Amadeus of Savoy’s Reign in Spain: A Brief, Turbulent Era
The Reign of Amadeus of Savoy (1871-1873)
Amadeus of Savoy landed in Cartagena on December 30, 1870, where he received the news of the assassination of General Prim, which had occurred three days earlier. On January 2, 1871, he was proclaimed king in Madrid.
The reign of Amadeus I was ultimately a failure. His two-year reign was marked by continuous political instability, fueled by:
- Opposition from the nobility.
- Rejection by the Church.
- Alienation of sectors of economic power.
- A general Carlist uprising.
- Belligerence from a Republican sector.
- The ongoing Cuban conflict.
- The progress of organized labor and social unrest.
- Internal breakdown of political parties, such as the Progressives.
- A continuing economic crisis that had emerged in 1863.
Prim’s absence, a key sponsor of Amadeus’s arrival and a unifying figure within the progressive and ruling coalition, significantly contributed to the failure. Political instability increased during the reign, with six governments and three different elections.
The Progressives split into two factions: the Constitutional Party, led by Matthew Práxedes Sagasta, advocating for conservative policies, and the Radical Party, led by Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla, favoring a more revolutionary liberalism.
The nobility and clergy associated Amadeus I with democracy and social disorder, fearing (without foundation) the loss of their property. They also resented the dynasty because of events in Italy, where the Pope was kept prisoner in the Vatican. They created a vacuum at Court and isolated the King. Gradually, support for Prince Alfonso, son of Elizabeth II, whose interests were represented in Spain by Antonio Canovas, gained traction among the country’s elites, who became decidedly Alphonsine.
Industrial and financial leaders also rejected Amadeus, doubting the king’s ability to bring stability and fearing the growth of the labor movement, with its increasing strikes and demonstrations. The Carlists, naturally, also rejected him, resurfacing with a vengeance alongside ultra-conservative Catholics. They secured 51 seats in parliament in 1871, achieving absolute majorities in several provinces (Vizcaya, Navarra, Guipúzcoa, Lugo, Cuenca, and Ciudad Real), but by 1872…
The Navy initiated a general uprising led by the pretender Charles VII, which would last until 1876.
Republicans opposed Amadeus for obvious reasons, advocating for political, social, and economic reforms and egalitarianism. They also expressed strong anti-clericalism, identifying the Church with obscurantism, Carlist backwardness, and responsibility for Spain’s educational, scientific, economic, and social underdevelopment.
Two Years of Instability
The period was characterized by unstable governments and numerous unresolved problems. Changes in government were accompanied by scandals (such as a financial scandal that forced Sagasta’s resignation), motions of censure, and electoral manipulation (especially in rural areas). In 1872, voter abstention reached 50%.
In the second year of his reign, the situation worsened. The government became increasingly unstable, the political climate was agitated by discussions on the abolition of slavery, the Cuban conflict intensified, and the Third Carlist War broke out in the Basque Country, spreading to Catalonia in the summer.
Amadeus I was merely waiting for the right moment to abdicate. A serious crisis between the prime minister and the artillery corps provided the opportunity. The government appointed Captain General of Catalonia Hidalgo, who was accused of collaborating in the repression of the revolt of the sergeants at the San Gil barracks. The artillery commanders requested collective separation from service. Ruiz Zorrilla’s government upheld the appointment and dismissed the artillerymen from the corps. The king sided with the artillerymen. When Congress supported the government, Amadeus presented his abdication on February 11, 1873. That same night, the House, composed mainly of radicals, knowing that finding a new king was impossible, proclaimed a republic.