Spain's 19th and 20th Century: Key Historical Documents

Proclamation of 1868: The Cadiz Revolution

This text justifies and expresses the goals of the revolutionaries of the 1868 Cadiz Revolution. The primary aim was not merely to establish a provisional government, but to transition to a political system based on universal suffrage. The revolutionaries cited justifications such as corruption, political disorder, and the lack of freedoms.

Paradoxically, many of the signatories were, or had been, senior political and military figures under Queen Isabel II.

Definitions:

• Constitution: A set of fundamental laws, rigid in nature, that must include the division of powers, the individual rights of citizens, and may address the organization of the state and participation within it.
• Universal Suffrage: The right to vote in the election of representatives to organs of power, extended to all adult men.
• Liberals: Individuals favoring a constitutional monarchy, but from a liberal perspective. They were divided into two main political parties: Moderates and Progressives.

The Crisis of 1917

This is a fragment of the manifesto issued by the conveners of the 1917 strike. The first paragraph identifies the authors of this appeal: the UGT (General Union of Workers) and the CNT (National Confederation of Labor). The second paragraph expresses the desire for radical political change and mentions potential supporters: the Infantry Defense Juntas and the Assembly of Parliamentarians from Barcelona. The third paragraph specifies their demands: an interim government and elections for a constituent assembly. Failing this, the strike would continue.

Definitions:

• UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores): A Spanish socialist union founded in 1888 by Pablo Iglesias to improve the working and living conditions of workers in a Spain that was beginning its industrialization. It was used by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) as an instrument of political pressure.
• CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo): An anarchist union founded in 1911 as a result of the events of the Tragic Week. It opted for an anarcho-syndicalist approach and was one of the main Spanish trade unions until the end of the Civil War.
• Oligarchies: Literally, "rule by the few." Applied to this text, it refers to the political system of the Restoration, as it was created for the benefit of a select few.

Constitution of 1876

This is a fragment of the Constitution of 1876. The cited articles can be grouped as follows:

• Political-Confessional State: It declares a political-confessional state, implying that only Catholics could govern (Article 11).
• Individual Rights: Freedom of religion was permitted in the private sphere (Article 11), but Catholicism remained the state religion. Freedom of expression and demonstration were recognized. The right to individual or collective petition was also granted, except for the army, and it should not interfere in political life (Article 13).
• Division of Powers: The division of powers was incomplete, as seen in Article 18. Legislative power was shared between the King and the Cortes (Parliament). The Cortes were bicameral, consisting of the Congress and the Senate (Article 19).

Definitions:

• Nation: For liberalism, it is indistinguishable from the state, which is an organization made up of institutions and boundaries governed by the popular will.
• Cortes: Assemblies or chambers in which representatives had a stratified composition. Their functions were increasingly limited by absolutism. After the liberal revolution, they were converted into legislative bodies and were generally constituted by deputies elected through universal suffrage.
• Constitution: A rigid set of basic laws that must contain the division of powers, individual rights of citizens, and may address the organization of the state and participation within it.

The First Spanish Republic

This text describes Pi y Margall's proclamation of the First Spanish Republic following the resignation of Amadeo of Savoy. Its fundamental objectives were order, justice, and freedom, considered essential for its success.

Definitions:

• Amadeo of Savoy: A Spanish king of Italian origin who ruled during the democratic period, initiating the democratization of the country. His resignation paved the way for the First Republic.
• Republic: A form of government in which the head of state is regularly selected by citizens or by legislative bodies.
• Universal Suffrage: A voting system in which all adult males can participate in elections. Women could not vote until the Second Republic.