Spanish–Moroccan War Spanish–Moro conflict
96-566: Third Carlist War Spanish–American War Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete (18 February 1839 – 3 April 1909) was a Spanish Navy officer and politician who served in a number of high-ranking positions within the Navy and fought in several wars during the 19th century. Having served in Morocco , the Philippines , and Cuba , he went on to serve as Minister of the Navy , Chief of Staff of
192-570: A betrayal of Spain and blamed him for the country's defeat in the war and the loss of its island territories in the Treaty of Paris of 1898. He continued to be active in politics for another four years. Mateo Sagasta's ministry lost a vote in the Cortes on 2 December 1902, he handed in his resignation to the King on the following day, and formally resigned on 10 December 1902. Mateo Sagasta died just
288-590: A critical blow on the government by laying siege to the important city of Bilbao . At the same time, a strong Carlist force was ordered to Gipuzkoa to secure the region, which it finally did after capturing Tolosa on February 28. The siege of Bilbao would last from February 21, 1874, until May 2, 1874, and was the turning point of the Third Carlist war in the Basque Provinces and Navarre , with brutal fighting between both sides for possession of
384-719: A loan of 100 million francs, signed in September 1872, six months after the outbreak of the Third Carlist War. However, in February 1873, after the abdication of Amadeo I , the First Spanish Republic was proclaimed, prompting the collapse of political and economic relations between France and the new Spanish republic. The Rothschilds and Ignacio Bauer came back to Spain in November 1873. They found
480-592: A male heir, the succession was disputed, despite the abrogation of the Salic law in 1830. As the new queen Isabel was only a child, her mother, Maria Cristina , became regent until Isabel was ready to reign in her own right. Because conservatives backed Carlos , Maria Cristina was forced to side with the Liberals, who sympathized with the ideals of the French Revolution . Liberals were well-represented in
576-650: A mention in the official report on the battle. Afterwards, Cervera took part in expeditions mapping the hundreds of islands of the Philippine archipelago, which became useful to sailors navigating the area. In 1865 he returned to the Spanish homeland and got married. Due to the political instability that persisted in Spain since Napoleon 's invasion, Cervera took part in putting down the Cantonal rebellion during one of
672-515: A more complex array of political goals and tensions. Prior to the war, the Spanish government struggled to balance its finances. The Treasury's leeway in 1871 was virtually non-existent. It was unable to buy gold or silver to earn solvency because it would require further loan requests from international financiers, either the House of Rothschild or Paribas . Under Amadeo I, the Treasury received
768-512: A new king resulted in the coronation of the Italian prince Amadeo I , who was supported by the moderate liberals. However, this decision was not welcomed by the Carlists, who elevated their leader Carlos VII to the position of claimant to replace the foreign king. Once again, Spain appeared to be on the brink of another fight for the crown between two declared enemies, but was actually hiding
864-672: A new loan of 143,876,515 pesetas. 72.34% of the loan was provided by the Rothschild's Houses of Paris and London, for which Alphonse Rothschild and his Spanish agent Ignacio Bauer were awarded the Great Cross of Charles III. However, the loan only briefly patched the financial gaps. Soon, the Treasury required another loan to cover the staggering public debt. Successive Spanish governments during La Gloriosa attempted to combat financial woes by making new loan requests to pay back existing debt, accepting ever-higher interest rates. At
960-495: A result, the Carlists in the Basque Provinces were left disorganized for nearly the rest of the year. The Battle of Orokieta threatened to end the Third Carlist war almost as soon as it began. The government's victory at Orokieta was a huge setback for the Carlists, but the war was not yet ended. Following their defeat at Orokieta, Carlists from Biscay , under the leadership of Fausto de Urquizu, Juan E. de Orúe and Antonio de Arguinzóniz, laid down their arms and surrendered, signing
