The Return of Fernando VII and the Absolutist Regime in Spain
The Return of Fernando VII and the Absolutist Regime in Spain (1814-1820)
Historical Context
Upon Fernando VII’s return to Spain in 1814 following the Napoleonic Wars, the nation erupted in enthusiastic celebration. However, the King’s intentions regarding the changes that had occurred during his absence quickly became clear. On May 4th, after being received by General Elio in Valencia, he issued a royal decree abolishing the Cortes of Cádiz, declaring all its actions void, and effectively abolishing the Constitution of 1812 and all laws passed by the legislative body.
On May 10th, the King entered Madrid, hailed by a populace who still viewed him as a savior. The absolutist nobility and clergy, who had presented the King with the reactionary “Manifesto of the Persians” in Valencia, strongly supported his actions. This document demanded a return to the Ancien Régime, effectively erasing the progress made since 1808. It asserted the unlimited power of the King, defended the alliance of the Church and the Crown, and called for unity among the privileged classes to prevent any changes to the social and political system. It also claimed the existence of a conspiracy involving liberals, Freemasons, and Francophiles seeking to overthrow the monarchy, advocating for their suppression by any means necessary.
The King’s Actions and Repression
Fernando VII’s initial actions aimed to satisfy the demands of his supporters. The May 4th decree eliminated national sovereignty and the institution that represented it, the constitutional Cortes. The Constitution of Cádiz and all related legislation were repealed. Measures such as the disentailment of Church lands, the beginnings of fiscal reform, and freedom of the press were canceled. The privileges of the nobility and the Church were restored, including the Tribunal of the Inquisition and the Mesta, and even the return of the Society of Jesus was permitted.
The immediate consequence of the coup was repression. Both Francophiles and liberals were arrested and tried, accused of treason and conspiracy against the King, respectively. The treatment of those who had collaborated with the French regime varied depending on their level of involvement. Some justified their actions by citing the perceived inevitability of French victory or invoking providential arguments. Their pleas for pardon (like those of Llorente, Félix Reinoso, and Bishop Amat) were ignored. Others, particularly those in political and military positions who had explicitly and publicly supported Joseph Bonaparte’s government (such as Azanza, Cabarrus, and Urquijo), faced harsher consequences.
Neither the uncompromising absolutists nor the liberals fared well. The liberals faced exile and confiscation of their property. Officials who had sworn allegiance to the new King to retain their positions received mixed treatment; most were spared from Fernando VII’s repressive measures.
Instability and Challenges
Fernando VII ruled through a succession of ministers, leading to persistent political instability. This was due to a lack of a consistent governing strategy and the inability of the King’s advisors to manage a country that could no longer be ruled as it had been in the past. The real power lay with the King’s inner circle, known as the “clique.” The result was six years of chaos, during which problems worsened, culminating in the successful military coup of 1820.
Several serious issues ultimately undermined the absolutist regime. Firstly, Europe experienced a drop in prices due to a series of good harvests. This impacted Spain, a country devastated by five years of war and struggling to rebuild, with a weak domestic market and trade crippled by the collapse of industrial production and the loss of colonial markets.
This coincided with factors that exacerbated the situation in rural areas: the return of property to the nobility and the Church, the revival of the Mesta, and the restoration of feudal rights. This heightened tensions in agricultural regions, triggering waves of protests. Discontent was not limited to the countryside. It spread among urban social groups due to political repression, economic collapse, the loss of colonial trade, and the resulting unemployment, affecting both the emerging bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
The army was a particularly sensitive institution. The government was unable to adequately reward the military after the war effort. The refusal to integrate guerrilla leaders into the regular army, delays in payment, poor living conditions in barracks, and, above all, the deployment of troops to the Americas to quell independence movements fueled widespread dissatisfaction.
However, the most significant problem was the financial collapse of the Fernandine state. The government’s annual income was 650 million reales, while the national debt stood at 12 billion reales. Experts recognized that the root of the problem was the exemption of most of the country’s land from taxation, but they repeatedly faced resistance from the clergy and nobility, who refused to pay taxes, enjoying the King’s support.
Conclusion
The return of Fernando VII marked a period of regression in Spain. His absolutist policies, coupled with economic hardship and social unrest, ultimately paved the way for the liberal revolution of 1820.