Spain’s Restoration (1874-1902): Constitution, Politics, and Power
The Spanish Restoration (1874-1902)
The Constitution of 1876
The Constituent Assembly, elected through universal male suffrage to ensure representation from all parties, was tasked with developing a new constitution for Spain. After extensive debate, the constitution was adopted on February 15, 1876. Promulgated in June 1876 by Alonso Martínez, the constitution originated from a draft developed by a 600-member committee appointed by Cánovas del Castillo from previous legislatures. A 39-member committee, chaired by Alonso Martínez, finalized the wording. The text was approved with minimal changes by the Constituent Assembly.
Key Features of the 1876 Constitution:
- Longevity: Remained in force until 1923, repealed by the Second Republic in 1931.
- Conservative Ideology: Reflected the doctrinaire conservative ideology established in 1845.
- Shared Sovereignty: Power shared between the King and the Cortes (Parliament).
- Bicameral Legislature: Cortes divided into two chambers.
- Crown’s Power of Dissolution: The King held the power to dissolve the Cortes.
- Centralized Power: Reduced autonomy of municipalities and provincial councils.
- Hereditary Monarchy: Established a hereditary monarchy.
- Census Suffrage: Voting based on the 1890 census.
Monarchical Dynastic Parties
The Conservative Party, led by Cánovas del Castillo, and the Liberal Party, led by Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, supported Alfonso XII. Both parties aimed to balance political freedom with social order, seeking to modernize Spain. Their social base included landed oligarchies, industrialists, financiers, the urban upper-middle class, and high-ranking military officers.
The Conservative Party
Cánovas, admiring the British monarchy, sought to establish a similar model in Spain with the 1876 Constitution. Key figures included Francisco Silvela and Cánovas himself, representing the moderate bourgeoisie and Andalusian landowners. Their main propaganda tool was the newspaper El Tiempo, which promoted their pragmatic ideals: census-based suffrage, Catholicism, and the abolition of civil marriage.
The Liberal Party
Sagasta, a liberal who participated in the revolutions of 1868 and 1874, transformed the constitutional party through mergers, incorporating progressive, democratic, and republican ideas. He integrated military figures like Martínez Campos and Jovellar. The Liberal Party advocated for universal male suffrage, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, contrasting with the Conservatives.
Oligarchy and Despotism
The Restoration political system involved Cánovas and Sagasta being summoned by the King to form governments, with the primary goal of securing electoral victory for their respective parties. Influential figures in each province manipulated election results with the aid of local bosses, or caciques, who exerted control over rural populations through patronage and economic dependence.
Throughout this period, the army played a significant role in politics, while the King reigned but did not govern.
The Restoration Period
The Restoration refers to the late 19th-century period marked by the return of the Bourbon monarchy to Spain after their expulsion in the 1868 revolution. This era saw the development of the bourgeois state and the rise of the bourgeoisie as a class in Spain.
Stages of the Restoration
- Reign of Alfonso XII (1874-1885): Included a government under Serrano and two governments during Alfonso XII’s reign.
- Regency of Maria Christina of Austria (1885-1902): Following Alfonso XII’s death, the regency began, marked by the Pacto del Pardo, an agreement between Cánovas and Sagasta to ensure a smooth transition of power between their parties in times of political crisis, solidifying the two-party system.
Cánovas and the 1876 Constitution
Between January 1, 1875, and February 15, 1876, Cánovas led the government of Alfonso XII and oversaw the drafting of the new constitution.