1056-517: A scheme to marry Isabel II with the Carlist claimant, Carlos Luis de Borbón . Fighting was concentrated in the mountains of South Catalonia and Teruel until 1849. The context was an agricultural and industrial crisis that hit Catalonia in 1846, together with unpopular taxes and military service laws introduced by the government of Ramon Maria Narvaez . Another critical factor was the presence of lingering trabucaires , or Carlist fighters, from
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#17327833478411152-602: A series of regime changes in Spain, beginning with the declaration of the First Spanish Republic after the abdication of Amadeo I in February 1873. Over one year later, in December 1874, a military coup installed a new Bourbon monarch, Alfonso XII , marking the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain. After four years of war, on 28 February 1876, Carlos VII was defeated, and went into exile in France. On
1248-676: A setback in the Basque Provinces, they were far from beaten and still posed a serious threat to the government. Furthermore, the arrangement signed in Amorebieta was rejected by both sides; Serrano was forced to leave his post, while Carlists denounced those who surrendered as traitors. Meanwhile, in Catalonia , the uprising started earlier than Carlos VII had expected. Seventy men led by Joan Castell revolted and started raising supporters to form new war parties. The command post
1344-618: Is named after the infant Carlos Maria Isidro (1788–1855), count of Molina and Ferdinand's brother. The pragmatic sanction , published by Ferdinand in 1830, abolished the Salic Law , allowing women to be queens of Spain in their own right. This meant that Isabel , Ferdinand's daughter, became heir instead of Carlos , his brother. Carlos almost instantly became a cause around which Spain's conservative groups could unite. The anti-liberalism of authors such as Fernando de Zeballos , Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro and Francisco Alvarado during
1440-522: The Bidasoa river into France for exile, but Carlists in Catalonia and Aragon continued fighting until July 1840, when they escaped to France led by the Carlist general Ramón Cabrera . Prominent figures emerged on both sides during the war. On the Liberal side, Baldomero Espartero rose to prominence and replaced Maria Cristina as regent in 1840, although his subsequent unpopularity meant that he
1536-471: The Carlist pretender, Carlos VII , tried to earn the support of various Spanish regions by promising to reintroduce various area-specific customs and laws. The Carlists proclaimed the restoration of Catalan , Valencian and Aragonese fueros (charters) which had been abolished at the beginning of the 18th century by King Philip V in his unilateral Nueva Planta decrees . The call for rebellion made by
1632-607: The Carlist Wars . He later commanded the schooner Circe and the corvette Santa Lucia back in the Philippines, where Cervera again took part in operations against insurgents. In 1876 the Spanish captain was appointed as the Governor of Jolo , although he later contracted malaria because of the conditions there and barely survived, returning to Madrid to report on the conditions in the Philippines shortly after that at
1728-530: The Castilla la Vieja , Aragon and Catalonia , where Carlist armies and guerrillas operated until the end of the war. Expeditions outside these areas resulted in limited success. The Basque Country was subdued on August 31, 1839, with the Convenio de Vergara and Abrazo de Vergara signed between the Liberal general Baldomero Espartero and the Carlist general Rafael Maroto . Carlos, the pretender, crossed
1824-628: The Catholic Church and the nobility. Many nobles and Church lost real estate, which in turn was sold to high-ranking Liberals, contributing to unrest among those two important parts of Spanish society. However, the Church and the nobility were not the only important groups to feel threatened by the advance of new bourgeois liberalism—in both its economic and political forms. The drive for Spanish centralization (a rising Spanish nationalism ) collided with long-running sources of authority other than
1920-667: The Conservative leader Antonio Cánovas . He was known as an excellent orator. Mateo Sagasta was born on 21 July 1825 at Torrecilla en Cameros , province of Logroño , Spain . As a member of the Progressive Party while a student at the Civil Engineering School of Madrid in 1848, Sagasta was the only one in the school who refused to sign a letter supporting Queen Isabel II . After his studies, he took an active role in government. Sagasta served in
