Key Figures in Spanish History: Dato, Iglesias, and More
Key Figures in Spanish History
Eduardo Dato (1856-1921)
Lawyer who devoted himself to conservative politics. He joined and was mayor of Madrid. His term coincided with World War I and the revolutionary crisis. After the government initiated social legislation, an attack ended his life.
Pablo Iglesias (1850-1925)
Began his political career in 1869 as a member of the AIT, participating as a delegate at the congress of Zaragoza. He fully immersed himself in the New Madrid Federation Marxist movement. In 1879, he founded the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and the UGT (General Union of Workers) in 1888. He worked in various labor publications and was jailed numerous times for his political and union activities. In the municipal elections of 1905, he was elected municipal councilor in Madrid, and in 1910, he became the first socialist deputy.
Alejandro Lerroux (1864-1949)
Began his political career through the press. He participated in the founding of the Republican Party and was elected deputy. He achieved various positions with the Republican-Socialist coalition, but clashed with several Catalan nationalists. He presided over several governments. The Strauss Affair scandal forced him to resign. He went into exile in Portugal and adopted a very conservative stance.
Maria Christina of Habsburg-Lorraine (1858-1929)
Daughter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of Austria and the second wife of Alfonso XII. Upon the death of the latter, she exercised the regency from 1885 to 1902. The Stability Pact of Pardo supported her mandate. Despite a lack of experience, her political performance was very good.
Antonio Maura (1853-1925)
Lawyer and conservative politician of the Liberal Party. He occupied some ministries. He faced them and integrated into the Conservative Party, serving as head of several governments. His legislative work was overshadowed by the tragic repression of the Tragic Week, which led the king to dismiss him. He returned to governing in concentration and, faced with the military, had to resign.
Enric Prat de la Riba (1870-1917)
Lawyer and politician of the modern Catalan nationalist movement. Founder and secretary of the Unió Catalanista. He collaborated with various periodicals. Elected deputy, he fought against the Law of Jurisdictions. He also dedicated himself to the research of the Catalan language.
Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870-1930)
Military officer who participated in conflicts in Morocco, Cuba, and the Philippines. He led the 1923 military coup that ended the Restoration system. His system was characterized by a populist image, a benign dictatorship, and restrictions on rights. Internal opposition undermined his position until the king dismissed him during a period of illness.
Count of Romanones (1863-1950)
Álvaro de Figueroa, a lawyer, devoted himself to business and politics within the Liberal Party. A representative of despotism, he held several positions. He advised the monarch’s departure, but his attitude was considered treason and he was sidelined.
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta (1825-1903)
An engineer, his political activism as a progressive brought him to be a deputy. He was sentenced to death, forcing him to go into exile. He was a minister in the government and chairman of the Council of Ministers. He accepted the political system of Cánovas and is considered the father of the Liberal Party. He suffered mergers and the humiliation of military defeat in the war in Cuba.