The Reign of Alfonso XIII: Modernization, Crisis, and Collapse of the Spanish Restoration
The Reign of Alfonso XIII: Modernization, Crisis, and Collapse
Overview
of the reign of Alfonso XIII. Attempts at modernization. The Regeneration. Crisis and collapse of the Restoration system. The War of Morocco.: Alfonso XIII in 1902 declared of age is what puts an end to the regency of Maria Cristina. Until then Canovist system had allowed a certain stability. However, during the reign of Alfonso XIII Spain lives in a state of permanent political crisis.
The death of Canovas (1897) and Sagasta (1903) led to shift matches to an internal struggle for the leadership he weakened his position, and facilitated the emergence of new parties (socialists, republicans and nationalists), outside the system turnista This system led to the depletion of Canova. A political crisis must be added the social climate of violence caused by fighting between non ¬ unions and employers and growing dissatisfaction in the military for the disaster of 98 and the failures of the war in Morocco, which many blamed military politicians.
Between 1902 and 1909 produced the first attempts of political revisionism, it was to change the system from above. The disaster of 98 had raised the voices of regeneration, as Joaquín Costa and Alba, who criticized the political system that badly treated and degenerate, and called for moral regeneration of political life, ending with the chieftaincy and electoral fraud . The assassination of Canovas Francisco Silvela left, defender of the revisionist views of the Conservative Party leader. Silvela formed several governments who tried to end the corruption of the system but failed to hit a lot of interests, even within his own party, and left politics in 1903 giving way to a new Conservative leader, Antonio Maura. Nor Maura better results, and even aggravated the crisis by its authoritarian spirit and refusal to leave the government with the Liberals, with the excuse that they had sided with Republicans to make the regeneration from the bottom.
The outbreak of the Tragic Week in Barcelona in 1909 accelerated the crisis. Since the conference en1906 Algeciras, Spain exercised a protectorate over northern Morocco. In 1909 some members of Kabylia (tribes) around Melilla workers attacked the Spanish companies and Maura decided to send troops. But instead of sending those located in Andalusia had used the occasion to test the plan of mobilization of reservists and ordered the incorporation of these in Madrid and Barcelona (July 10). In this situation the Socialists and Republicans promote joint action against reservists call for the campaign in Morocco (1903 y1904 reservists, who were working class because the wealthy replaced the service for a fee). The protests were ignored by the government of Maura and when the troops embarked incidents began in Barcelona (July 18).
Barcelona Furthermore organization Solidaridad Obrera, pseudo-anarchist character, made a call for general strike on 26 July which joined other labor organizations (UGT). Poor organization made the strike would be followed only in Barcelona. The governor declared a state of civil war and the violence is generalized escaped him from the hands of the organizers (to get the news on July 27 disaster Barranco del Lobo): barricades, overturning streetcars, burning of convents, clashes between police and strikers. For three days in the city, isolated from the outside, it prolonged the fighting in the streets until the situation gradually returned to normal. Over 100 killed, 300 wounded, nearly one hundred buildings destroyed, especially monasteries, and multiple damage was the balance of these three days.