apostolic royalists. Absolutist riots, like the Malcontents in Catalonia, were quelled. Liberal pronouncements, like Torrijos’s (1831), failed.
To ensure his daughter, Isabella II, inherited the throne, Ferdinand VII adopted the Pragmatic Sanction in 1832, repealing the Salic Law. The king’s brother, Infante Carlos María Isidro, opposed this. Two factions formed: the Carlists (apostolic) and the Isabellists (moderate liberals). Upon Ferdinand VII’s death (1833), the Carlist Wars began.