The Peaceful Shift and the Disaster of 1898 in Spain

Posted on Oct 23, 2024 in History

The Peaceful Shift: Cánovas and Sagasta

Cánovas del Castillo, influenced by the British parliamentary system, established political stability with two major royalist parties alternating in power. With Sagasta’s support, these formations consolidated into two main parties:

  1. Conservative Party: Led by Cánovas, it included former moderate liberals and the Unionists.
  2. Liberal Party: Headed by Sagasta, it united the old progressives and democratic republicans.

These parties were known as:

  1. Dynastic Parties: Both defended the Savoy Monarchy.
  2. Government Parties: They were the only parties forming governments during the Restoration.
  3. Turn-Taking Parties: They alternated in power.

Cánovas and Sagasta devised a system of peaceful transfer of power, preventing continuous rule by a single force and ensuring transitions weren’t determined solely by elections. When a government faced difficulties, the King appointed the opposition leader as Prime Minister. To secure parliamentary support, the King dissolved parliament, and the new government called elections, which they were expected to win, leading to frequent electoral manipulation.

Periods of the Restoration (1875-1902)

Between 1875 and 1902, the Conservative Party, often with Cánovas as Prime Minister, and the Liberal Party, usually with Sagasta, alternated in power. The following periods are distinguished:

  1. Reign of Alfonso XII (1875-1885):
    1. 1875-1881: Initial Conservative Governments (Cánovas): Marked by a restrictive interpretation of rights and freedoms, including reduced voting rights.
    2. 1881-1885: Beginning of the Turn-Taking System: Sagasta became Prime Minister in 1881, initiating a more open approach with a new press law and legalizing Republican opposition activity. Internal divisions and social unrest led to Cánovas’ return in 1884. The Pact of El Pardo ensured the peaceful continuation of the turn-taking system.
  2. Regency of Maria Cristina (1885-1902):
    1. 1885-1890: Sagasta’s Reforms: The Liberal government implemented reforms reflecting the 1868 revolution, including the Law of Associations, trial by jury, abolition of slavery, and universal male suffrage for those over 25.
    2. 1890-1902: Systematic Turn-Taking: Both leaders alternated in power, but challenges increased with regionalist and nationalist movements, social conflicts, strikes, anarchist attacks, and Cánovas’ assassination in 1897.

The Disaster of 1898 and the End of Alfonso XIII’s Reign

The Disaster of 1898

The main crisis during Maria Cristina’s regency was the insurrection in Cuba and the Philippines. Unfulfilled promises of autonomy and protectionist economic policies strained relations between Spain and Cuba, hindering trade with the US.

The uprising in the Philippines, initially suppressed, was reignited with US support. The Spanish army, ill-equipped and underprepared, faced insurgents backed by an expansionist US seeking to displace Spain from the Caribbean and Pacific.

The sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor triggered a media frenzy, blaming Spain and providing a pretext for the US to declare war. The Spanish-American War was short, resulting in a US victory and the Treaty of Paris. Spain ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the US in exchange for financial compensation.

The defeat and loss of the last colonies, known as the Disaster of 1898, had a profound impact on Spanish public opinion.