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The Absolutist Phase
The Absolutist Phase (1814-1820) started when Ferdinand VII returned to the throne and abolished the Constitution and the measures proposed by the Cádiz Cortes. The ones that didn't support him, the liberals, were persecuted. Some of them tried to revolt in order to reinstate the Constitution, but they were unsuccessful. -
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The Reign of Fernando VII
Fernando VII came back to Spain after the French troops were defeated. At the moment the population was divided in absolutist and liberals, but Fernando reinstated Absolutism and abolished La Pepa. Spain was not the only country that did this, all over Europe Absolutism was being reinstated thanks to the Congress of Vienna. -
The Liberal Triennium
The pronunciamiento led by Colonel Rafael del Riego in Cabezas de San Juan (Seville) in 1820 was succesful, and the king was forced to reinstate the Constitution. Some armed liberal volunteers formed the National Militia in order to protect the Constitution and oppose absolutism.
Fernando was frightened of the liberals so he asked other Euopean absolute monarchs (the ones in the Congress of Vienna) to help him. In 1823, the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis restored Absolutism. -
The Omnious Decade
When Ferdinand VII returned to the throne in 1823 they were a lot of economic and political issues.
The war had made Spain bankrupt, so a fiscal reform was proposed. This reform would make the privileged ones pay taxes in order to overcome the crisis, but he refused because these people where his main defenders.
Moreover, his daughter Isabel II was born. She was prevented from raining because of Salic Law, so Fernando VII issued the Pragmatic Sanction to ensure his daughter's reign. -
1st Carlist War
The First Carlist War started in the Basque Country. The Carlist were defeated by the Liberal army of General Espartero even though they had experienced commanders like Zumulacarregui. In 1839 peace was signed in at the Convention of Vergara. -
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The regency of Maria Cristina
When Ferdinand VII died in 1833 Isabel II was only three years old, so his mother, Maria Christina, reigned until 1840. She had always supported the moderate liberals, but a series of military uprisings and popular revolts forced her to hand power to the progressive liberals.
The leader of this group, Juan Álvarez Mendizábal, made some liberal reforms and created a new Constitution in 1837. -
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The regency of Espartero
Maria Christina was forced to give the regency to General Espartero in 1837. However, his authority ideas and the introduction of free trade weren't beneficial for the merging Spanish industry, so the population opposed to it.
Later, in 1843, Isabela II was declared of age. She was only 13 when she was proclaimed queen. -
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The Reign of Isabel II
In between 1843 and 1854 the moderates had the power. Two political parties were created; the Moderate Liberal Party, and the Liberal Union. Later on, the progressists achieved the power through a coalition with the Liberal Union and a pronunciamiento.
After that, the power alternated between the two political parties and new ones were created: the democrats and the republicans.
The instability of these governments will lead to a very important revolt in 1868, the Glorious Revolution. -
The moderate Consititution
During the first years of the Reign of Isabel II (1843-1845) several important things occurred.
The Moderate Liberal Party had the power and they approved a moderate Constitution in 1845, a penal code was created in 1848 and they developed a national education system. -
The Revolution and the provisional government
The Glorious Revolution took place in 1868 and it was triggered by the progressives and democrats. This revolution ended, forcing Isabel II and her heir Alfonso into exile.
The same year, a provisional government was formed to establish a democratic political system, that would later create a new Constitution (based on democratic principles such as national sovereignty or universal male suffrage) in 1869. The constitution also established a parliamentary monarchy, so they had to choose a king. -
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Six years of democracy
In 1868, the crisis of the monarchy led to the Glorious Revolution, which purpose was to overthrow Isabella II and establish a democratic political system. However, the governments that came after it could not establish a democratic system.
During the following six years of democracy numerous different political solutions were tried out, but all of them faced several problems. -
The monarchy of Amadeo I of Savoy
Amadeo I of Savoy (member of a liberal monarchy that had contributed to the unification of Italy) was chosen to be the king of Spain. He was supported by progressives, unionists and democrats. However, he had two opponents: the moderates and the representatives of the Church.
A war began when the Cralists declared Charles VII as king and the republicans wanted a republic.
After all these problems, that culminated in a war in Cuba, he was forced to abdicate and leave. -
2nd Carlist War
The Second Carlist War (1872-1876) began when the Spanish throne became vacant after the exile of Isabela II. The Carlists rebelled in many territories and even created a parallel government in Estella until they were finally defeated. -
The First Republic
When Amadeo I of Savoy abdicated, the Cortes voted to form a republic. However, most of the deputies were monarchists and didn't want a republic.
In 1873 elections were won by the federal republicans. The Cortes drafted a constitution that divided the legislative power between the federal republics and the central government, but this never took place.
In 1874, a coup dissolved the Cortes and made General Serrano head of state. He tried to establish a conservative republican regime.