Spanish Succession War & 18th Century Bourbon Reforms
The War of Spanish Succession and the Treaty of Utrecht
After the death of Charles II in 1700, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs, without an heir, two possible candidates emerged for the throne: Louis XIV of France and Charles of Austria. Louis XIV, as the primary claimant in the inheritance of Charles II, passed the crown to his grandson, Philip of Bourbon, who was crowned Philip V in 1701. This year marked the beginning of the War of Spanish Succession, which lasted until 1714 and had two facets.
On one hand, it was an international conflict. Spain and France joined forces to fight against Austria, England, Portugal, and the Netherlands, who opposed the coronation of Philip V. France, at this point, held hegemonic power, and having Spain under its crown would grant it even more power. On the other hand, there were internal, civil conflicts within Spain. Castile supported Philip V, while Aragon favored Archduke Charles of Austria, as there was a positive image of the Habsburgs in the region. Philip V represented the French centralist model, and the war was slightly more favorable to him. An example of this is the Battle of Almansa, where troops led by the Duke of Berwick defeated those of Charles of Austria.
In 1713, Charles of Austria was elected Holy Roman Emperor, becoming Charles VI. The international war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht, where Philip V was recognized as the King of Spain, with the prohibition of the union of the French and Spanish thrones. Spain compensated the Allies with territories, giving Austria European lands and ceding Menorca (which was not recovered until 1802) and Gibraltar, two major military bases, to England.
The treaty did not immediately end the civil war. Catalonia refused to recognize Philip V, fearing that its privileges would be removed, as had happened in Valencia and Aragon. This confrontation ended with the capture of Barcelona in 1714. The last place to resist was Mallorca. The civil war finally concluded with the Treaty of Rastatt, signed in 1715.
Dynastic Change in the 18th Century: Internal Reforms
With the arrival of the Bourbons to the Spanish crown, a series of internal reforms were carried out, including the Nueva Planta decrees. These were a series of laws that abolished the privileges of the Crown of Aragon and the institutions of each kingdom, such as the Corts (parliaments). There were three separate decrees for Aragon, Valencia, and Catalonia. This was a punishment for the opposition these regions had shown towards Philip V.
In other territories, such as Navarre and the Basque Country, some regional laws (fueros) and institutions were maintained.
A true political unification of Spain occurred. Since the Catholic Monarchs, there had only been dynastic rule. All territories now followed the model of Castile. Philip V was the first who could truly be called the King of Spain.
A new structure of state administration was established, dividing the kingdom into CapitanÃas Generales (precursors to the modern autonomous communities). These were vast territories ruled by a Captain General, a representative of the king with both political and military power. Each CapitanÃa was divided into Ayuntamientos (municipalities, similar to provinces). At the head of each Ayuntamiento was the Corregidor, who dealt with economic aspects. Audiencias, courts of justice, were created, initiating the configuration of the judicial division and the state structure. The image of the Alcalde (mayor) was enhanced, becoming present in all localities.
This new structure reinforced Bourbon absolutism. The Consejos (councils) were relied upon less, and although they continued to exist, they held less importance. There was only one Cortes, the Spanish parliament, which met only once per reign to swear in the Prince of Asturias.
Secretarios (equivalent to ministers) of war, finance, etc., appeared. Under Charles III, the figure of the Prime Minister was created, with the Count of Floridablanca being a notable example.
Philip V introduced the Salic Law, which excluded women from the throne. While a king’s daughter could not inherit the throne, her son could.