Political Evolution of 19th Century Spain

The Reign of Queen Isabella II

The reign of Queen Isabella II was characterized by the alternation of moderate and progressive governments across three distinct periods:

• The Moderate Decade: General Narváez promulgated a new constitution in 1845 that extended the powers of the monarchy.
• The Progressive Biennium: Led by Espartero, this period saw a new disentailment carried out by Pascual Madoz. This affected municipal lands and worsened the situation of the peasants; from an economic standpoint, this was more significant than the Mendizábal disentailment.
• Alternation of Moderates and the Liberal Union: The Liberal Union party, led by Leopoldo O'Donnell, brought together the most advanced moderates and the less radical progressives.

Challenges of the Isabelline Monarchy

The Isabelline monarchy faced a number of difficulties:

1. Military Interventions: Growing army involvement in the government or through military uprisings to overthrow the administration.
2. New Political Groups: The appearance of new political groups such as Democrats and Republicans, both of whom supported universal suffrage.
3. The Carlist War: Ongoing dynastic and ideological conflict.
4. Electoral Fraud: Popular discontent with the "electoral farce," as the government and caciques (local bosses) manipulated the elections.

All these problems increased opposition to the regime, leading to a coordinated pronunciamiento that successfully overthrew the Queen and forced her into exile.

The Bourbon Restoration

With the arrival of Alfonso XII in Spain, the period known as the Restoration began, marking the return of the monarchy and the Bourbon dynasty to the country. It was a period of slow change and political stability, characterized by a unified constitution and the absence of the military uprisings seen in previous years.

The Political System of Cánovas del Castillo

The Restoration was made possible by an agreement between the major political parties, the government, the King, and the Cortes. Antonio Cánovas del Castillo was the architect of the new regime, which was based on the following pillars:

• Hereditary Parliamentary Monarchy: The implementation of a stable monarchical system.
• Bicameral Courts: A parliament composed of two chambers: the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.
• The Constitution of 1876: More conservative than the 1869 version, it established census suffrage, shared sovereignty between the Cortes and the King, collaboration between the legislative and executive powers, and a more restricted bill of rights.
• Bipartisanship: The coexistence and alternation of two main parties: the Conservative and the Liberal.