The Democratic Sexenio: Regency, Amadeo I, and First Republic
The Democratic Sexenio
The Regency of Serrano
During the prolonged crisis of Isabella II’s monarchy and amidst an economic downturn, Democrats, Progressives, and Republicans united in opposition. Their goal was to dethrone Isabella and convene a Constituent Assembly. The deaths of O’Donnell and Narváez left the Queen isolated. In September 1868, a military coup, backed by financial and industrial interests and led by Generals Prim and Serrano, along with Admiral Topete, took place. The Elizabethan army was defeated by peasant troops, forcing the Queen into exile.
A Provisional Government, headed by Serrano and composed of Unionist and Progressive generals, assumed power. News of the Glorious Revolution in Spain sparked uprisings in Cuba, leading to the War of Independence in 1869, known as the Grito de Yara. In the January 1869 elections for the Constituent Assembly, a majority favored a parliamentary monarchy, adhering to the principle of national sovereignty. The new constitution established a strict separation of powers, a detailed declaration of rights, state maintenance of the Catholic clergy, universal suffrage, and national sovereignty.
On June 15, General Serrano was appointed as the first president of the regency. The government then sought a sovereign in Europe, eventually finding Amadeo of Savoy, who was proclaimed King of Spain in 1870.
Reign of Amadeo I
Amadeo, a member of a royal family, was a stranger to Spain, unfamiliar with its language and customs. His arrival was overshadowed by the assassination of General Prim, his primary supporter. He was supported by Constitutionalists, Progressive Unionists, and moderate Republicans, but the Bourbon monarchists did not accept him. Key challenges during his reign included the resurgence of Carlism, the escalating Cuban War of Independence, and increased labor activism with strikes and land occupations. Amadeo abdicated on February 10, 1873.
The First Republic
The Congress of Deputies and the Senate, by a large majority, proclaimed the Republic, with Estanislao Figueras as president. The courts summoned constituents to develop a new constitution in line with the new form of state. During the mandate of his successor, Francisco Pi y Margall, the federalist Cantonal Revolution began. Cantons were established in some cities and provinces. On July 18, 1873, President Nicolás Salmerón resigned. His more conservative successor used the army against the cantonalists. Emilio Castelar attempted to lead the Republic prudently, prioritizing order, which led to the courts being suspended until January.
End of the Six-Year Period
Upon the resumption of court sittings in January 1874, the interim President was rejected. As members deliberated on the situation, a coup led by General Pavia disbanded the courts. Emilio Castelar resigned, and a national government led by General Serrano was named, ruling according to the 1869 constitution but with dictatorial powers under a republican regime. Cantonalism was suppressed, and the army acted against the Carlist uprising near Bilbao in 1874. The movement for the restoration of the monarchy developed around Alfonso XII, the son of Isabel II. In this context, General Arsenio Martínez Campos declared his support for the restoration in Sagunto on December 29, 1874.