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In-Depth Information
gent, and Prim, now chief minister, offer
the crown to various European princes,
who decline the offer. Leopold of Hohen-
zollern-Sigmaringen (the Catholic branch
of the Prussian royal family) accepts the
kingship, exciting French protests. Al-
though he subsequently withdraws his
name from consideration, the dispute
over his candidacy leads to the Franco-
Prussian War of 1870-71.
1875-85
Alfonso XII is king of Spain. The rallying of
both military commanders and civilian
politicians to the dynasty is caused as
much by anger over the First Republic's
incoherent blundering as by any knowl-
edge of Alfonso himself. Although the
republic collapses with scarcely any re-
sistance (December 1874-January
1875), the war with the Carlists contin-
ues until February 1876. Alfonso and his
advisers soon begin to adjust their poli-
cies to what they perceive as political
necessity. In order to win over Catholics
(the pope had hailed the Carlist pre-
tender as legitimate king of Spain), many
of the church's privileges revoked by
previous liberal governments are re-
stored. A new constituent Cortes (July
1876) approves a revised constitution
that preserves the structure of the con-
stitutional monarchy that Alfonso has
promised to uphold but limits suffrage
and gives ultimate power to the monar-
chy. Royal absolutism is modified in
practice by an agreement between the
two major political blocs that soon
emerge. The Conservatives (under An-
tonio Cánovas del Castillo) and the Lib-
erals (under Práxedes Mateo Sagasta)
agree on a system of rotation in control
of the ministry similar to that developed
in Portugal. Although anything resem-
bling a democratic political process is
impossible, stagnation is widely accepted
as preferable to the constant plotting
and fighting of the previous few decades.
The king himself, although possessing a
degree of personal charm and tact in
dealing with the public, gradually loses
favor with Spaniards due to a series of
corruption scandals at the royal court.
1871-73
Amadeo I is king of Spain. A son of the king
of Italy, the prince accepts the throne of
Spain but encounters general hostility
and even violence (assassination of Prim,
revolts by Carlists and Catalans). Finding
his position impossible to sustain, he ab-
dicates, leaving Spain to face its unre-
solved problems.
1873-74
First Republic. Taking advantage of the void
left by Amadeo's abdication, the Cortes
rejects monarchy in favor of a republican
experiment. This decision has been made
possible by a temporary majority of left-
wing delegates, who immediately fall to
disputing over whether the republic shall
be centralized or loosely federal. In the
midst of this debate the Second Carlist
War breaks out, as conservatives in the
north reject the entire political process.
Emilio Castelar is chosen as president to
direct the fight against the Carlists but re-
signs in January 1874. Serrano then takes
charge but is confronted by rival officers
who wish to restore the Bourbons. In No-
vember a declaration by Isabella's son
Alfonso that he supports constitutional
monarchy brings him the support of var-
ious political parties.
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