Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
too, was by no means given a death blow, even though most of the
regular army commanders repudiated it. Their decision to install Isabel-
la's son as king ended the matter for most of them. Political Carlism was
even more gravely wounded, however, when the pope was persuaded
to abandon his recognition of Charles VII by Madrid's concessions on
the special status of the church. Both republicans and Carlists would be
heard from again in the coming century.
The brief reign of Alfonso XII (1875-85) brought a degree of much
needed political stability to Spain, albeit at the expense of anything that
could be called a genuine parliamentary system. The Liberal Party under
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta and the Conservative Party under Antonio
Cánovas alternated in power, managing the elections so as to prevent
any authentic expression of public will. Under the latest revision of the
constitution the ministry was entirely dependent upon the monarch,
who was thus able to exercise considerable personal power when he
chose to do so. Alfonso XII was, however, a mixture of good intentions
and self-indulgent impulses. Although prosperity rose, especially in the
northern regions, due to an increase in industrial activity, it was accom-
panied by growing labor unrest. Combined with the revival of anar-
chism in the south, this produced frequent outbursts of violence and
massive police repression. As he dissipated much of his initial popular-
ity, the king lost both the ability and the inclination to promote national
harmony and renewal. Following his sudden death in 1885 he was suc-
ceeded by his only son, born posthumously, Alfonso XIII, who remained
under the regency of his mother Queen Maria Christina until 1902.
During the vacuum of leadership that persisted over the last decades of
the 19th century, the domestic issues that bedeviled Spain were ren-
dered even more baffling by another outbreak of colonial warfare. Both
Cuba and the Philippines were shaken by insurrections that began in
1895 and persisted until the war between Spain and its subject peoples
turned into a confrontation with a far greater antagonist, the United
States of America.
As the 19th century drew to a close a passion for overseas expan-
sion gripped the major powers. Britain, France, and Germany sought
colonies in Africa and Asia. The United States looked both to the
Caribbean and to the Pacific Basin. In both of these latter zones of
ambition the obvious target was the remnants of the once-great Span-
ish Empire. It was only a matter of time before Spain's difficulties
provided America's opportunity. Early in 1898 the long-simmering
antagonisms between Cuba's colonial master and American advocates
of Cuban “liberation” exploded when the battleship
Maine
sank to the
bottom of Havana's harbor. Whether destroyed by Spanish officers
Search WWH ::
Custom Search