Spain's Bourbon Restoration Period

Origins of the Spanish Restoration

The failure of the democratic system of the First Republic and its subsequent fall provoked a return to the Spanish throne of the Bourbons. In late 1874, there was a very negative image of all prior periods. All political groups rejected the excesses of the previous stages and advocated the need for a political system that was "serious" and practical. Disenchantment also reached Emilio Castelar, former President of the Republic in 1875.

All these factors influenced the success of the pronouncement by General Martínez Campos and the return of Alfonso XII. Landowners and the bourgeoisie rejected the democratic system. In general, the economic chaos of the previous stages motivated entrepreneurs to support the return to a more peaceful and quiet period to allow for a new era of economic boom.

Cánovas's Ideology

Antonio Cánovas del Castillo took control of the government, supported by the exiled king and the army. He was the creator of the political system that functioned during the Restoration.

Its ideological characteristics were:

• Conservatism
• Defense of freedoms
• Loyalty to the monarchy
• Rejection of democracy and socialism

A great admirer of the liberal political system and monarchy of Great Britain, he tried from the beginning to impose a similar system in Spain. He was a liberal and saw the evils of military caudillismo. He believed that the monarchy was the most important and the only institution that could hold together the various peninsular territories. He gave the king the role of preventing military pronouncements. Contrary to universal suffrage and democracy, he accepted social inequality, which directly affected the proletarian masses and socialism.

He was profoundly liberal and anti-absolutist, ready to facilitate the necessary reforms to achieve the proper balance between "tradition and modernity." His concept of the Catholic religion was very functional. His program can be summarized in seeking compromise with dissidents and always seeking agreement, even with leftist parties.

The Tragic Week of 1909

It was one of the major blows that threatened the continuity of the constitutional monarchy in Spain. This name refers to a series of violent events that occurred this year in Barcelona and other cities, usually associated with industrial areas. Soon the whole city was engulfed in a riot; this was possible through the support of the Barcelona working class. Maura decided to send military troops to control the situation.

Two factors triggered the Tragic Week:

1. The mobilization of Catalan reservists.
2. Anti-clerical hatred.

The most direct consequences of the Tragic Week were:

• Government repression.
• The unjust execution of Ferrer.
• The fall of the conservative government of Maura.
• The agreement between Republicans and Socialists.