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SANDHURST MANIFIESTO
In 1874, Cánovas wrote a manifiesto, signed in Sandhurst, where Antonio Cánovas del Castillo promised a constitutional government. -
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REIGN OF ALFONSO XII
In 1875, the monarchy was restored under Alfonso XII of Bourbon (1875-1885), son of Isabela II. The Restoration in Spain was made possible by two processes:
- Through the political manoeuvring of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, the leader of the future Conservative Party, which helped achieve Queen Isabel II’s abdication in favour of her son Alfonso XII.
- Through a pronunciamiento (military revolution) by General Martínez, 1874, Alfonso XII was proclaimed king.
Alfonso XII was dead in 1885. -
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RESTORATION
It rested on two fundamental pillars: the
Constitution of 1876 and the practice of rotation in power (turnismo) of the political parties.
Then the political system implemented during the Restoration faced serious internal problems like:
Opposition to turnismo
Labour movenment
Regionalism and local nationalism
Later the “crisis of 1898”. A foreign problem with domestic repercussions. -
PSOE IS FOUNDED
The Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (PSOE) was founded by Pablo Iglesias in 1879 and was consolidated by the huge surge in the labour movement during the Restoration period. -
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REGENCY OF MARIA CHRISTINA
After the death of Alfonso XII in 1885, the Restoration was maintained by the regency of Maria Christina (1885-1902) while her son, Alfonso XIII, was still a child.
She was sworn in in the Cortes on December 30, 1885, in the Palace of the Congress of Deputies, in the joint session of both houses.
During María Cristina's regency, 7 elections are held: 1886, 1891, 1893, 1896, 1898, 1899 and 1901.
On May 17, 1886, the future King Alfonso XIII was born, who came of age in 1902. -
BASES DE MANRESA
Catalan nationalism demanded official status for the Catalan language, the establishment of Catalan political parties and courts, and Catalan autonomy.
In 1892, its proposals were declared in the Bases de Manresa, written by Prat de la Riba. -
TREATY OF PARIS
Spain was forced to sing the 1898 Treaty of Paris, where they recognised the independence of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Before that, the US declared war on Spain after the sinking of the US Navy battleship Maine in the Havana Harbour in April of 1898, accusing Spain of having caused the blast. -
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REIGN OF ALFONSO XIII
In 1902 Alfonso XIII reached the age of majority at 16 years.
Alfonso XIII acceded to the throne in 1902 in a political environment characterized by the crisis of Cánovas's political system and the influence of regenerationism.
His reign is divided into two stages:
The continued practice of party rotation (1902-1917)
The crisis of Cánovas system (1917-1923)
This was followed by a coup d’etat by General Primo de Rivera on 13 September 1923, who imposed a dictatorship supported by the king. -
TRAGIC WEEK OF 1909
The treaty signed at the Algeciras Conference (1906) divided Morocco in two protectorates.
Spanish occupation of its protectorate led to war with the inhabitants of the Rif; a war that in 1909 required reservists to be called up, the majority of whom were fathers. This set of violent protests in Barcelona, which became known as the Tragic Week of 1909. -
DISASTER AT ANNUAL
Spain suffered a brutal defeat in the Rif War against Morocco in what was known as the Disaster at Annual, resulting in 10000 deaths and widespread public commotion, negatively influencing public opinion. -
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DICTATORSHIP OF PRIMO DE RIVERA
It went through two stages, with different governments:
THE MILITARY DIRECTORY (1923-191925)
He suspended the constitution, dissolved the Cortes, prohibited political parties, suppressed the labour movement and defeated the Moroccans after the Alhucemas landing.
THE CIVIL DIRECTORY (1925-1930)
The victory in Morocco and the boom of the 1920s helped him maintain power until 1930.
In 1930, the economic crisis, the rise of unemployment, the spread of the labour movement forced him to resign. -
PROCLAMATION OF THE SECOND SPANISH REPUBLIC
The king went to exile on 14 April 1931 and the Second Republic was declared. -
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SECOND SPANISH REPUBLIC
After the Second Republic was proclaimed, a provisional government was formed, made up of Republicans, socialist and nationalist who held elections for the Constituent Cortes in June 1931. The left-wing parties won a majority and drafted a new constitution.
THE CONSTITUTION OF 1931
The Republic then went through three stages:
THE REFORMIST BIENNIUM (1931-1933)
CONSERVATIVE BIENNIUM (1933-1936)
THE POPULAR FRONT (FEBRUARY-JUNE 1936) -
OCTOBER REVOLUTION
During the Second Spanish Republic, on the Conservative Biennium stage (1933-1936).
The new government halted the majority of the previous reforms, which led to an increase in strikes and more actions by left-wing parties. CEDA then demanded positions in the government. This sparked the October Revolution of 1934, which was most intense in Asturias and Barcelona. -
TRAGIC SPRING
During the Second Spanish Republic, on the Popular Front stage (February-June 1936).
Political violence reached its peak in what was known as the Tragic Spring in 1936, consisting of a wave of attacks and street violence between staunch Falangist, communist and anarchist activists. -
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CIVIL WAR
The coup d’etat began in Melilla, Tetuan, and Ceuta on 17 July 1936. The next day it spread throughout Spain, having success in rural areas, failing in the more industrialised urban areas. The country was divided into two zones the Republican zone and the Nationalist zone, and the military coup turned into a long Civil War.
It caused more than 380 000 deaths and 350 000 political exiles. It led to the triumph of the most conservative social groups and the Church, which supported the insurgents. -
BOMBING OF GERNIKA
During the Civil War, the war moved to the Cantabrian coast and involved harsh battles, as reflected by the bombing of Gernika by the German air force’s Condor Legion on 26 April 1937. The German air force enabled the insurgents the control of key industrial and mining areas. -
END OF CIVIL WAR
General Francisco Franco, who had been appointed “Generalísimo” of the army, concentred civilian and military power and unified all of his supporting forces into one single party, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS and concentrated all of their efforts towards winning the war, which they did in the end.
It led to the triumph of the most conservative social groups and the Church, which supported the insurgents.
Franco imposed a dictatorial political system.
