Carlist Wars and Catalan Regionalism in 19th-Century Spain
The Carlist Wars: A Struggle for the Spanish Throne
The Carlists supported Carlos Maria Isidro and his descendants against the succession line of Isabella II. Over time, the Carlist ideology was articulated around:
- Absolutism-Royalism
- The power of the Church and a Catholicism that excluded other beliefs
- Rejection of urban and industrial society
- Defense of the institutions and fueros of the Basque Country, Navarre, and Catalonia
Carlism had the support of sectors of the clergy threatened by liberalism, and sectors of the peasantry whose economic situations and traditions were threatened. It took root especially in Navarre, the Basque Country, Aragon, and inland Andalusia.
The Carlist Wars
The movement triggered three Carlist Wars, the first two during the reign of Isabella II:
a) The First Carlist War (1833-1840)
Violent and dramatic, with 200,000 deaths. The Carlists proclaimed Carlos Isidro as Charles V after Fernando VII died, but were eventually subdued in Galicia, Navarre, Andalusia, and Levante. The war had international implications:
- Absolutists: Austria, Russia, Prussia, Papal States
- Liberals: England, France, and Portugal
b) The Second Carlist War (1849-1860)
This war had less impact than the first and was discontinuous. Its main stage was Catalonia.
c) The Third Carlist War (1872-1876)
This war began in the middle of the reign of Amadeo I, with the Carlists taking up arms. The main scenarios were the Basque Country, Navarre, and Catalonia.
Consequences of the Carlist Wars
- Inclination of the monarchy towards liberalism
- The political protagonism of the military. Initially Carlists, they became a key piece in the defense of liberalism
- The enormous expense of war; the liberal monarchy had to approve certain reforms to make up for the money lost
The Commonwealth of Catalonia: A Step Towards Self-Government
The failure of the Catalan Solidarity movement led the Regionalist League to seek a pact with the government in Madrid to achieve a minimum of Catalan self-government. Finally, despite some reticence, the League achieved a royal decree from the government authorizing the provincial councils to merge solely for administrative purposes. The Commonwealth responded to a long-standing demand of the Catalans: the federation of the four Catalan provincial councils. Although its function was purely administrative, and its powers did not exceed those of the provinces, it acquired great political importance. It represented the first recognition by the Spanish state of Catalonia’s personality and drive since 1714. Presided over first by Enric Prat de la Riba and then by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, both members of the League, the Commonwealth undertook a major task of creating an infrastructure of roads and ports, water works, railways, telephones, healthcare, and welfare. It also undertook initiatives to increase agricultural and forestry yields through technological improvements and educational services. It also enhanced the technological education necessary for Catalan industry.
The Commonwealth created or consolidated a number of cultural and scientific institutions with the goal of giving the language and culture a growing reputation. Among these institutions were the Institute of Catalan Studies, the Library of Catalonia, the Industrial School, the School of Fine Arts, the School of Business Studies, and the School of Labor. Prat also created the School of Local Administration, from which a body of Catalan officials emerged. One of the most transcendent aspects of the Commonwealth’s cultural work was its commitment to the work of Pompeu Fabra, who standardized the Catalan language.
The Regionalist League: Catalan Political Power
The first Catalan electoral victory brought together the four presidents who won, and they formed the League. Enric Prat de la Riba, through the magazine “The Voice of Catalonia”, set the doctrine and strategy of the party. Through Francesc Cambó and the earlier Catalan Solidarity movement, Catalonia began to have presence and importance in the Spanish courts.