Spanish History: From Amadeo I to the Third Carlist War

The Reign of Amadeo I and its Challenges

The Regency of General Serrano

This period saw General Serrano appointed as Regent Executive. He faced several significant problems, including:

• A colonial war in Cuba
• Active opposition from the Carlists and Alfonsinos
• Constant harassment from discontented republicans among urban and rural populations

In July of that year, more Carlist uprisings occurred, foreshadowing the Third Carlist War. The Federal Charter of Tortosa was signed, uniting the federal committees of the former Crown of Aragon, along with Andalusia, Extremadura, Galicia, Asturias, Castile and León, etc. General Prim faced factionalism within the police force. Amadeo I was nominated as the new King of Spain.

The Brief Reign of Amadeo I

This proposal was put forward during a very complex internal and external political climate. Amadeo of Savoy was elected king by the Cortes Generales when General Prim landed in Cartagena. Just as Amadeo suffered in Madrid, Prim died, facing contempt or indifference from senior military commanders and the aristocracy. A government was formed under Serrano, and there was an internal party division that supported Amadeo. This was due to personality clashes and the progressivism of the two-party system. Two trends emerged:

• Conservatives led by Sagasta
• Reformists led by Ruiz Zorrilla, along with the radicals and a flurry of *cimbrios*

There was significant sociopolitical unrest due to the effects of the Paris Commune and the dissemination of the principles of the International in Spain. Amadeo I replaced Sagasta, who was later replaced by Serrano. Ruiz Zorrilla then chaired the last government. The Carlist War and unrest in the Cuban army joined this rebellion. The situation was further complicated by the appointment of General Hidalgo as Captain General of the Basque Provinces. Amadeo negotiated the signing of a decree to reorganize the artillery and renounced the crown. The balance of the reign speaks for itself.

The Third Carlist War and the First Republic

The Rise of Carlism

Two streams began to coexist within Carlism:

• A more open faction, identified with General Cabrera
• A more orthodox faction, headed by Charles VII

The Third Carlist War began in April 1872. Don Carlos entered Spanish territory, but after the Carlist defeat in Oroquieta, the Convention of Amorebieta was signed. This led to the creation of an alternative state in the north of the country.

The Proclamation of the First Republic

In 1873, the First Spanish Republic was proclaimed with a large majority vote from the *cimbrios*. General Pavia's coup overthrew the republican government. The effort to build a new state model faced multiple challenges:

• The questioned legitimacy of its origin
• Diversity of political currents and projects, including federal and radical factions