Spain Under Ferdinand VII: A Clash of Ideologies
Ferdinand VII’s Reign: Absolutism vs. Liberalism
The reign of Ferdinand VII (1814-1833) was marked by a constant confrontation between absolutists and liberals. The king tried to maintain absolutism, but this was impossible due to fiscal problems, the independence of the colonies, and the liberal evolution of Europe from 1830. His son’s death without issue opened a conflict between the heiress Isabel and his brother Charles, which led to the First Carlist War and the final victory of liberalism.
The Absolutist Sexenio (1814-1820)
A) International Situation: Favorable due to the Restoration, Napoleon’s defeat, the Congress of Vienna, and the formation of the Holy Alliance.
B) Internal Crisis:
- Economic ruin due to the war, high death toll (255,000 to 275,000 in a population of 11 million), paralysis of trade and agriculture, and issues for the Royal Treasury.
- Conflict in the American Colonies.
C) Social Problems: During the War of Independence, peasants had failed to pay the gentry. Now, there was an outcry when attempting to reimpose old taxes.
D) Changes in the Army: The army was transformed by the war, with guerrilla leaders becoming officers. Many of these people, by their origin, were liberal and opposed the king, organizing pronouncements.
The Trienio Liberal (1820-1823)
A) Riego’s Pronouncement: In January 1820, Ferdinand VII was forced to swear to the Constitution of Cádiz.
B) The Liberals in Government:
- Reinstatement of the laws of Cádiz: freedom of trade and industry, abolition of guilds, abolition of primogeniture, confiscation of monasteries, selection of municipalities, and the National Militia.
- Division between moderate and impassioned liberals.
C) The Opposition:
- The King paralyzed laws through vetoes.
- Opposition from the nobility and the Church: In 1822, absolutist armed bands appeared in Catalonia, Navarra, Maestrazgo, and Galicia, which led to the appointment of a regency in Urgel.
- Peasant discontent: Liberals had not granted them access to land. New short-term contracts were a risk, and payments were monetized, making it difficult for them to get good prices.
- In April 1823, the intervention of the Hundred Thousand Sons of St. Louis, a French army, restored Ferdinand VII as King, commissioned by the Holy Alliance.
The Ominous Decade (1823-1833)
A) Repression against liberals: Initial and ongoing repression of Riego, Maria Pineda, and Torrijos.
B) Final Loss of American Colonies: All American colonies were lost except Cuba and Puerto Rico.
C) Royal Treasury Problems: The huge decline in revenue due to the loss of the colonies required economic and fiscal reform. This led to seeking collaboration with the more moderate sector of the financial and industrial bourgeoisie, protective tariffs, and the ministry of López Ballesteros. They also sought loans from international financial circles.
D) Growing mistrust between the most absolute sectors and supporters of the old regime: They believed the liberals were too soft on these new contacts and for failing to reestablish the Inquisition. This led to the 1827 uprising in Catalonia and the formation of a group around his brother Carlos Maria Isidro at the Court.
Dynastic Conflict
A) In 1830, Elizabeth II was born. The Salic law was repealed through the Pragmatic Sanction.
B) Absolutists opposed this, supporting Ferdinand’s brother and Isabel’s uncle, Carlos Maria Isidro. This led to the rise of Carlism.
C) Ferdinand VII died in 1833, appointing his daughter Elizabeth as his successor and his wife Maria Luisa as regent. The Carlist (absolutist) faction did not accept this. Maria Cristina had to seek support in areas not absolutely consistent. Spain lost the American colonies and was no longer a great power. The rule demonstrated the impossibility of absolutism and the Old Regime. The conflict left open the possibility of civil war, the First Carlist War, which was a clash between liberals and absolutists.