Ferdinand VII’s Reign: Absolutism, Liberalism, and Succession
Ferdinand VII’s Reign (1808-1833): A Period of Turmoil
Phase 1: The Initial Years and War of Independence (1808-1814)
Ferdinand VII was proclaimed king during the Mutiny of Aranjuez, which forced his father, Charles IV, to abdicate in 1808. This period coincided with the War of Independence (1808-1814), where Ferdinand VII was a prisoner in France and held only nominal power.
Phase 2: The Absolutist Restoration (1814-1820)
- Navarra was reintegrated into the kingdom.
- The previous realistic policies were abandoned.
- Liberals were marginalized and persecuted.
- Several failed liberal military coups occurred, including that of Espoz y Mina in 1814.
- Ferdinand secretly joined the Holy Alliance in 1817, a pact among Restoration monarchs to suppress revolutionary movements.
- The insurgency in Latin America gained momentum.
- The military coup of 1820, led by Lt. Col. Riego, aimed to reinstate the Constitution of Cadiz.
Riego’s rebellion in Cabezas de San Juan (Seville) promised soldiers that the 1812 Constitution of Cadiz would appease the American colonies and end the war. However, the revolution was also intended to increase insurrection in America, to consolidate the power of the oligarchy by separatism.
Phase 3: The Constitutional or Liberal Triennium (1820-1823)
- The Constitution of Cadiz of 1812 was reinstated in 1820.
- Spanish Constitutional Liberalism was established, with a focus on centralism.
- Liberals were divided into factions.
- Royalist revolts emerged in Navarra, led by the Interim Board of the Kingdom of Navarre.
In 1821, royalist Catholics in Navarra took up arms, declaring their willingness to die defending God, the King, and their homeland. In Catalonia, the Regency of Urgel was established. The intervention of the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis marked the end of this period. Latin America began to crystallize towards independence.
One of the protagonists of the 1820 coup later acknowledged the limited popular support and the role of Freemasonry in their actions. The new government lacked broad support and relied on sectarian passions to maintain power.
Phase 4: The Ominous Decade (1823-1833)
- Absolutism was restored.
- The Constitution of Cadiz of 1812 and other liberal legislation were annulled.
- Navarra was once again united with the kingdom.
- The Inquisition, abolished in 1820, was not restored.
- Liberals were persecuted, and realists were marginalized.
- The plot of the moderates in 1826, led by Javier de Burgos, sought to integrate moderate liberals into the government.
- The War of the Malcontents (1827) occurred.
- Ferdinand VII’s fourth marriage to Maria Cristina de Borbon in 1829 resulted in two daughters: Isabel (1830) and Luisa Fernanda (1832).
The Succession Crisis
In 1830, Ferdinand VII signed the Pragmatic Sanction, changing the law of succession to favor his daughter, Isabel. The events of La Granja in 1832 saw the king, under pressure, revoke the Pragmatic Sanction, then reinstate it, ultimately naming his daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, as his successor. This decision, made without the approval of the Cortes, left the country on the brink of civil war.
The Queen, Maria Cristina de Borbon, reached a pact with the Liberals, supporting the succession of her daughter, which provided an opportunity to establish liberalism from above. This alliance between the Throne and the Revolution marked the introduction of liberalism during Ferdinand VII’s reign.
The expression “alliance of Throne and Altar” reflects the reality of some clergy forging pacts with revolutionary power. Many clergymen were members of the Cortes of Cadiz, which acted on behalf of the Sovereign People.
During the final year of Ferdinand VII’s reign, many officials and army officers with traditional ideas were dismissed, while liberals were granted amnesty to support the succession of Isabel. The events of La Granja in 1832 were a coup that aimed to secure the succession of Queen Elizabeth II and neutralize royalist opposition.