The Glorious Revolution and First Spanish Democracy (1868-1874)
The Glorious Revolution
The Six-Year Period in Spain (1868-1874) was a time of significant political change. The term ‘canton’ refers to a territorial and administrative division characterized by a substantial degree of political autonomy.
The press of the time lampooned the political situation during the Spanish administration.
C. Constitution promulgated between 1808 and 1874.
A. Included progressives, led by General Prim; the Liberal Union, led by General Serrano; Republicans; and Democrats. In September 1868, a finding by the navy at Cadiz spread throughout the country. The queen was exiled and abdicated in favor of her son, Alfonso de Borbón.
First Spanish Democracy
The Six-Year Period’s political history is divided into several periods:
- Revolutionary and constituent (September 1868-March 1869). The Constitution was adopted in 1869, establishing universal male suffrage. One of the most contentious issues was the definition of the form of government, finally choosing a monarchy.
- The search for a king (April 1869-December 1870). While Serrano held the regency, Prim took the executive power. The most difficult problem was the election of a new king. After several unsuccessful candidates, Amadeo of Savoy was chosen at the urging of Prim, but the general was killed before the king arrived in Madrid.
- Amadeo I’s Reign (January 1871-February 1873). Without Prim, the reign began with serious difficulties. The Constitutionalists (Sagasta) and the Radicals (Ruiz Zorrilla) were divided. In the opposing camp, Carlists and Republicans joined to overthrow the king. The beginning of the Third Carlist War in 1872 aggravated the situation. In February 1873, the king abdicated and left Spain.
- The First Republic (February 1873-January 1874). The First Republic was proclaimed, and a constitution was drafted but never promulgated. The Cuban War and the Carlist War were ongoing, and a cantonal revolt in the south and east increased social unrest.
- The Authoritarian Republic (January-December 1874). In January, a coup dissolved the Cortes, and Serrano exercised authoritarian power. The cantonal insurrection was suppressed, though the Cuban and Carlist wars continued. At the year’s end, a pronouncement proclaimed the restoration of the Bourbons.
New Political Currents: The Labor Movement
Despite its brevity, the Six-Year Period was key for the modernization process. The freedoms enshrined in the Constitution of 1869 allowed the entry of new political and intellectual currents.
Democratic and republican currents developed. The latter was divided into several trends: the supporters of a unitary state (Castelar) and those who preferred a federal republic (Pi i Margall).
During the Six-Year Period, the labor movement also began to organize. In 1870, the Spanish Regional Federation was created, forming part of the First International (AIT). In 1872, when the split occurred in the AIT between the supporters of Marx and Bakunin, the Spanish delegation was overwhelmingly composed of anarchists, followers of Bakunin.
The apolitical stance of the anarchists delayed the founding of a labor party in Spain. However, since 1872, Lafargue, Marx’s son-in-law, founded a Marxist group in Madrid, which would become the germ of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party).
Intellectual Renewal
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, political persecutions and crackdowns had driven many intellectuals and artists into exile. Great figures like Moratín and Goya died in exile.
The reign of Elizabeth II had not been particularly brilliant from a cultural standpoint. In literature, there was a late reception of Romanticism, with notable authors like Espronceda, C. Zorrilla, Bécquer, and Rosalía de Castro. But from the standpoint of philosophical and scientific progress, Spain lagged behind.
The atmosphere of freedom during the Six-Year Period fostered the entry of new ideas: books were translated, and Darwinism and positivism were introduced. It also began a period of splendor in literature, which dates to the appearance of Trafalgar (1873), the first of Galdós’s National Episodes.
However, this intellectual flowering did not affect more than a small elite. The rate of illiteracy was among the highest in Europe: by 1875, 75% of the population could not read.
Federal State: A state formed by diverse regions or states in which regional powers are largely free.