Lecture 16: Spain at the beginning of the 19th century Flashcards
What caused the War of Spanish Succession? What was the result?
The death of the last Hasburg, King Charles II (died without an heir)
The House of Bourbon wins and gains control of Spain
- implements the Bourbon Reforms
What was the main objective of the Bourbon Reforms?
To recover Spanish hegemony through modernization of the state and its economy, centralization, and increase population and widen tax base
What were the characteristics of the Bourbon reforms?
- From a composite monarchy to a centralist state
- Enlightened despotism
- Unified Civil Code (suppression of fueros in Catalonia and Valencia)
- Unified internal market
- Expansion of fiscal base
- Expansion of agriculture/industralization
- Economic and population growth
- Creation of wider trade network with Spanish colonies
What were the three main limitations of the Bourbon reforms?
Geography of Spain
Structural limitations
Uneven regional development
Why did spain’s geographic limit the bourbon reforms?
Spain’s rugged landscape and mountains made transportation and communication difficult
What were the structural limitations of the Bourbon Reforms?
- Low population density limited economic activity
- Seigneurial regime resisted centralization
- Church properties deprived government of critical revenue
What was the division in economic development of Spain?
Mediterranean region: economically important but declining influence
North Atlantic region: less integrated in Spain
Central regions: relatively stagnant
What caused the fall of Charles IV?
The French Revolution (fears in Spain of revolutionary influence)
Colonial discontentment (as the colonies’ economy grew, the criollo elite became more unhappy with Spain)
Distrust in Manuel Godoy
What was the outcome of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805?
Important defeat of Spain (against Britain) that left Spanish possessions in America exposed
What was the Treaty of Fontainebleau?
Treaty signed in 1807 by Godoy and Napoleon that allowed for French troops to go through Spain to invade Portugal
However, Napoleon’s broader plan was to occupy Spain itself
What was the revolt of Aranjuez in 1808?
Ferdinand VII capitalized on the country’s hatred of Godoy to position himself as a popular alternative to his father Charles IV
The Revolt resulted in the capture of Godoy and Charles IV’s abdication of the crown to Ferdinand VII
How did Napoleon intervene in Spain in 1808?
- Coerces Charles IV and Ferdinand VII to abdicate their claims to the Spanish crown
- Installs his brother Bonaparte as King of Spain
- The French invasion is met with a lot of resistance, ultimately leading to the War of Spanish Independence (1808-1814)
Why did Napoleon invade Spain?
- Weakened military power
- An empire up for grabs
- Control of the Western Mediterranean
- New market for France
- Dislike for the bourbons
- Expected Spanish support since they did not like Charles IV
What is a Junta?
Self-governing body that opposed French invasion
What were the consequences of war for Spain?
- Lost most of its overseas empire
- Definitive end to its superpower status in Europe
- Significant loss of its industrial capacity and main markets
- Many military casualties
- High demographic loss
- Unparalleled level of violence
How did Goya shift the image of war depicted in paintings in the 19th century?
Goya’s painting Third of May (1808) as well as other paintings depicting the civil war changed the perception of war from something beautiful and heroic to ugly and horrible
When was the Cadiz Constitution implemented? What were its characteristics?
1812
liberalism, constitutional monarchy, catholicism
When did Ferdinand VII return and how did that change the political climate?
1814
Absolutist restoration
