First Carlist War: A Clash of Ideologies (1833-1840)

The First Carlist War (1833-1840)

1.1 Two Opposing Factions

The rebels, proclaiming King Charles, Count of Molina, as their leader, trusted him to defend absolutism and traditional society. This ignited a long civil war, pitting defenders of the Old Regime against proponents of liberal reform.

Carlism represented a traditionalist and anti-liberal ideology. It championed absolute monarchy, the preservation of the Old Regime, the social preeminence of the Church, and the conservation of the particularist *fueros* (regional privileges) system.

Its supporters included many members of the clergy and a significant portion of the rural gentry. Carlist strongholds were primarily in the Basque Country, Navarre, and parts of Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia, where they enjoyed broad support among the peasantry.

The Elizabethan (or Isabelline) cause garnered support from the high nobility and state officials, as well as a segment of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

To broaden her social base against the Carlist threat, the regent, Maria Christina, was compelled to seek the support of liberals.

1.2 The Course of the Armed Conflict

The Carlists lacked a regular army and instead organized armed groups that employed guerrilla tactics. The first Carlist units emerged throughout Spain, but the most significant forces were concentrated in the mountainous regions of Navarre and the Basque Country, as well as Catalonia, Castellón, Lower Aragon, and the Catalan regions along the Ebro River.

Internationally, Charles received support from absolutist powers like Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Elizabeth II, on the other hand, was backed by liberal states such as Britain, France, and Portugal.

Key Phases:

• 1833-1835: Stabilization of the war in the north and a series of Carlist victories, although they failed to capture any major city. General Zumalacárregui successfully organized an army, conquering Tolosa, Durango, Eibar, and Bergara. However, he failed to take Bilbao, where he died. The lands along the Ebro, in the Maestrazgo and Lower Aragon, joined the Carlist cause under the command of General Cabrera.
• 1836-1840: The war shifted in favor of the liberal camp following General Espartero's victory at Luchana. The rebels adopted a new strategy characterized by expeditions into other regions. The most significant was the Royal Expedition of 1837, which departed from Navarre, marched through Catalonia, and reached the outskirts of Madrid with the intention of taking the capital. However, Carlist forces were unable to occupy the city and retreated northwards.

The growing weakness of Carlism led to internal divisions between the *transaccionistas*, who favored reaching an agreement with the liberals, and the *intransigentes*, who advocated continuing the war.

Ultimately, the chief *transaccionista*, General Maroto, agreed to sign the Treaty of Bergara with General Espartero. This agreement provided for the maintenance of *fueros* in the Basque provinces and Navarre, as well as the integration of Carlist officers into the royal army.