Spain's Ominous Decade and the First Carlist War
The Ominous Decade (1823-1833)
The end of the liberal regime was caused by the action of the Holy Alliance, which commissioned France to intervene in Spain. Approximately 100,000 soldiers, known as the Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis and commanded by the Duke of Angoulême, stormed into Spain, and Ferdinand VII was restored as an absolute monarch.
However, the powers that sought this restoration also introduced moderate reforms, proclaimed an amnesty, and organized an effective administration to ensure stability. Ferdinand VII did not accept these requests, leading to a fierce repression against the Liberals. A notable event of this repression was the execution of Mariana Pineda.
Another concern for the monarchy was its economic problems. Financial difficulties, exacerbated by losses, forced a control of public expenditure. It was impossible to increase revenues. The king sought the help of the moderate sector. In Madrid and Barcelona, a protectionist tariff was awarded for Catalan manufactures, and López Ballesteros aligned with these interests. This attitude increased the mistrust of royalists and absolutist sectors at court.
In Catalonia, in 1827, royalist squads (the Malcontents) rebelled, demanding more power for ultra-conservatives. At court, this sector grouped around Infante Carlos, the king's brother and his likely successor, given that Ferdinand VII had no offspring.
The Dynastic Conflict and the Rise of Carlism
In 1830, the birth of the king's daughter, Isabella, seemed to guarantee the Bourbon continuity. The Salic Law, implemented by Philip V, prevented women from ascending to the throne. However, Ferdinand VII, influenced by his wife Maria Cristina, issued the Pragmatic Sanction to override it.
The so-called Carlists refused to accept the new situation. This confrontation was part of a larger struggle to impose a particular model of society. The forces of the Ancien Régime, who were staunchly opposed to any form of liberalism, gathered around Prince Carlos. Maria Cristina realized that to save the throne for her daughter, she had to seek support from sectors closer to liberalism.
Appointed regent during the king's illness, she formed a new reformist government, decreed an amnesty, and prepared to confront the Carlists. In 1833, Ferdinand VII died. His will confirmed his daughter, then 3 years old, as the heir and named Maria Cristina as Queen Regent until Isabella came of age. That same day, Prince Carlos proclaimed himself king, and an insurrection began. This marked the start of the First Carlist War.