2016-517: The Conveno de Amorebieta with General Serrano in exchange for a general indult and the possibility of escaping to France or of being incorporated into the national army. However, in other areas of Spain , such as in Castile , Navarre , Catalonia , Aragon and Gipuzkoa , Carlist parties remained active, engaging government forces in heavy fighting across the area. Though the Carlists suffered
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#17327833478412112-559: The Ejército Real de Cataluña , or the Royal Army of Catalonia. However, Carlist failures in the rest of Spain, in addition to the campaign conducted by government commander Manuel Gutiérrez de la Concha to weaken the Carlist presence in Catalonia during fall 1848, condemned the Carlist cause to failure. In January 1849, the Liberal army in Catalonia numbered 50,000, while the Carlist army numbered only 26,000. The detention of
2208-855: The First Carlist War who had neither surrendered to the government nor fled to exile. Those circumstances resulted in the creation of the first Carlist parties in 1846, usually consisting of no more than 500 men and always directed by a cabecilla , or chief, often a veteran from the first war. These groups attacked politicians and military units. As 1847 ended with an escalation of fighting, Carlists, backed by progressives and republicans, gathered 4,000 men in Catalonia . In 1848, Carlists rose up in many parts of Spain, especially in Catalonia , Navarre , Gipuzkoa , Burgos , Maestrat , Aragon , Extremadura and Castille . The uprisings failed in almost all parts of Spain except for Catalonia and Maestrat , where Ramón Cabrera arrived in mid-1848 to create
2304-639: The Infanta Maria Teresa was Admiral Cervera. That afternoon, he made it onto the USS Iowa , where he and the other Spanish officers met with Captain Robley D. Evans and formally surrendered to them. Afterwards, Cervera and the rest of the captured prisoners were sent to Annapolis , where they were free to roam the U.S. Naval Academy and were greeted with cheers by Americans. The New York Times reported that he appeared to be "much affected by
2400-585: The Infante Alfonso to take command in December 1872 strengthened the Carlist cause, but the work of other Carlist leaders such as Marco de Bello, who added more men to the cause by organizing several Carlist battalions and the Compañias del Pilar in Aragon , was also valuable. The first major encounter between the opposing armies was at Alpens on July 9, when a government column, led by Jose Cabrinety,
2496-684: The Spanish Cortes between 1854–1857 and 1858–1863. In 1866 he went into exile in France after a failed coup. After the Spanish Revolution of 1868 , he returned to Spain to take part in the newly created provisional government. He served as Prime Minister of Spain during the Spanish–American War of 1898 when Spain lost its remaining colonies. Mateo Sagasta agreed to an autonomous constitution for both Cuba and Puerto Rico . Mateo Sagasta's political opponents saw his action as
2592-537: The ancien regime in Spain. Mistrust and rivalry among members of the royal family also enlarged the conflict. The three Carlist wars were started for diverse reasons: the establishment of the Pragmatic Sanction of Ferdinand VII caused the First Carlist War , the inability to find a compromise led to the Second Carlist War , and the proclamation of a foreign king as Spanish monarch sparked
2688-561: The 1820s was a precursor to the Carlist movement. Another important aspect of the Carlist ideology was its defense of the Catholic Church and its institutions, including the Inquisition and the special tributary laws, against the comparatively more liberal crown. The Carlists identified themselves with Spanish military traditions, adopting the Burgundian cross of the 16th- and 17th-century tercios . This nostalgia for Spain 's past
2784-570: The Caribbean and slipped past American ships to enter the harbor Santiago de Cuba on May 19, despite several mishaps and having difficulties finding a port to refuel on coal, as most of the European countries with possessions in the Caribbean remained officially neutral. His total force included the cruisers Infanta Maria Teresa , Vizcaya , Almirante Oquendo , and Cristóbal Colón , along with two destroyers. The U.S. remained unaware of
2880-465: The Carlist banner, forming regular infantry, cavalry and artillery units. The real strength of these forces, however, was questionable due to the lack of military training and discipline among the volunteers. Carlist forces lacked a defined supply line, resulting in a constant lack of horses, ammunition, and weapons. The weapons they actually received were often obsolete. Finally, Carlist forces were severely limited in mobility because they were unable to use
2976-461: The Carlist commander in Somorrostro, had 17,000 men able to repel the attack. After three days of heavy fighting around Carlist positions, government forces were driven back. The siege was finally lifted with a renewed offensive on May 1, which succeeded in turning the Carlist flank, forcing them to retreat. Serrano entered Bilbao the next day. By the time government forces liberated Bilbao ,
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3072-429: The Carlist emphasis on guerilla warfare restricted the fighting to specific areas of Spain, limiting the Carlist range of action. Regardless, the suppression of Carlist guerrillas was a hazardous and costly task that required enormous amounts of manpower and resources that, in the first stages of the war, the Liberals were unable to provide. Only with the stabilization of the government under King Alfonso XII in 1874, were
3168-509: The Carlist pretender, Carlos VI , on the frontier when he was attempting to enter Spain put an end to the uprising in April 1849. Outnumbered, without a leader and having failed to achieve a victory in all fronts, Ramón Cabrera and the Carlists in Catalonia fled to France in April and May 1849. Later, an amnesty announced by the government convinced some to return to Spain, but most stayed in exile. Amidst opposing political ideals in Spain,
3264-554: The Carlists was echoed in Catalonia and especially in the Basque region ( Gipuzkoa , Álava , Biscay and Navarre ), where the Carlists managed to erect a temporary state. During the war, Carlist forces occupied several inland Spanish towns, the most important ones being La Seu d'Urgell and Estella in Navarre . They also laid siege to the cities of Bilbao and San Sebastián , but failed to seize them. The Third Carlist War saw
3360-417: The Carlists will be a great victory for the government... [However,] it would be a better victory to discard all this cancer of financiers that devour the country. That does not seem very probable though, and soon there will be no wealth in Spain. It is not really in our interest to associate with this looting more or less legal. The most important fronts of the war were the Basque Provinces and Navarre and
3456-565: The Commander-in-Chief of the Carlist forces in the Basque Country . A new date was established for another uprising, which would start on December 18, 1872. With the intention of supporting the uprising, small cadres of trained officers entered Spain to create a Carlist Army in November 1872. New war parties were raised during this period, such as the one famously led by priest Manuel Santa Cruz . The second Carlist uprising
3552-622: The Eastern Front ( Valencia , Alicante , Maestrat , Catalonia ). Other minor fronts included Albacete , Cuenca , and Castilla La Mancha As in previous Carlist Wars , the Carlists focused on raising war parties commanded by provisional commanders. These war parties would carry out irregular warfare, focusing on guerrilla or partisan activities, attacking telegram posts, railways, outposts using hit and run tactics. The Carlists tried to avoid large cities such as Bilbao or San Sebastian , because they were not powerful enough to commit to
3648-635: The Ebro river. The unilateral decision was regarded as a hostile government move by the Basque people, precipitating a general uprising in the Basque Provinces and Navarre in support of the traditionalist Carlists, resulting in the First Carlist War. The resulting success allowed Carlists to gain control of the countryside, although cities like Bilbao , San Sebastián , Pamplona and Vitoria-Gasteiz stayed in Liberal hands. The insurrection spread to
3744-429: The Liberals able to start turning the tide of the war in their favor. The Carlists' plans called for a general uprising across Spain , hoping to gain recruits among the least content groups of the Spanish population. On April 20 Carlos VII , the Carlist pretender, appointed General Rada as the commander-in-chief of what would become the Carlist army. After this, plans for a general uprising were established, and April 21
3840-438: The Liberals' superior training, equipment and leadership would prove decisive. These advantages included the control of the railway system, which enabled the transport of troops and supplies from one critical sector to another within days, the experienced troops and officers of the regular Spanish army, the support of large cities such as Bilbao , and superior weapons and manpower. These advantages were, however, somewhat negated by
3936-716: The Navy , naval attaché in London , the captain of several warships, and most notably, commander of the Cuba Squadron during the Spanish–American War . Although he believed that the Spanish Navy was suffering from multiple problems and that there was no chance for victory over the United States Navy , Cervera took command of the squadron and fought in a last stand during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba , where he
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4032-574: The Spanish centralist constitution based in Madrid. Institutions specific to certain territories, such as the fueros of the Basque Country, were removed by the liberal 1812 Constitution proclaimed in Cádiz, but were largely restored on the installation of Ferdinand VII of Spain to the Spanish throne in 1814. The conflict over home rule in the Basque Country (Basque Provinces and Navarre)
4128-574: The Spanish Navy at the request of the Queen Regent. Around that time multiple politicians wanted Cervera to become the Minister of the Navy, but he continued to resist because he detested politics. Finally, in 1892, Prime Minister Práxedes Mateo Sagasta asked the Queen Regent to compel him to accept the position of naval minister in his government. She did so, and Cervera reluctantly accepted, being promoted to Contraalmirante ( rear admiral ). But
4224-546: The Spanish squadron's whereabouts for another several days, prior to it being discovered on May 28 or 29 at Santiago harbor by the Flying Squadron under Commodore Winfield Scott Schley . On May 31, the two sides exchanged fire, between the Cristóbal Colón and three American vessels ( USS Iowa , Massachusetts , and New Orleans ). After some time, Cervera ordered his squadron's cruiser to return to
4320-425: The Third Carlist War. Some contemporary authors described the Third Carlist War as deadly, especially for civilians on the sidelines of the conflict. The bell rings to the dead across the heroic town of Igualada ...Horrible details...People [killed] by bayonets, burned houses, factories attacked at dawn, robberies, rap[es], insults... About the Carlists' entrance on Vendrell thousands atrocities are told, done by
4416-458: The admiral's flagship raised a white flag on the beach, the remaining two cruisers – Vizcaya and Colón – were pursued, with the former being destroyed around 11:00 while the latter made it fifty miles from Santiago before being grounded on a beach. After that, the American ships began rescue operations for the Spanish sailors of the destroyed squadron, and among those captured from the wreck of
4512-472: The authorities in Madrid against taking such an action, but Blanco settled the matter with his order. They formally departed on July 3. The U.S. fleet sounded the alarm at 9:31 in the morning on July 3. The approaching Spanish ships, with Cervera's flagship Infanta Maria Teresa leading the way, opened fire and engaged the U.S. fleet. They headed west while remaining near the coastline. The American battleships and cruisers pursued them as they made their way along
4608-457: The battles of Mañeru and Montejurra led to the victory of Belabieta near Villabona in Gipuzkoa , reaffirming the Carlist cause in the surrounding areas, and strengthening their army and morale. Unlike the situation in the Basque Provinces and Navarre , the Carlist cause in Catalonia , Aragon , Maestrat and Valencia had been successful since the initial uprising in 1872. The arrival of
4704-420: The city began the same day, with Carlist artillery opening fire from their positions in the hills near Bilbao . The initial objectives were civilian structures such as food stores, bakeries and markets which provided food to the besieged citizens. Trying to undermine the determination and willingness of the citizens to resist, the Carlists continued with the bombardment until mid-April, when the attempts of lifting
4800-485: The city on the brink of surrender of starvation due to food shortages caused by the Carlist siege. Pr%C3%A1xedes Mateo Sagasta Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar (21 July 1825 – 5 January 1903) was a Spanish civil engineer and politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party —as part of the turno pacifico , alternating with
4896-620: The city. The Carlist siege of Bilbao began on February 21, 1874, with the entrenchment of the Carlists in the hills around Bilbao , and the cutting-off of the government supply line and communications along the Ibaizabal River. Carlist besiegers, led by Joaquin Elio and Carlos VII himself, numbered around 12,000 men, and faced 1,200 government forces in addition to citizens of Bilbao recruited to serve as auxiliaries. Bombardment of
