Spain's Restoration Era: Politics, Parties, and Opposition (1874-1902)

The Restoration Period in Spain (1874-1902)

The Restoration System: Monarchy and Doctrinaire Liberalism

• The Restoration began with the *Pronunciamiento* of Martínez Campos in 1874, aiming for political stability under a monarchy.
• Key figures: King Alfonso XII and Regent Cánovas del Castillo, who championed a system based on order, patriotism, religious values, and doctrinaire liberalism.

The 1876 Constitution

• Drafted by a commission of distinguished figures, primarily Cánovas.
• Key features:
  • Broad declaration of freedoms and rights (Article 69).
  • Shared sovereignty between the King and the Cortes.
  • Catholicism as the official state religion.
  • Bicameral system (Congress of Deputies and Senate).
  • Executive and judicial power largely vested in the King.

Bipartisanship: The *Turno Pacífico*

• Inspired by the British model, this system ensured a peaceful alternation of power between two main parties.
• Conservative Party: Led by Cánovas del Castillo.
  • Formed during the administration, drawing from moderates, constitutional dissidents, unionists, and Catholics.
  • Supported primarily by the aristocracy and gentry landowners.
• Liberal-Fusion Party: Led by Práxedes Mateo Sagasta.
  • Formed during Amadeo's reign, drawing from left-wing Unionism (Serrano), progressives, and democrats.
  • Supported by the industrial bourgeoisie and urban middle classes.

Electoral Manipulation and *Caciquismo*

• Electoral Distortion: The *Turno Pacífico* relied on the "Pact of El Pardo" (1885), where the outgoing government would resign, and the King would appoint the next, ensuring predetermined electoral outcomes.
• *Caciquismo*: A system of electoral manipulation and pressure exerted by local strongmen (*caciques*) in rural areas, ensuring the desired results.

Key Events and Political Succession

• Death of King Alfonso XII (1885).
• Regency of María Cristina, marked by Republican and Carlist agitation.
• Liberal government under Sagasta introduced significant political reforms:
  • Law abolishing slavery in Cuba.
  • Civil Code.
  • Universal Male Suffrage (1890).
• Cánovas returned to power with a new Conservative government.
• Cánovas was assassinated by an anarchist in 1897.
• The Restoration period concluded with the beginning of King Alfonso XIII's reign in 1902.

Opposition Movements to the Restoration

Republicanism

• Emilio Castelar: Advocated a conservative republicanism, emphasizing order and democracy.
• Francesc Pi i Margall: Championed a federalist approach, social reform, and better-organized workers' associations.
• Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla: His followers sought to overthrow the monarchy through military pronouncements.

Regionalism and Nationalism

• These movements emphasized distinct language and customs, promoting cultural revival against centralism, often fueled by dissatisfaction with industrialization.
• Catalan Nationalism (Catalanisme):
  • The "Renaixença" (cultural revival) was a linguistic and cultural movement combining federalism and disillusionment with the Restoration.
  • The Catalan industrial bourgeoisie opposed centralism and Carlism.
  • Influenced by Pi i Margall's federalism and articulated by Enric Prat de la Riba.
  • The "Bases de Manresa" (1892) proposed a framework for Catalan self-government.
  • The "Lliga Regionalista" (Regionalist League) was a conservative party led by Prat de la Riba.
• Basque Nationalism:
  • Arose in reaction to the limitation of *fueros* (charters) and sought the recovery of Euskera (the Basque language).
  • Sabino Arana founded the "Basque Nationalist Party" (PNV) in 1895.
  • Its base included the middle class and peasantry, advocating racial claims, rural customs, conservative Catholicism, and "anti-maquetismo" (anti-immigrant sentiment).
• Galician Resurgence (Rexurdimento): A significant cultural movement.
• Peripheral nationalisms were primarily driven by the bourgeoisie in Euskadi and Catalonia.