Carlist Wars & 19th-Century Spanish Military Pronouncements

Carlist Proclamation: Primary Source Analysis

A) Primary Source Collection:

Pirala, a 19th-century historian, was a civil governor. A. Savoy, who had contact with the Carlists, was on their side. The document is of a public policy nature, destined for the inhabitants of Álava, and calls for their union with the Carlist side. The origins of the Carlist Wars can be traced back to before the death of Ferdinand VII. He repealed the Salic Law, which prevented women from reigning if there was a male in the line. In this way, his daughter Isabella II could reign. Carlos María Isidro, his brother, proclaimed himself king against his niece on October 5th in Bilbao, and liberal supporters of Isabella II and moderate supporters of Carlos María Isidro were present in Álava.

B) Main Ideas:

• Contempt for liberalism, which must be eradicated ("perfidia liberal").
• Liberals have abolished privileges and liberties.
• God is against the established kings by the grace of God.
• Call to support the legitimate king of Spain.

C) Origins of Carlism:

The origins of Carlism can be seen in the realist deputies who, during the Liberal Triennium, fought against General Riego. These realist liberals defended absolutism and the Christian faith. They became Carlists when Ferdinand VII repealed the Salic Law in 1830. The Carlist ideology is summed up in its motto: "God, Fatherland, King, and Charters." It defends the Ancien Régime and is, therefore, an anti-revolutionary movement. It was supported by the nobility, conservative members of the army, some of the lower clergy who did not want to lose the tithe or influence, most farmers, and artisans of the guilds who wanted to preserve their privileges and not pay taxes. It had a strong presence in the Basque Country, Navarra, part of Aragon and Valencia, and Catalonia, territories that wanted to preserve their privileges. The political consequences were the beginning of the modernization of Spain, and liberalism won, finalizing the old regime. Socially, it led to the division of two Spains: a more traditionalist one and a more modern one, which would later appear in other Carlist wars and even in the Civil War of 1936. Economically, it led to the ruin of farmland, leaving the way free to secularize and modernize the tax system. There were also demographic consequences, such as the stagnation of the population, as Spain continued with an ancient demographic regime.

Pronouncements: 19th-Century Spanish Military Influence

A) Secondary Source Analysis:

This text is of a secondary, historiographical character, written by the 20th-century Spanish historian Madariaga. It collects his ideas and criticisms of 19th-century Spanish military politics. It was published in 1979, after Franco's death, so it can be assumed that there is a critical view of the period from 1939 to 1975. Madariaga was a writer and minister in exile, and a liberal who returned to Spain after Franco's death. The text mentions the period between 1837 and 1868. It analyzes the militarization of Spanish political life during the reign of Isabella II, when many generals held high government positions, largely because people relied more on the military than on politicians. Notable figures include Narváez of the Moderate Party, O'Donnell, who moved between moderates and progressives, Espartero of the Progressive Party, and Prim, who even rose to power in politics thanks to his friendship with Isabella II.

B) Fundamental Ideas:

• Confusion between the army and politics.
• The military-political figure gives equal weight to ideas, whether conservative or liberal, as long as they gain power.
• They are not interested in ideas but in imposing their will.
• They want to impose military methods on politics and politicians.
• They restrict freedom of the press.

C) Nature of Pronouncements:

Pronouncements were military coups d'état to take power by force. They were given to the people with a clear objective, read by the general, and if he had more support, the coup would triumph, and a different constitution would be developed. In the 20th century, they were called coups d'état. The last one was by Tejero on February 23, 1981. The military usually developed a government where it was easy to manipulate elections, preventing the true separation of powers. It is a military dictatorship, and they never planned to replace Isabella II. There are historical situations where the Spanish army had to maintain its status in society, as it had no role in the absence of colonies to defend in the Americas. They established authoritarian structures that had to be maintained by force, hence the number of pronouncements. Isabella II forced the moderate liberals to come to power through pronouncements. Some pronouncements occurred due to personal issues. The Spanish liberal system was excessively radical due to the presence of the military in high politics.