Spanish Restoration: Politics, Society, and Constitution of 1876
The Restoration in Spain (1874-1931)
Home of the Restoration
In 1874, Pavia dissolved the courts, and Cánovas del Castillo, the architect of the Restoration, prepared for Alfonso XII’s manifesto from Sandhurst (see Activity). Martínez Campos launched a coup (without Cánovas’ consent) in Sagunto, proclaiming Alfonso XII. Cánovas rallied behind Alfonso XII. The Third Carlist War ended in the north in 1876, and the Cuban War of Independence concluded in 1878 with the Peace of Zanjón. Cánovas then set out to impose his system. (More info)
Bipartisanship
Cánovas, an admirer of the English model, imposed a two-party system. These two parties would peacefully alternate in power, forming one of the foundations of the system. This bipartisanship would guarantee democratic forms and prevent the crown from being identified with a single party. Changes would occur peacefully through prior agreement between the parties. The king would appoint a new president of the government, and elections would be held immediately, which the new party in power would inevitably win due to electoral manipulation. This system faced a crisis with the Tragic Week of 1909 and its full collapse is still debated, although currently, there seems to be an attempt by the PP and PSOE to maintain a similar dynamic, challenged by the presence of IU and, above all, nationalist movements.
Constitution of 1876
The Constitution of 1876 represented a continuation of 19th-century Spanish constitutionalism, with an eclectic and synthetic approach, drawing principles from the constitutions of 1837, 1845, and 1869. It became highly significant as the most enduring constitution in Spanish history, lasting from 1876 to 1931.
Features of the Constitution of 1876
Features | |||
Shared Sovereignty. Strong power of the king. | Two chambers. Senate with life-appointed members (major contributors). | Importance of executive power, vested in the king and the government, legislative power in the courts and the king. | Freedoms and rights similar to the 1869 Constitution, but implementation deferred to later laws that restricted them, especially freedom of the press. Confessional state, but with respect for other religions. |
The Constitution was conservative, eclectic, and contributed to the stability characteristic of the period. |
Electoral Manipulation
The system was rife with electoral fraud. Officials were replaced months before elections, ensuring the party organizing the elections always won. Census manipulation included excluding unfavorable voters or using the names of deceased individuals. Physical and economic coercion was common. Scrutiny, theft, disruption, destruction, or falsification of records occurred. Polling stations were strategically placed, and local clocks were manipulated. Jobs were promised in city hall or agriculture. Lawsuits and bureaucratic processes were expedited for supporters. Friends were exempted from military service through simulated disabilities or payment. Ballot boxes were tampered with, and election results were altered. Control of the city council, through the mayor, allowed for manipulation of administrative processes, favoring supporters and hindering opponents. Employment for agricultural laborers and farm leases were granted, contributions or municipal taxes were distributed, favoring loyalists and punishing opponents. The “power brokers” of the village, including the mayor, priest, teacher, judge, and Civil Guard, all answered to the ruling party.
The Two Main Parties
IV.1. The Conservative Party or Alfonsine Party (Cánovas) | IV.2. The Liberal Party or Fusionist Party |
Heir to the Moderate Party and the right wing of the Liberal Union. | Heir to the Progressive Party, the left wing of the Liberal Union, and the Democratic Liberal Party. |
Social base: upper class, aristocracy, army, landowners, and officials. Stronghold in southern Spain. | Social base: middle bourgeoisie, merchants, industrialists, urban middle class. |
Leaders: Cánovas del Castillo, Silvela, Dato, Maura, Romero Robledo. | Leaders: Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, Martínez Campos, Pavia, Canalejas, Camacho. |
Ideology: census suffrage, order and repression, limited freedoms and rights, traditionalism, and centralism. | Ideology: universal suffrage, greater freedoms, trial by jury, less centralized and clerical. |
Legislation: Reform of the legal framework, limitations on the system of freedoms of the Constitution (censorship, limitations on freedom of assembly, census-based vote of 1881), protective tariff of 1891. | Legislation: Laws of association, assembly, academic freedom, universal suffrage (imposed in 1890), Civil Code. |
Conclusions
The Restoration was one of the longest and most stable political periods in Spanish history. Cánovas successfully integrated the two major parties and established civilian leadership. During the first stage of the Restoration, until 1898, the pact between the two parties dominated the Spanish political scene. However, this pact only benefited the oligarchic classes. The system had its flaws: it excluded the petty bourgeoisie and the proletariat, failed to address the issue of abolished privileges, did not understand nationalism, and could not comprehend the colonial problem.