Key Events: French Revolution to Spanish Restoration
Key Historical Events: French Revolution to Spanish Restoration
Inventors included mechanical planter Mac Cornick, Jethro Tull (inventor of the seed drill), and some years later, the threshing machine. James Watt invented the steam engine, Robert Stephenson the locomotive in 1769, and Robert Fulton the steamboat. Abraham Darby was the first to cast iron with coke, and Henry Cort discovered and developed the processes of puddling and rolling iron.
The Phases of the French Revolution
- The Constituent Assembly (1789-1791)
- The Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)
- Reign of Terror – The Convention (1792-1795)
- Directory (1795 – 1799)
- Consulate (1799 to 1804)
Napoleon’s coup in 1799 began a new period of the French Revolution: Consulate (1799 to 1804). His party controlled the executive and the legislature, and signed the Concordat with the Vatican (1801). He was appointed Consul for life with unlimited powers in 1802. As his reputation grew and his power increased, in 1804, the Senate gave him the title of Emperor of the French by popular vote. His legislative work highlights the Civil Code (1804), known as the Napoleonic Code. Napoleon supported the idea of a Europe under a single command. His decline began after 1812 with defeats in Spain and Russia, which led to his exile on the island of Elba. He escaped, landed in France, and regained power with the Empire of the Hundred Days, finally being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo (1815). He was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821.
The Reign of Ferdinand VII (1814-1833)
Ferdinand VII came to power in 1814 and remained king until 1833. His reign had several phases:
- Absolutist Six-year period (1814-1820): The absolutist restoration after the war was very harsh and dismantled the work of the Cortes of Cadiz.
- Liberal Triennium (1820-1823): The army repeatedly pronounced, and the Irrigation triumph restored the Constitution of Cadiz.
- Ominous Decade (1823-1833): Absolute rule was restored by invading armies, and the King unleashed savage repression. In response, liberal and conservative revolts succeeded one another.
Regencies of Mª. Cristina and Espartero (1833-43)
On the death of Ferdinand VII, Queen Maria Cristina acted as regent for her underage daughter Isabella until 1840, when she was obliged to give power to General Espartero.
Reign of Isabel II (1843-68)
Under Queen Isabel II, the moderates led by Narváez and O’Donnell alternated in power. The moderate decade was between 1844-54, and Espartero had promesitas during the 1854-56 biennium. The progressive reign began with the constitution of 1845.
The Revolutionary Six Years (1868-1874)
This period of Spanish history began with the triumph of the revolution of September 1868 (the Glorious Revolution) until the pronouncement of December 1874.
Causes of the Spanish Revolution
Spain experienced a political and economic crisis in the later years of Isabel II’s reign, including a severe economic crisis in 1866 affecting financial, industrial, and land sectors.
Phases
- Sexenio or moderate stage was led by General Prim and enacted a very liberal constitution in 1869.
- Phase radically starring the First Republic that was developed between 1873 and 1874.
Restoration (1874-1902)
In 1874, Alfonso XII, son of Queen Isabella II and Francis of Assisi, came to power.
Cánovas del Castillo was the architect of the return of Alfonso XII to Spain. The system devised by Cánovas provided a bipartisan system between conservatives led by himself and the Liberals led by Sagasta, whose alternation was agreed upon outside of elections. Alfonso XII married twice: first to Maria Mercedes on January 23, 1878, who died of typhus a few months later, and second to Maria Cristina of Austria on November 29, 1879. King Alfonso XIII of Spain (1886-1941) was born after his father died; his widow Maria Cristina was regent until he reached the age of majority in 1902.
Impressionist painters: Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley. Neo-Impressionism (Pointillism): Seurat, Signac. Post-Impressionism: van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne.