Comprehensive Summary of Spanish History and Canarian Content (1808-1931) for PAU 2025-2026

Fernando VII and the Construction of the Liberal State ($1808$-$1833$)

The year $1808$ marked a pivotal turning point in Spanish history with the commencement of the War of Independence against the Napoleonic Empire. This period began with the forced Abdications of Bayona and the subsequent popular uprising on the $2$nd of May. During the conflict, the collapse of traditional authority led to the emergence of local Juntas, eventually coalescing into the Junta Suprema Central. In the Canary Islands, this political reorganization resulted in the creation of the Junta Suprema de Canarias, an event that ignited the long-standing insular conflict known as the pleito insular.

The Spanish liberalism reached its first major milestone in $1812$ with the promulgation of the Constitution of Cádiz, popularly referred to as "La Pepa." As the first liberal constitution in Spanish history, it established several groundbreaking characteristics: the principle of national sovereignty, the division of powers, and the implementation of indirect universal male suffrage. Furthermore, it established unicameral Courts (Cortes), recognized fundamental individual rights, and decreed the formal abolition of the Ancien Régime (Antiguo Régimen).

The return of Fernando VII in $1814$ led to the issuance of the Manifesto of the Persas, which served as a justification for the restoration of absolutism. This initiated the Sexenio Absolutista, covering the years from $1814$ to $1820$. The absolutist hold was temporarily broken in $1820$ by the Pronunciamiento de Riego, which ushered in the Trienio Liberal ($1820$-$1823$). However, liberal progress was halted when the Cien Mil Hijos de San Luis intervened in $1823$ to restore absolute monarchical power. This final phase of Fernando's reign, the Década Ominosa ($1823$-$1833$), saw the issuance of the Pragmática Sanción in $1830$, which paved the way for female succession. Upon the death of Fernando VII in $1833$, the reign of Isabel II began, simultaneously sparking the rise of Carlism.

The Reign of Isabel II and Moderantism ($1833$-$1868$)

The early years of Isabel II's sovereignty were defined by the Regency of María Cristina and the outbreak of the First Carlist War ($1833$-$1840$). A significant economic and social shift occurred in $1836$ with the Desamortización de Mendizábal (Mendizábal Confiscation). The primary objectives of this measure were to provide essential financing for the Carlist War, significantly reduce the national debt, and create a new class of liberal property owners. In $1845$, a new Constitution was enacted, reflecting moderate liberal values. Its key characteristics included shared sovereignty between the Monarch and the Cortes, the implementation of censitary suffrage (limited to the wealthy), a high degree of centralism, and the establishment of the Catholic religion as the official state faith.

Institutional development continued with the creation of the Guardia Civil in $1844$. The political landscape was shaken in $1854$ by the Vicalvarada and the subsequent Manifiesto de Manzanares, which led to the Bienio Progresista ($1854$-$1856$). This brief progressive period was marked by the Desamortización de Madoz (Madoz Confiscation) in $1855$ and the enactment of the Ley General de Ferrocarriles (General Railway Law) in the same year. During this era, political life was dominated by three main parties: the Moderados led by Narváez, the Progresistas led by Espartero, and the Unión Liberal led by O'Donnell. The regime eventually collapsed following the Pacto de Ostende in $1866$ and the Revolution of $1868$, known as "La Gloriosa," which resulted in the exile of Isabel II.

The Democratic Sexennium ($1868$-$1874$)

Following the revolution, a Provisional Government was established in $1868$ under the leadership of Serrano and Prim. This government oversaw the creation of the Constitution of $1869$, which was characterized by its democratic nature. It enshrined national sovereignty, universal male suffrage, a broad spectrum of civil rights, religious freedom, and established a democratic monarchy. However, the new system faced immediate stability issues, starting with the assassination of General Prim in $1870$.

The reign of Amadeo I ($1871$-$1873$) proved to be short-lived and turbulent. The monarch faced insurmountable problems, including the Third Carlist War, opposition from republicans, and the ongoing conflict of the Cuban War. His abdication led to the proclamation of the First Republic in $1873$. The Republic was fraught with difficulties, including the cantonalist uprising, internal divisions, and ongoing wars. In $1874$, the coup of Pavía and the subsequent pronunciamiento by Martínez Campos signaled the end of the democratic experiment and the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration.

The Bourbon Restoration and the Canovist System ($1874$-$1902$)

The restoration system was the creation of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. It was architected to ensure stability through a series of mechanisms: bipartisanship between the Conservative Party (led by Cánovas) and the Liberal Party (led by Sagasta), a process known as turnismo (the peaceful alternation of power), and the widespread use of caciquismo and pucherazo (electoral fraud) to manage election results. The encasillado system ensured that the outcome of elections was determined before the voting took place, meaning the system was not a true democracy.

The legal framework for this era was the Constitution of $1876$. It emphasized shared sovereignty between the King and the Cortes, granting the monarch significant executive power. It maintained a centralist state structure and recognized the Catholic religion as the official state church. To guarantee the continuation of this system after Alfonso XII's death, the Pacto de El Pardo was signed in $1885$. A major legal shift occurred in $1890$ with the reintroduction of universal male suffrage, though the underlying system of electoral manipulation remained intact.

Peripheral Nationalisms in the $19$th and Early $20$th Centuries

During the late $19$th century, distinct nationalist movements began to emerge in the Spanish periphery. Catalan nationalism had its origins in the Renaixença cultural movement and gained significant support from the industrial bourgeoisie. Key milestones included the Bases de Manresa in $1892$ and the foundation of the Lliga Regionalista in $1901$, with Enric Prat de la Riba serving as a central figure. Basque nationalism was formalized in $1895$ with the foundation of the PNV (Partido Nacionalista Vasco) by Sabino Arana. Its ideology was defined by the defense of traditional fueros (local laws), fervent Catholicism, and a strong anti-Spanish sentiment.

In Galicia, the nationalist sentiment revitalized through the Rexurdimento, with figures like the poetess Rosalía de Castro playing a vital role in cultural identity. In the Canary Islands, Secundino Delgado emerged as a primary figure of Canarian nationalism; however, the movement initially possessed little political strength. The political focus in the islands remained largely preoccupied with the pleito insular, the historical rivalry and administrative conflict between the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

The Labor and Peasant Movement

The industrial and social changes of the century led to the first organized labor protests, which initially took the form of Ludismo (the destruction of machinery) and the creation of Sociedades de Socorro Mutuo (Mutual Aid Societies). Anarchism became a powerful force, especially in Catalonia and Andalusia. It was characterized by its rejection of the state, reliance on the general strike for political change, and the goal of collectivization. This culminated in the foundation of the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo) in $1910$. Radical anarchism also manifested through violent attacks against high-profile figures like Cánovas, Martínez Campos, and the bombing of the Liceo in Barcelona.

Simultaneously, socialism began to organize formally. The PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) was founded in $1879$, followed by the creation of its associated labor union, the UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores), in $1888$. Both organizations were founded by Pablo Iglesias Posse. The socialist movement defended Marxist principles, emphasized the importance of disciplined labor organization, and advocated for participation in the political system to achieve structural reforms for the working class.

The Crisis of $1898$ and Its Consequences

The year $1895$ saw the start of the Cuban War of Independence, which eventually escalated into a full-scale conflict with the United States in $1898$ following the explosion of the USS Maine. The subsequent defeat of Spain led to the Treaty of Paris in $1898$, through which Spain lost its remaining colonial possessions: Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The loss triggered a profound national identity crisis, leading to the rise of Regeneracionismo, an intellectual and political movement aimed at modernizing Spain's archaic structures. Joaquín Costa was a key figure in this movement.

Socially, the crisis fueled antimilitarism and bolstered both peripheral nationalisms and the organized labor movement. Culturally, this period saw the rise of the Generation of '98, including influential writers and thinkers such as Unamuno, Machado, and Baroja. In the Canary Islands, while the nation faced colonial loss, the local economy saw an expansion in the cultivation and export of bananas and tomatoes.

Spanish Industrialization and the Canarian Economy

Industrialization in Spain was a slow, late, and geographically unequal process. Development was concentrated in specific zones: the textile industry in Catalonia, the iron and steel industry (siderurgia) in the Basque Country, and coal mining in Asturias. Key legislative drivers included the Railway Law of $1855$ and the Mining Law of $1868$. However, the process faced significant hurdles, such as a lack of high-quality coal, an archaic agricultural sector that did not provide surplus labor or capital, poor communications across difficult terrain, and an overall scarcity of investment capital.

In the Canary Islands, industrialization remained very weak. The insular economy was fundamentally based on agrarian exports, specifically bananas and tomatoes. A defining moment for the islands was the Decree of Puertos Francos (Free Ports) in $1852$, which established a special tax regime to stimulate trade. This decree allowed the islands to capitalize on their strategic geographic position as a maritime hub.

Alfonso XIII and the Crisis of the Restoration ($1874$-$1923$)

The reign of Alfonso XIII began in $1902$, characterized by attempts at revisionismo político (political revisionism) led by Antonio Maura and José Canalejas. Maura introduced an electoral reform in $1907$ to try and clean up the system from within, while Canalejas implemented the Ley del Candado (Padlock Law) in $1910$ to limit the influence of religious orders. However, social tension erupted in $1909$ during the Semana Trágica (Tragic Week) in Barcelona, caused by the drafting of reservists for the unpopular War in Morocco.

In the Canary Islands, the Ley de Cabildos Insulares was enacted in $1912$, representing a crucial attempt to resolve the long-standing pleito insular by granting administrative power to each individual island. Despite these reforms, instability grew after the assassination of Canalejas in $1912$. Spain remained neutral during the First World War ($1914$-$1918$), which brought economic upheaval. By $1917$, the Restoration system faced a total crisis involving military, political, and social unrest that signaled the decline of the Canovist model.

The Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and the Second Republic ($1823$-$1931$)

The catastrophic Desastre de Annual in $1921$ further destabilized the state, leading to the coup d'état by Miguel Primo de Rivera in $1923$. Supported by Alfonso XIII, the army, and the bourgeoisie, Primo de Rivera established a Military Directorate (Directorio Militar). This regime suspended the Constitution, imposed strict censorship, and prohibited political parties. Success in the Morocco war came with the Desembarco de Alhucemas in $1925$, leading to the transition to a Civil Directorate (Directorio Civil). This phase was marked by the creation of the Unión Patriótica party, massive public works, and the establishment of state monopolies like CAMPSA and Telefónica. In $1927$, the definitive provincial division of the Canary Islands was established, splitting the region into the provinces of Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The global economic crisis of $1929$ undermined the dictatorship, leading to Primo de Rivera's resignation in $1930$. The subsequent Pacto de San Sebastián united republican forces. Following the municipal elections on April $12$, $1931$, the Second Republic was officially proclaimed on April $14$, $1931$, ending the Bourbon monarchy for the time being.

Essential Timeline for the PAU Examination

In the year $1808$, the War of Independence began. In $1812$, the Constitution of Cádiz was enacted. The year $1820$ saw the Pronunciamiento de Riego. The reign of Isabel II officially started in $1833$. The Mendizábal Confiscation occurred in $1836$. The Moderate Constitution was enacted in $1845$. The Free Ports (Puertos Francos) were established in the Canary Islands in $1852$. In $1855$, the Madoz Confiscation and the Railway Law were passed. The Glorious Revolution took place in $1868$. The Democratic Constitution was promulgated in $1869$. The First Republic was proclaimed in $1873$. The Bourbon Restoration began in $1874$. The Restoration Constitution was enacted in $1876$. The PNV was founded in $1895$. The Disaster of '$98$ occurred in $1898$. The Tragic Week in Barcelona happened in $1909$. The CNT was founded in $1910$. The Law of Insular Councils (Ley de Cabildos Insulares) in the Canary Islands was passed in $1912$. The total crisis of the Restoration system occurred in $1917$. The coup by Primo de Rivera took place in $1923$. The provincial division of the Canary Islands was finalized in $1927$. Finally, the Second Republic was proclaimed in $1931$.