Absolutism vs. Liberalism: Spain (1808-1834)
Absolutism and Liberalism (1808-1834)
The French Revolution initiated a process where the old regime collapsed, opening the way to political liberalism, the expansion of capitalism, and the consolidation of the social class. Political liberalism is based on these principles:
- Sovereignty is not of divine origin but emanates from the people. Citizens delegate sovereignty through their vote.
- The king is not above the law. He must swear to the constitution, which is the fundamental law of the state.
- The state is a set of institutions established to secure the rights of citizens.
- The separation of powers is the fundamental guarantor to prevent tyranny. Power is divided among the executive (King), legislative (courts), and judicial (judges).
- The feudal system is abolished.
- Class society is replaced, establishing equality for all citizens before the law and taxation.
Economic liberalism is based on:
- Economic activity should be free, and the state should not intervene. The law of supply and demand should prevail.
- Related property must be disentailed so there are no obstacles to its sale.
- The suppression of unions and the creation of free enterprise and freedom of contract.
In Spain, the transition from the old regime to a liberal regime was a long process between 1808 and 1840, representing an incomplete and discontinuous revolution. It was a process that saw the alternation of trials and counterrevolutionary experiences.
The Napoleonic Invasion and the Crisis of Absolutism
King Charles IV facilitated the entry of Napoleonic troops into the peninsula under the pretext of empowering Portugal. The French army occupied seats away from the route to Portugal. When fleeing, the riot of Aranjuez broke out, forcing Charles IV to abdicate in favor of his son Ferdinand VII. Napoleon met with the Royal family in Bayonne and obliged Ferdinand VII to restore the crown to Charles IV, who then ceded it to Napoleon’s brother, Joseph. The people rose up against the French army.
The Statute of Bayonne and the Rise of the Juntas
Afrancesados collaborated with Joseph I, and Bonaparte awarded the promulgation of the Statute of Bayonne, but it never entered into force. In the vacuum of legitimate power, the juntas (boards) were formed, assuming power and resistance emerged in Spain. The boards were unified into a central junta that summoned the Supreme Courts.
The Cortes of Cádiz and the Constitution of 1812
The war favored liberals, as many provinces were occupied and could not send their representatives, allowing liberals to dominate. This revolutionary process meant a break with absolutism. Members were divided into two groups: those in favor of absolutism (absolutists) and those in favor of national sovereignty (liberals). The two goals of the Courts of Cádiz were reforming political, economic, and legal institutions and drafting a constitution.
The first objective took place through a series of decrees and laws, including the suppression of the Inquisition, the abolition of manorial rights and lordships, the reorganization of courts, the abolition of the guild regime, the supposed commercial and economic freedom, and timid ecclesiastical disentailment.
In March 1812, the Constitution of Cádiz was enacted, a work of revolutionary new model of state, liberal-bourgeois. Key principles of the Constitution of 1812 included:
- National sovereignty
- Constitutional Monarchy