First Spanish Republic

Quick Facts: Who was First Spanish Republic?

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First Spanish Republic

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The first republican government in Spain, existing from 1873 to 1874.

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Origins & Early Life

The Spanish Republic (Spanish: República española), historiographically referred to as the First Spanish Republic (Spanish: Primera República española), was the political regime that existed in Spain from 11 February 1873 to 29 December 1874. The Republic was founded after the abdication of King Amadeo on 10 February 1873. On the next day a republic was proclaimed by a parliamentary majority made up of radicals, republicans and democrats. The period was beset by tensions between federal republicans and unitary republicans. The period also saw the end of compulsory conscription, the regulation of child labor and the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The government inherited a state of war, the so-called Third Carlist War, ongoing since 1872, and the Ten Years' War in Cuba, ongoing since 1868, to which was added the Cantonal Rebellion in 1873. The January 1874 coup by General Manuel Pavía ousted the government, giving way to a military dictatorship under General Francisco Serrano. In December 1874, General Arsenio Martínez Campos proclaimed Alfonso XII king of Spain in Sagunto, bringing an end to the Republic and initiating the period of Spanish history known as the Bourbon Restoration. King Amadeo I abdicated from the Spanish throne on 11 February 1873. His decision was mainly due to the constant difficulties he had to face during his short tenure, such as the Ten Years' War, the outbreak of the Third Carlist War, the opposition from alfonsino monarchists, who hoped for the Bourbon Restoration in the person of Alfonso, son of Isabella II, the many republican insurrections, and the division among his own supporters.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Cortes Generales, which was assembled in a joint and permanent session of both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, declared themselves the National Assembly while waiting for any final notice from the King. The overwhelming majority was with the monarchists from the two dynastic parties that had exercised the government until then: the Radical Democratic Party of Manuel Ruiz Zorrilla and the Constitutional Party of Práxedes Mateo Sagasta. There also was a small republican minority in the National Assembly, ideologically divided between federalism and centralism. Federal Democratic Republican Party member Francisco Pi y Margall moved the following proposition: "The National Assembly assumes powers and declares the Republic as the form of government, leaving its organization to the Constituent Cortes" (which was to be convened). In his speech for the proposition (to which he was a signatory, along with Estanislao Figueras, Salmerón, and other opposition deputies), Pi y Margall—himself a federalist—renounced for the moment establishing a federal republic, hoping the Constituent Corte would decide the issue, and announced his acceptance of any other democratic decision.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1872: 1872 Milestone — The government inherited a state of war, the so-called Third Carlist War, ongoing since 1872, and the Ten Years' War in Cuba, ongoing since 1868, to which was added the Cantonal Rebellion in 1873.
2. 1873: 1873 Milestone — The Spanish Republic (Spanish: República española), historiographically referred to as the First Spanish Republic (Spanish: Primera República española), was the political regime that existed in Spain from 11 February 1873 to 29 December 1874.
3. 1874: 1874 Milestone — The January 1874 coup by General Manuel Pavía ousted the government, giving way to a military dictatorship under General Francisco Serrano.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: First Spanish Republic

True or False: “The First Spanish Republic was established immediately after King Amadeo I's abdication in February 1873.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The republic was proclaimed on the day following King Amadeo I's abdication from the throne.

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