HISTORICAL DICTIONARY A–Z - Spain and Portugal: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present - page 178

buried in the royal pantheon that lies
beneath the central chapel, flanked by the
remains of their consorts and children.

that public opinion turned against him
and he was forced out of office in 1843,
spending the next five years in Britain. He
then returned to Spain but lived quietly
until 1854 when Isabella II called upon
him to resist the revolt of General L EOP -
OLDO O'D ONNELL .
Espartero achieved a temporary compro-
mise with O'Donnell, who served as minis-
ter of war under his premiership until 1856.
Once again out of power Espartero with-
drew into the role of elder statesman. After
the downfall and banishment of Isabella II
in 1868 he was included, along with several
foreign princes, among those proposed as
new king of Spain. Seeking to promote sta-
bility he successively supported the Italian
A MADEO I, the short-lived republic that fol-
lowed him, and the Bourbon restoration of
1875 that brought Isabella's son A LFONSO
XII to the throne.
In the breadth and variety of his military
experience, as well as his triumph over the
Carlists, Espartero was undoubtedly the
most notable Spanish soldier of his era. As
a political leader he lacked the suavity that
was demanded by complex negotiations.
Fundamentally a man of the people who
sympathized with radical reforms, he
tended to lose patience when in office,
employing strong methods that alienated
potential supporters. In the last decades of
his life he emerged as a more balanced actor
on the national stage, earning respect as a
disinterested and patriotic guardian of
Spain's well-being.

Española

See H ISPANIOLA .

Espartero, Baldomero (duque
de la Victoria, conde de
Luchana) (1792-1879)
Spanish soldier and statesman
Born into a humble family whose great
ambition was for him to enter the priest-
hood, Espartero fought as a young volun-
teer against the French invaders supporting
J OSEPH I. He subsequently secured a com-
mission in the regular army and served in
Spanish America until the final collapse of
the royal forces there. Returning to Spain as
a colonel, Espartero, like all who had fought
the South American rebels, was under
something of a cloud during the 1820s. On
the death of F ERDINAND VII in 1833 he sup-
ported the succession of I SABELLA II. Rising
steadily in rank and command responsibil-
ity, Espartero became the most successful
and admired adversary of the Carlist forces
and ultimately negotiated the 1839 settle-
ment that ended the prolonged civil conflict.
Already an elected member of the Cortes,
(see CORTES ) , he became involved in politics
on the left wing of Liberalism, and this in
turn led to his opposition to the regent,
Queen M ARIA C HRISTINA . After her with-
drawal from Spain Espartero, who had been
created duque de la Victoria (duke of victory)
for his triumph over the Carlists, served as
regent until 1843.
As virtual military dictator, Espartero
dealt harshly with dissent and repressed
several rebellions with such ruthlessness

Espronceda, José de (1808-1842)
Spanish poet
The epitome of early 19th-century roman-
ticism, Espronceda has long been called