Spanish History: From Ferdinand VII to Catalanism

Ferdinand VII's Reign and Spanish Turmoil

1. Ferdinand VII became heir to King Charles IV, forcing his abdication. Manuel Godoy, the prime minister, was dismissed. Ferdinand VII assumed the throne. Napoleon Bonaparte appointed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as King of Spain, with the support of Spanish liberals (Afrancesados).

A popular uprising occurred on May 2, 1808, marking the beginning of the Peninsular War, fought between French and English forces in Spain.

The French faced a guerrilla war waged by civilians taking up arms.

Spaniards fighting against the French were known as patriots.

The Peninsular War concluded in 1814 with the defeat of the French and the return of Ferdinand VII to Spain.

Liberals approved the Constitution of 1812 in Cadiz, Spain's first constitution. It established national sovereignty, universal male suffrage, separation of powers, constitutional monarchy, and individual liberties. Catalan was maintained as the official religion. The Cortes of Cadiz abolished feudalism, the Inquisition, and the estates.

Between 1808 and 1824, the Spanish monarchy lost all its colonies except Cuba and the Philippines.

Succession Issue After Ferdinand VII's Death

The succession to the Spanish throne became a contentious issue after Ferdinand VII's death.

Two potential successors emerged: Carlos María Isidro, Ferdinand VII's brother, and Isabella, Ferdinand VII's daughter.

The succession dispute centered on the Salic Law, which excluded female succession to the crown. After Isabella's birth in 1829, Ferdinand VII annulled this law. Carlos María Isidro did not accept this exclusion and, following Ferdinand VII's death in 1833, declared war on Isabella. Isabella ultimately prevailed.

Regency in Spanish Monarchy

2. Regency refers to the government of a monarchy when the king is unable to rule due to disability, minority, or absence.

Consequences of Major Conflicts

7. Consequences:

• Significant human losses.
• The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh peace conditions on Germany, holding it solely responsible, stripping it of colonies, and demanding war reparations.
• Other peace treaties redrew the map of Europe.
• The United States emerged as the major beneficiary of the war.

Catalanism in the Late Nineteenth Century

3. Catalanism: In the late nineteenth century, Catalan nationalism emerged, opposing the centralized state and advocating for the Catalan language and culture.

The Progressive Catalan movement championed self-government for Catalonia and sought to improve the living and working conditions of its people. The Catalan Conservative movement aligned with the interests of the bourgeoisie.

Principal Representative: Admiral Valentí Almirall

• Founded a Catalan newspaper in 1879.
• Authored the book "What is Catalan?" in 1886.
• Drafted the "List of Grievances" in 1885, a document presented to King Alfonso XII denouncing the oppression of the Catalan language and asserting Catalan rights against Castile. This document is considered significant for opposing centralism and defending the Catalan language and law.

Josep Torras i Bages, a conservative Catalan, wrote "Catalan Tradition" in 1892. In the same year, the "Bases de Manresa" (Bases for the Establishment of Regional Autonomy) were drafted at a meeting in Manresa, further strengthening Catalan regionalism in the early 20th century.

Causes of European Conflicts

4. Causes:

• Clashes between European countries over colonial disputes and border conflicts within the continent.
• The formation of defensive and offensive alliances led to an arms race and war.
• The assassination of the heir to the Austrian crown by a Serbian nationalist group in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

Territorial Changes After European Conflicts

5.

• Through the Treaty of Versailles, Germany lost all its colonies to France and the United Kingdom and ceded territories in Europe.
• The Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved into Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, and lost territories to Yugoslavia, Poland, and Romania.
• The Ottoman Empire became the Republic of Turkey, losing territories and ceding Syria to France, Iraq and Palestine to the UK, and several islands to Greece and Italy.
• Poland gained territories from Russia, Austria, and Germany.
• Romania received Transylvania from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Economic Factors Leading to Crisis

6.

• Overproduction led to price declines and reduced company profits.
• The abuse of credit for stock purchases.
• As stock prices began to fall, credits could not be repaid, leading to widespread ruin.