Republicanism During the Spanish Restoration: Ideology and Crisis

The Republicans and Their Formulations

The Republican position was weakened by the political restoration of the monarchy. During this era, Republican ideology underwent a profound identity crisis. Evidence of this was found in the various partisan factions that emerged, each working with the remnants of the revolutionary period:

Key Republican Factions

1. The Possibilist Party: Linked to Emilio Castelar, this group championed universal suffrage and the institution of the jury, seeking new methods to achieve its goals.
2. The Progressive Party: Founded by Ruiz Zorrilla, this party—which held power during the reign of Amadeo I—was the only faction that trusted in military intervention to gain power, a strategy prompted by Zorrilla's exile in Paris.
3. The Centralist Party: Created in 1880 with Nicolás Salmerón as its undisputed leader, this group attracted many intellectuals linked to the Institución Libre de Enseñanza. This faction also integrated members of the Federal Party following the death of Estanislao Figueras in 1883.
4. The Federal Party: Led by Pi y Margall, this party consistently defended federalism as the cornerstone of state organization.

Social Base and Political Evolution

• Social Composition: While all factions were interclass, the Possibilist Party held preferences among the middle class, whereas the Federal Party maintained a stronghold among the urban masses and the press. Their ideological proximity explains the presence of their leaders in Freemasonry and freethinker organizations.
• Political Participation: The initial withdrawal from politics during the early years of the Restoration was eventually abandoned in favor of active participation by the late 1870s. However, this did not lead to a unified political force, as fragmentation persisted. The 1880 creation of the Democratic Progressive Party was a failed attempt to consolidate these groups. Despite internal conflicts, they achieved their greatest success in the 1893 elections, securing 47 seats in Congress.
• Decline and Integration: The opening of the Liberal Party and the consolidation of the monarchical system led some leaders to accept the status quo. Others joined the Liberal Party created by Sagasta in 1885. Simultaneously, the adoption of universal suffrage in 1890 contributed to the eventual dissolution of the Possibilist Party.