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.
