The Bourbon Restoration and the 1876 Spanish Constitution

The Bourbon Restoration in Spain

On 29 December 1874, General Martínez Campos led a pronunciamiento and proclaimed Alfonso XII, son of Isabella II, as King. This event ended the Sexenio Democrático and initiated the Bourbon Restoration, a historical stage that concluded in 1923 with the coup of Miguel Primo de Rivera. The foundations of the Restoration's political system were the Constitution of 1876, the Turno Pacífico (peaceful alternation of parties in power), and caciquismo.

The Spanish Constitution of 1876

The Constitution of 1876 established a constitutional monarchy and an elected parliament, which, since 1890, operated under universal male suffrage. However, many periods of deception left constitutional rights and freedoms without purpose; electoral traps ensured that democracy was more apparent than real. The elections allowed for the liberal alternation in power between the Liberal Party (led by Práxedes Mateo Sagasta and later José Canalejas) and the Conservative Party (led by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Antoni Maura, and Eduardo Dato).

At the beginning of the century, both parties saw new leadership under José Canalejas for the Liberals and Antoni Maura for the Conservatives. While the two parties had differences, they followed a shared outline, allowing each government to implement improvements suited to its ideology. Regarding religion, a mutual tolerance was established. While the State was officially confessional and obliged to maintain the Catholic Church, the Liberals managed to secure a degree of religious freedom. This balance was a core aspect of the Constitution of 1876.

The Pact of El Pardo and Bipartidism

When Alfonso XII died, the Pact of El Pardo was established to ensure the legitimate alternation of government, solidifying the system of bipartidism.

Electoral Fraud and Caciquismo

Elections were systematically rigged by the government and the caciques. These figures were a key part of the falsification of elections. A cacique was a wealthy and influential individual who controlled a specific constituency. Many people depended on the cacique for employment, as he had the power to provide or prevent work. Therefore, it was desirable to maintain good relations with the cacique; when elections occurred, it was highly recommended to vote for the candidate he proposed.

The Rise of Marxist Ideology in Spain

In 1879, Pablo Iglesias clandestinely founded the PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) in Madrid, which was defined by its Marxist ideology. A month later, the UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores) was founded. The number of militants grew steadily throughout the Restoration period.