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The restoration and the gradual modernisation of Spain - Coggle Diagram
The restoration and the gradual modernisation of Spain
The reign of Alfonso XII: stability of the regime
Constitution of 1876
Sovereignty
It was in the hands of the parliament and king
Parliament
Formed by an elected Congress and Senate
The Senate was formed by right, by royal appointment and elected
Suffrage
Not regulated by the constitution
Governments were allowed to choose the system used
Rights and freedoms
Many rights were declared,
Freedom of expression, association
Religion
Catholicism was the official religion
Turnismo
System introduced by conservative politician Canovas del Castillo
Conservative Party and the Liberal Party alternate their power to avoid military uprisings
Corrupt alternation of parties in power, the government or king decided whose turn it was to govern
Conservative Party
Founded by Canovas del Castillo
Moderate politicians
Supporters: aristocracy, wealthiest bourgeoisie and traditional middle classes
Liberal Party
Founded by Sagasta
Inherited the ideology of the Sexenio Revolucionario
Supporters: members of the progressive and regionalist middle class
The regency of Maria Cristina: crisis of the political system
Problem of popular representation
Universal manhood suffrage was introduced in 1890, was still electoral fraud
Differences between official Spain (the Parliament) and real Spain became more pronounced
Many citizens were not represented in Parliament
Regional problem
Different political movements emerged, dissatisfied with the uniform centralism of moderate liberalism and that demanded regional identity
Sectors of the Catalan and Basque nationalist movements began to state their proposals
Catalan nationalism
First newspaper in Catalan began to be published
Regionalist League of Cataluña was founded
Catalan nationalists wanted Cataluña to be recognised as a nation and to play an active role in Spanish politics
Basque nationalism
Sabino Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque nationalists wanted Basque national sovereignty
The colonial problem
Last decades of the 19th century, Cuba made constant demands for greater political and commercial autonomy
There were also uprisings in the Philippines.
United States intervened in the conflict between Cuban independence fighters and the Spanish army in 1898
In the Treaty of Paris Spain lost all his colonies
Disaster of 1898: Spain’s colonial losses were a major blow to Spanish morale
Gradual economic modernisation in Spain
Demographic changes and their economic repercusions
Spain’s population grew less than those of other European countries, high death rates
Caciquismo
Caciques were large landowners
Economic power, they had a large social influence because they controlled employment contracts and municipal jobs
They often had armed followers who intimidated the population
They rigged elections through turnismo, so that the results were favourable to their interests
Financial changes
For the economy to grow, financial institutions that could provide capital and loans to businesses were required
Banco de España was founded, and many credit associations were established
Most of these were founded using foreign capital
Large investments in industry and the railway network could be made thanks to these organisations
Little tax was collected and the Spanish tax system was unfair, penalising poorer people
Throughout the 19th century, laws were passed to standardise weights, measurements and coins. The peseta became Spain’s official national currency in 1868
Social changes
Ruling high class
Richest members of society, landowning aristocracy of the Old Regime and high bourgeoisie
Held the nation’s political power, they formed the elite of the Moderate and Conservative parties during the Restoration
Middle class
Political participation was restricted based on income until 1890, when censitary suffrage ended and universal manhood suffrage was introduced.
Upper middle class
Liberal professionals, high-level civil servants, and those with mid-level ecclesiastical and military positions
Because of their high income, they were able to have homes with servants, and enjoyed good food and cultural events
Their political views were normally moderate
Lower middle class
Owners of workshops and shops
They had progressive political views
The labour movement
Spanish Regional Federation of the International Workingmen’s Association was created, with more than 30,000 members in Cataluña, the Levante and Andalucía
The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), a Marxist party, was founded in Madrid by the printer Pablo Iglesias in 1879
He also helped found the socialist General Union of Workers (UGT) in 1888
In the last quarter of the 19th century, wages increased slightly, but the main achievements by the labour movement were changes to employment legislation
