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Independence of the Spanish Colonies c. 1800–c.1850
Although there had been previous currents calling for independence, it was the French invasion of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars that sparked the nineteenth-century insurrection and battle for independence of Spain's American empire. Northern and southern rebellions were both resisted by Spain but were successful, and this, along with the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, meant that Spain was no longer a major military and economic power. -
Riego Rebellion 1820
Preparing to lead his army to America on behalf of the Spanish colonies, Commander Riego revolted and adopted the Constitution of 1812. Ferdinand had initially rejected the constitution, but after the general ordered to destroy Riego revolted, Ferdinand relented; "Liberals" now banded together to improve the country. There was armed opposition, including the establishment of a "regency" for Ferdinand in Catalonia, and in 1823 French soldiers invaded to restore Ferdinand to full control. -
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First Carlist War 1833–1839
King Ferdinand VII died in 1833, succeeded by a 3-year-old, Queen Isabella II. Don Carlos, the former king's brother, contested both the succession and the "pragmatic sanction" of 1830 that granted her the crown. Civil war erupted between his Carlist army and those loyal to Queen Isabella II. The Carlists were strongest in the Basque region and Aragon, and their dispute devolved into a fight against liberalism, rather than considering themselves as defenders of the church and local authority. -
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Government by “Pronunciamientos” 1834–1868
Following the First Carlist War, Spanish politics became divided into two major factions: the Moderates and the Progressives. Several times during this period, politicians petitioned the generals to depose the present administration and establish them in power; the generals, Carlist war heroes, did so in a tactic known as pronunciamiento's. Historians contend that these were not coups, but rather a codified shift of power with public support, although at the request of the military. -
The Glorious Revolution 1868
A fresh pronunciamiento took place in September 1868, when the generals and politicians who had been denied power under previous governments regained control. Queen Isabella II was ousted, and the September Coalition created an interim administration. In 1869, a new constitution was drafted, and a new monarch, Amadeo of Savoy, was installed to reign. -
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First Republic and Restoration 1873–1874
King Amadeo stepped down in 1873, disappointed by his inability to build a stable administration, as arguments occurred between Spain's political parties. The First Republic was declared in his absence, but anxious military leaders staged a fresh pronunciamiento to preserve the country from instability, as they believed. They installed Isabella II's son, Alfonso XII, on the throne, and established a new constitution. -
The Spanish-American War 1898
In this struggle with the United States, which was supporting Cuban separatists, the remained of Spain's American empire—Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines—was lost. Spain debated why they were losing an empire while other European nations were expanding theirs after the defeat, which came to be known as simply "The Disaster." -
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Rivera Dictatorship 1923–1930
General Primo de Rivera planned a coup as the military was poised to be the focus of a government inquiry over their failures in Morocco, and the monarch was frustrated by a series of fragmenting governments. The king acknowledged him as a dictator. Rivera was backed by elites who feared a Bolshevik uprising. Rivera intended to rule only until the country was "fixed" and it was safe to return to normal systems of governance, but after a few years, the monarch was convinced to remove him. -
Creation of the Second Republic 1931
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The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
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Franco's Dictatorship 1939–1975
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Return to Democracy 1975–1978