RESTORATION AND THE GRADUAL MODERNISATION OF SPAIN
Reign of Alfonso XII
Bourbon Restoration
Crisis in the political system
Economic modernisation in Spain
Alfonso XII was crowned king
end of the First Republic + Restoring the monarchical system
2 political elements made the regime stable
Constitution of 1876
Turnismo
combined moderate elements with advanced elements of the democratic liberalism of 1869
Parliament
Sovereignty
Suffrage
Rights and freedoms
system introduced by Canovas del Castillo
Conservative and Liberal party
alternate their terms in power to avoid military uprisings
Religion
parliament and king
formed by an elected Congress and Senat
After 1890 universal manhood suffrage
many rights were declared, slow process
Catholicism was the official religion
other religions were permitted
public expressions of those religions were prohibited
Electoral manipulation was used to win elections, and the results were altered.
During the regency, the political regime began to show signs of crisis.
In November 1885, Alfonso XII died
His second wife, María Cristina, became the regent
regional problem
colonial problem
problem of popular representation
Catalan nationalism
Basque nationalism
electoral fraud
many citizens were not represented in Parliament.
1901, the Regionalist League of Cataluña was founded
1877, the first newspaper in Catalan was published.
Catalan nationalists wanted Cataluña to be recognised as a nation and to play an active role in Spanish politics
1894, Sabino Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party.
Basque nationalists wanted Basque national sovereignty.
due to the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam to US
A year later, the German-Spanish Treaty was signed
Spain ceded the Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands and Palau to Germany
These events became known as the Disaster of 1898 and triggered a national crisis
Regenerationism
by eliminating electoral fraud and promoting reform in the education system
The movement’s priorities were reflected in its slogan: ‘school and larder
a movement that sought to regenerate Spain’s socio-political situation
greatest supporters was Joaquín Costa
Demographic changes
high death rates because of wars, famines and epidemics of diseases
Because of these factors, life expectancy was very low, just 35 years in 1900
Agricultural changes
There was still inequality of land ownership
Caciquismo
Caciques were large landowners
They had economic power and a large social influence because they controlled employment contracts and municipal jobs
had armed followers who intimidated the population
rigged elections through turnismo
so that the results were favourable to their interest
Financial changes
1865, Banco de España was founded, many credit associations were established.
The Spanish tax system was unfair, penalising poorer people
The peseta became Spain’s official national currency in 1868
The labour movement
1879, Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was founded in Madrid by Pablo Iglesias
- He helped found the General Union of Workers (UGT)
employment legislation
recognition of trade union rights
compensation for victims of accidents in the workplace
protective laws on child labour
