Ramón María Narváez

Baldomero Espartero has proven a disappointment to the radical progresistas, who now ally with his conservative opponents under his military and political rival, Ramón María Narváez.

In a pronunciamiento led by Generals Narváez, Juan Prim and Francisco Serrano, an alliance of Moderates, Progressives, and Republicans moves against Espartero.

Narváez, representing the new alliance, seizes Madrid on July 15, obliging Espartero to flee to England.

Narváez is asked to form a government under Isabella II, who, thirteen years old on October 10, 1843, is declared of age, and Narváez becomes Lieutenant General of the Kingdom, inaugurating what will be known as the Moderate Era.

Queen Maria Cristina returns to the Spanish throne, but Ramón María Narváez jettisons his progresista allies through a court intrigue and remains virtual dictator.

Ramón María Narváez's Spanish government falls in early 1846, but he returns to power in October 1847.

The Second Carlist War (1846–1849)

The Second Carlist War, a brief but intense civil conflict, continued through 1847, primarily fought in Catalonia by Carlists under General Ramón Cabrera against the forces of Queen Isabella II. Over time, the conflict spread to Galicia, further straining the Spanish government.

Though framed as a means to facilitate the marriage of Isabella II to the Carlist pretender, Carlos, Count of Montemolín, the war was ultimately a continuation of the deep political and ideological divisions that had fueled the First Carlist War (1833–1840). The proposed marriage, supported by both the moderate party and the Carlists, never materialized, as Isabella instead married Francis of Assisi of Bourbon.

Despite being labeled a "war," the conflict remained relatively limited in scale, with some historians questioning the appropriateness of the term. Its significance, however, was heightened by its coincidence with the democratic Revolutions of 1848, during which María Cristina revoked the Constitution of Narváez, further fueling political instability.

Meanwhile, Ramón María Narváez, the former strongman of Isabella’s regime, led the counteroffensive against the Carlist revolt in Galicia, while ...

In June 1849, the Spanish Crown granted amnesty to the defeated Carlists, allowing many exiled supporters to return. Though the war had failed to restore Carlist rule, it reaffirmed the continuing struggle between absolutist and constitutional forces in Spain, setting the stage for future conflicts.

Ramón María Narváez, whose significant achievements in his third ministry are the suppression of a new Carlist revolt and the completion of numerous public works, announces his retirement in January 1851.

Federico Roncali, the Spanish government's next president, governs briefly.

The army, dissatisfied with Roncali a few months later, persuades the queen to oust him, replacing him with General Francisco Lersundi.

The cortes, which by now are unsatisfied with the army's intervening in government affairs, arrange for Luis José Sartorius, the Count of San Luis, to be named president of the government.

Sartorius—who had gained power only by betraying Luis González Bravo and following the fortunes of General Narváez—is notorious for falsifying election results in favor of his co-conspirators and himself.

His appointment as President of the Government draws violent agitation from the liberal wing of the Spanish government.

Ramón María Narváez and his fellow generals have dominated Spain's domestic politics as representatives of the moderados between 1844 and 1854.

Their administrative, educational, and financial measures and the formation of the Civil Guard are lasting achievements; however, the generals cannot stabilize their rule on the basis of their constitution of 1845, a conservative revision of 1837.

The period is disturbed by a series of progresista military risings.

To the left of the progresistas, who are prepared to accept the monarchy if it gives them office, a Democratic Party has developed; it is prepared to dethrone Isabella II.

Never strong in numbers outside the towns, the Democrats have radicalized politics.

Orthodox progresista politicians are embarrassed by their extremist attitudes but cannot neglect their potential role as urban revolutionaries.

It is discontented generals, however, who successfully revolt in June 1854, led by General Leopoldo O'Donnell, a Moderate who espouses liberal sentiments.

The rebellious military oligarchs are prepared to sacrifice the dynasty because the queen and her mother favor a rigid court conservatism that effectively excludes them from influence.

The Spanish fleet seizes the lightly defended Chincha Islands, the principal source of Peruvian guano, on April 14, 1864, as a retaliation for the indemnity that Peru is refusing to pay.

Here, the Spaniards place the Peruvian governor Ramón Valle Riestra under arrest aboard the Resolución, occupy the islands with four hundred Spanish marines, and raise the Spanish flag.

Spain considers these islands an important bargaining tool, because they are a major source of resources for Peru and produce almost sixty percent of all governmental revenue.

The Spanish squadron also blockades the principal Peruvian ports, disrupting commerce and fostering a high level of resentment in all Latin America.

Spain's progressive politicians, who had feared losing their left wing to the Democrats, are now excluded from power by the government of Isabella II.

The queen had taken a more active role in government after coming of age, but she is immensely unpopular throughout her reign.

She is viewed as beholden to whoever is closest to her at court, and the people of Spain believe hat she cares little for them.

As a result, there had been a fourth bourgeois revolutionary insurrection in 1854, led by General Domingo Dulce y Garay and General Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jarris.

Their coup had overthrown the dictatorship of Luis Jose Sartorius, 1st Count of San Luis.

As the result of the popular insurrection, the Partido Progresista (Progressive Party) had obtained widespread support in Spain and had come to power in the government in 1854.

In 1856, Isabella had attempted to form the Union Liberal Party, a pan-national coalition under the leadership of Leopoldo O'Donnell, who had already marched on Madrid that year and deposed another Espartero ministry.

Isabella's plan had failed and cost Isabella more prestige and favor with the people.

In 1860, Isabella launched a successful war against Morocco, waged by generals O'Donnell and Juan Prim y Prats, that had stabilized her popularity in Spain.

Prim, (a pharmacist's grandson and a striking example of the social mobility of the liberal army) had been the only member of the Progressive Party elected to the Cortes in 1857.

He had distinguished himself in the war between Spain and Morocco (1859-60) and in 1861 had been appointed to command the joint English, French, and Spanish expedition to Mexico.

Upon his return to Spain, Prim had resumed his political career and, as one of the leaders of the Progressive Party, opposes Isabella.

When Isabella's court ministers alienate Prime Minister O'Donnell's followers, a powerful coalition forms, and Prim drops his alliance with the Democrats.

General Ramón María Narváez, supported by reactionaries, returns briefly as premier.