Vergara Convention: Ending the First Carlist War
Vergara Convention
The Vergara Convention was an agreement between Espartero and Maroto, recognizing the jobs, degrees, and awards of the Army General Maroto. Those who signed were released to serve the Constitution of 1837, the throne of Elizabeth II, and the regency of her mother, or retire to their homes with weapons.
Key Figures
- Baldomero Espartero: (1793-1879), Spanish soldier and politician, ruler of the kingdom (1840-1843) and president of government (1837, 1840-1841, 1854-1856), central figure of Spanish political liberalism in the first half of the nineteenth century as the leader of the Progressive Party.
- Rafael Maroto: Lieutenant General leading the Carlist army, who fought for Carlos María Isidro, who claimed the throne from Portugal against his niece Elizabeth II.
- Regency: A position held by a person replacing another who cannot exercise the powers of a King or Queen due to their age. This occurred with Elizabeth II, whose position was occupied by her mother, Maria Cristina de Borbon, and Espartero until she was declared an adult and ascended the throne at thirteen.
The Agreement
The Convention was signed in Vergara, Guipúzcoa, in August 1839. Before this, near the end of the First Carlist War, the Carlists were divided into ultra-absolutists, who wanted to continue the war against the Elizabethans, and moderates, who sought a peaceful solution. Consequently, Don Carlos went into exile in France.
This peace agreement, symbolized by the embrace of Espartero and Maroto, included Carlist and Elizabethan soldiers. Senior officials and soldiers under Maroto could continue working for the army, serving the Constitution of 1837, defending the throne of Elizabeth II and the Regency of Maria Cristina, or retire to their homes. Generals who retired would receive a salary corresponding to their rank.
In summary, the agreement aimed to unite Spaniards and allow them to grow together despite differing ideologies that had led to war.
Carlism Explained
Carlism was a political movement with an anti-liberal and anti-revolutionary nature, i.e., absolutist, which attempted to restore the Old Regime by placing Carlos on the throne of Spain. This movement stemmed from a succession dispute over who should sit on the throne after the death of Ferdinand VII, between Carlos V and Ferdinand’s daughter, Elizabeth II. Carlos believed that the Salic law, which prevented Elizabeth II from reigning, had not been annulled, thus entitling him to the throne.
Carlist Principles:
- Absolutism
- Privileges of the nobility and clergy
- State interventionism in the economy
Liberal/Elizabethan Principles:
- National Sovereignty
- Equality before the law (abolition of estate society)
- Freedom of ownership and economic activity