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Floridablanca
Was a Spanish politician who served as Secretary of State between 1777 and 1792 and presided over the Junta Suprema Central, created in 1808. -
Spain in XVII and XVIII centuries
In 1789 Spain was immersed in a structural crisis due to the Ancien Régime, a political, social, economic and legal system that existed in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was based on absolutism and a society based on estates. There was an economy based on subsistence agriculture and selective, non-universal laws. The Ancien Régime was destroyed in 1789 by the French Revolution. -
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Manuel Godoy
Manuel Godoy was the great political protagonist of the time. He had many enemies among the clergy and at court, as he did not come from a noble family and had a reputation as an upstart. At first he opposed relations with France, then he went out with Napoleon to fight against England. His domestic policy was always reformist: he promoted improvements in agriculture and withdrew some taxes, but he still did not satisfy society, because his reforms were always superficial. -
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Reign of Charles IV
War against France.
With Charles IV, power ended up in the hands of Godoy. He, like his wife Maria Luisa, had full confidence in Godoy. Napoleon's France was very powerful and threatened Spain by land if he did not ally with her. Spain was in the coalition against France because of the execution of Louis XVI (French Revolution). https://youtu.be/KUsrz-WNGfw -
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Alliance with France and Trafalgar
Spain returned to its traditional alliances with the first Treaty of San Ildefonso, which allied it with France against England. The war against England that had ended in 1802 broke out again when in 1804 the English fleet attacked the Spanish fleet. Although the Spanish and French fleets joined forces to confront the British fleet, they were defeated at the Battle of Trafalgar (1804). Junta Suprema Central signed a peace treaty.
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Treaty of Fontainebleau
In order to isolate England, the Treaty of Fontainebleau was signed, Spain allowed the French army to pass through its territory to conquer Portugal. Under this treaty, Godoy would become direct ruler of southern Portugal, France would control the centre and the northern part was assigned to Charles IV's daughter. France entered Spain and occupied Portugal. Godoy, ordered an army to defend himself and prepared for the royal family to flee.
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Mutiny of Aranjuez
In March 1808, a popular rebellion was unleashed, supported by Ferdinand VII, to force his father to abdicate. The Mutiny of Aranjuez was a failed coup attempt.
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Constitution of 1812
The Cortes drew up the Constitution of 1812. It was made in accordance with the ideology of the liberals. It declared: Sovereignty was national. Establishment of a constitutional monarchy, in which the power of the monarch, called Cortes, was limited. Division of powers. The executive power of the king, the legislative power of the Cortes and the judicial power of the Supreme Court. Equality of citizens. https://youtu.be/YA9FlHLE9ts -
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Absolutist sexenio
The first phase of Ferdinand VII's reign was called the Absolutist Sexenio of 1814-1820, when 69 absolutist deputies asked the King for the restitution of Absolutism and the return to the Ancien Régime, criticising the legislative work of Cadiz. -
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Liberal Triennium
The second phase of Ferdinand VII's reign was called the Liberal Triennium from 1820 to 1823. Pronouncements were promoted every year, all of them failures except one. Colonel Riego, taking advantage of the people's unrest, managed to achieve power. Riego forced the King to accept the Constitution of 1812, to establish liberal laws, to accept political parties and freedom of the press. As a consequence, he provoked fear in other Absolutist European powers. -
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Ominous Decade
Finally, the last phase of Ferdinand VII's reign was the Ominous Decade of 1823-1833. The European Absolutist Nations sent an army to restore Absolutism in Spain: 100,000 sons of St. Louis. As a consequence, Liberals were exiled and shot. During this decade Absolutism was re-established and liberal reforms were abolished. -
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General aspects of 19th century Spain
Liberal ideas were applied in Spain, and the country moved from an absolutist monarchy to a parliamentary monarchy.
Society was divided into an upper nobility, upper bourgeoisie and lower class. They had a democratic and republican ideology, which offered them the right to vote. Elizabeth II used power to benefit moderate liberals and exclude progressive liberals.
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The First Carlist War
The war began when Ferdinand VII died and his widow, Maria Cristina de Bourbon, was appointed regent because her daughter Isabella was a minor. Ferdinand VII's brother Carlos María Isidro proclaimed himself king with the support of absolutists. As the regent did not have the support of the absolutists, she sought an alliance with the liberals. It was therefore a conflict between Carlists against Elizabethans and at the same time an ideological conflict. https://youtu.be/O9Ybjz1XGJI -
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Provincial division
At the head of each province was placed a government representative who was called a civil governor. The new political boundaries of the provinces sought to overcome the ideas of the Ancien Régime. The proposal which was inspired by the Cortes of Cadiz, was maintained. During the 19th century other proposals were made to rearrange the provinces, but they were unsuccessful and remained so until the 1978 Constitution. -
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The Royal Statute
Government of Martínez de la Rosa, The Royal Statute is a charter granted.
No division of powers, the king has executive and legislative power (absolute veto power, right to dissolve the Cortes, etc.) and the Cortes has consultative power.
From then on the Secretary of State became known as the President of the Council of Ministers or head of government. -
Mutiny of the Sergeants of La Granja
A group of sergeants of the Royal Guard took advantage of the regent's rest in the palace of La Granja to stage a coup and force her to reinstate the constitution of 1812. A government led by the progressive José Mª Calatrava was formed and took the following measures: the disentailment of Mendizábal, the expropriation and sale of the assets of the religious orders in dead or depreciated hands (they could not be sold or divided). Religious orders were dissolved. -
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Revolution of 1836, definitive end of the Ancien Régime and Constitution of 1837.
The regent appoints a government with Juan Álvarez Medizábal. The measures to win the Carlist War were to increase recruitment. Ecclesiastical disentailment was prepared. Religious orders were suppressed. The moderates opposed the disentailment and managed to get Mendizábal removed from office. Progressive urban revolutionary juntas were formed that organised armed revolts against the government.