SPAIN: THE BOURBON REFORMS AND THEIR LIMITS
POLITICAL REFORMS
THE WAR OF SUCCESSION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
FOREIGN POLICY
Hague Alliance
the Hispanic Monarchy a civil war broke out in 1705 between supporters of the Habsburgs and the Bourbons
Some European powers were suspicious of the power held by an alliance between the French and Spanish monarchies ruled by Bourbon kings
Felipe V had more supporters in the Crown of Castilla and the archduke in the Crown of Aragón
Felipe V was sworn in as king of the monarchy’s different kingdoms between 1701 and 1702
European war ended with the signing of the Peace of Utrecht in 1713
Carlos II chose the Bourbon prince as his heir
This treaty meant that Felipe V renounced his claim to the French throne and all commercial and territorial concessions to the Alliance powers
Carlos II of Habsburg died
there were two pretenders to the throne
archduke of Austria 
Prince Felipe of Bourbon
the emperor’s son Carlos of Habsburg
grandson of Louis XIV of France
declared war on France and on Felipe V
causing an international war to break out in 1701
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The Hispanic Monarchy lost its European territories, in exchange for being recognised as king of Spain and the Indies
TERRITORIAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE TREATIES OF UTRECHT AND RASTATT
The civil war lasted until 1715
Felipe V punished the territories of the Crown of Aragón as he believed they had betrayed him
He used the Nueva Planta decrees (1707, 1711 and 1715) to abolish the courts, fueros, diputaciones generales, customs and fiscal systems of the kingdoms of the Crown of Aragón
the civil and commercial law of Aragón, Cataluña and Mallorca was maintained
he invoked the right of conquest
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These were formed by ministers or secretarios de despacho
after the imposition of the Nueva Planta decrees
The old Habsburg model of government
the fueros, laws, institutions, tax regimes and customs of Navarra and the Basque provinces remained
FELIPE V (1683–1746)
In America
They needed the support of the elites
Regalist policies were carried out in the Church
Felipe V and his successors tried to turn the royal court into the single centre of political decision-making, although their actions were limited
The Count of Floridablanca
In the middle of the 18th century
persuaded the pope to dissolve the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1773
The Spanish Bourbons imposed a model of absolute monarchy inspired by the French absolutist system
It had been persecuted by the king for being anti-reformist
it began evolving towards the model of enlightened despotism
To ensure that decisions made in the royal court were effective in the monarchy’s territories, Felipe V needed the support of the elites
with councils and validos acting as prime ministers
was replaced by cabinets
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who were responsible for the main matters of government
the navy
the treasury
the state
the Aragonese institutions that had been abolished were mostly replaced by new ones
the viceroyalties of New Granada and Río de la Plata were created, and were segregated from that of Peru
a member of the Council of Castilla with Carlos III and a great defender of regalism
led the Spanish kings to ally themselves with France in what are known as ‘Family Compacts’
war ended
in addition to the British claims on the American dominions of the Hispanic Monarchy
Spain had to cede Florida to Great Britain
The dynastic affinity with the French Bourbons and the Atlantic expansion of Great Britain
SPANISH POSSESSIONS DURING THE REIGN OF CARLOS III
to take part in the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763)
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the Treaty of Paris confirmed British hegemony in the world
in exchange it received Louisiana from France