Spain After the War: Centralization and Reform

The end of the War of the Spanish Succession led to a new organization of the monarchy in the defeated kingdoms, which had been part of the former Crown of Aragon. The abolition of their privileges was followed by the dismantling of their institutions and the establishment of an absolute, centralized monarchy. This new form of government was strongly articulated by the Nueva Planta decrees, which abolished the self-government of the kingdoms of Aragon, Valencia, and Mallorca, and the Principality of Catalonia.

In 1707, the first decree of Nueva Planta was issued, abolishing the privileges of Aragon and Valencia, both under military occupation after the Battle of Almansa. This imposed legislation and institutions closely resembling those of Castile. The second decree was issued in 1715 for the kingdom of Mallorca, although in this case, some of their traditional institutions were retained. In 1716, the third decree was issued for the Principality of Catalonia, eliminating its traditional governing institutions. Only the Basque Country and Navarre maintained their historic privileges as a reward for their loyalty to Philip V.

The organization of the territories under the Decrees of Nueva Planta followed, in general, the model of Castilian institutions with some French influences. The former viceroys were replaced by a Captain General who held both military and governmental functions. The Audiencias were in charge of judicial affairs, and the General Council of Masters. The Intendants, a figure of French origin, were primarily in charge of the economic affairs of the territory. New tax rates were introduced in all these territories, such as the “única contribución” in Aragon, the “equivalente” in Valencia, the “talla” in Mallorca, and the “catastro” in Catalonia. The uniform trend was also applied by requiring the use of Castilian in the new administration.

Centralization and Administrative Reform

The defining characteristic of government in 18th-century Spain was absolutism, which, from the reign of Ferdinand VI, can be described as enlightened. For enlightened politicians, the state should be the promoter of the changes needed to restore Spain’s power. The first characteristic of this period is major political centralization and the homogenization of institutions throughout the crown.

A number of Ministries, whose number varied over the century, were responsible for government affairs. The Cortes (parliaments) disappeared under the Nueva Planta decrees, with the exception of the Cortes of Castile, although legislative power shifted to institutions directly linked to the king. The Councils saw their influence limited to advisory functions in matters of minor importance, except for the Supreme Council of Castile, which continued to have a role in domestic policy matters and acted as a supreme court.

For municipal government, the office of Corregidor (mayor), appointed by the monarch and usually of military extraction, was established, as it already existed in Castile. The Corregidor appointed, from among the urban elites, the Regidores (councilors) who assisted in local government.

The Church also did not escape the monarchy’s desire for control. The monarchy attempted to minimize the temporal power of the Church as a way to strengthen its own power. This policy was reflected in the so-called regalías, or the imposition of royal authority in religious matters, especially evident from the reign of Charles III.

One of the pillars of the new monarchy’s policy was the reorganization of the Treasury. In this area, there was also a move towards centralization of tax collection and modernization of the system of quotas, but the changes were generally very limited, and the Treasury continued to suffer from its historical insecurity.