Spain's History: 1856 - Liberal Union to Elizabeth II's Fall

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Espartero's Retirement

In 1856, Espartero chose to retire.

The Liberal Union Government

The Liberal Union government saw the toggling of power between the union of the Liberal and Moderate parties, led by O'Donnell and Narvaez. In his first term, O'Donnell restored the Constitution of 1845. During O'Donnell's longest period in government, the reign was marked by economic exuberance and active foreign interventionism in Morocco, as well as a failed attempt to retrieve Santo Domingo.

Final Stage of the Reign of Elizabeth II

Towards the end of 1862, the Liberal Union government began to lose credibility. The Progressives, seeing that the electoral system and the Queen's position would not allow them access to power, withdrew from parliamentary life. The Moderates became increasingly conservative. The Liberal Union was disintegrating due to the absence of clear policy objectives and the erosion caused by power-sharing. Democrats, Republicans, and a significant sector of Progressivism began to demand a regime change through the press and conspiratorial actions, even calling into question the Queen herself.

In March, O'Donnell resigned. The new government, led by General Narvaez, took over in September 1864. The return to a conservative and repressive ministry initiated the process that ultimately did away with the Bourbon monarchy. In that process, the economic crisis and the consequent deterioration of the social and political situation were crucial.

The first symptoms of the crisis appeared in 1864: the construction of railways began to stop, foreign investment became scarce, and prices fell. Two prime factors contributed to the crisis: the economic downturn and the uprising of San Gil. Its headquarters resulted in a loss of purchasing power, market failure, and the spread of the crisis to all sectors. This was coupled with a climate of widespread political discontent, given the increasingly authoritarian attitude of Narvaez and O'Donnell.

The Pact of Ostend

In August 1866, Progressives, Democrats, and Republicans signed the Pact of Ostend. Agreeing to avoid a social revolution, their program was limited to the dethronement of the Queen, who was considered the main culprit of the situation, and the convocation of the Cortes through universal suffrage. In 1867, after the death of O'Donnell, the Liberal Union itself, convinced of the impracticality of the repressive government and the imminent collapse of the Elizabethan monarchy, joined the pact.

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