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#17327833478414992-487: The coast as the Spanish admiral's flagship sustained heavy damage from them. With their engines damaged, Cervera decided to ground the Infanta Maria Teresa , which they did at 10:15 am. Around 10:20, the Almirante Oquendo was forced out of action with heavy damage and grounded. The two destroyers, Plutón and Furor , put up a fight before also the former ran aground and the latter was sunk by 10:30 am. As
5088-417: The collier's crew was alive and safe. It was an act that impressed his American opponents and Sampson later noted that the affair "gave us a favorable impression of the Spanish officers." The fleet remained mostly inactive in harbor for the next month until July 2, when Ramón Blanco , the military governor of Cuba, gave orders for a sortie against the American blockade. Earlier, Admiral Cervera had argued with
5184-488: The command of Dorregaray and Rada won an important victory at Eraul (Navarre), inflicting heavy casualties on a government army led by General Navarro, taking many prisoners. Three months later, Carlos VII entered the Basque Provinces , and in August, Carlist forces captured the city of Estella , establishing their capital and a provisional government under the leadership of Carlos VII . The Carlist advance continued with
5280-639: The command of generals Tristany, Savalls and Castells), Castile , Galicia , Aragon , Navarre , Gipuzkoa ,... Arriving from France on May 2, Carlos VII himself crossed the Bidasoa River from France into Spain, and took command of his forces in Orokieta. However, a quick counterattack of 1,000 government troops led by General Moriones assaulted the Carlist camp in Orokieta during the night of May 4, forcing Carlos VII to retreat to France . Fifty Carlists were killed and over 700 were taken prisoner. As
5376-400: The constant political unrest during the reign of Isabel II , caused by numerous changes in government and the discontent of army officers sent to fight the unsuccessful Hispano-Moroccan War , convinced many traditionalists to favor an armed uprising to restore their lost privileges. After Isabel II was overthrown in 1868 by the generals Prim , Topete and Serrano , the resulting search for
5472-669: The early part of the Ten Years' War ) and also Morocco (during the Spanish–Moroccan war ). Later, Cervera was deployed to the Spanish Philippines , where, under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez , in September 1864 he took part in the storming of Fort Pagalungan against the Moro rebels. During that action, he distinguished himself by capturing the enemy flag and was promoted to lieutenant for his service, receiving
5568-414: The entrance. However, it came under fire from the defenders and was forced aground, at which point the Spanish admiral personally met with its American crewmen, who were taken prisoner. "¡Bien, muy bien! ¡Sois unos valientes! ¡Os felicito!" "Good, very good! You are brave! I congratulate you!" Cervera later sent his chief of staff under a flag of truce to give a note to Admiral Sampson informing him that
5664-409: The fight, Weyler was able to emerge victorious by leading an effective counter-attack which routed Carlist forces. 1874 would be the turning point of the war in this region, marking the limit of the Carlist advance with the failure of the siege of Bilbao and the battles near Estella . Carlists, encouraged by their recent successes and the instability of the republican government, decided to attempt
5760-410: The followers of absolutism... If our brothers fell to the edge of the Carlist dagger, why we the liberals have to be considered with them?... It is necessary to fight the war with war and to employ all kind of resources to exterminate the bandits that burn, steal and kill in the name of a religion and a peace. The Carlist party was formed in the last years of Ferdinand VII 's (1784–1833) reign. Carlism
5856-413: The genuineness and spontaneity of the feeling manifested." On August 20, he was offered freedom by the U.S. government on the condition that he would not take up arms against the United States, but he refused, saying that accepting conditional freedom was illegal by Spanish law, and did not return to Spain until September 1898. He gained popularity among both the Spanish and American public in the years after
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#17327833478415952-407: The government-held railway network. These handicaps put Carlists at a severe disadvantage in conventional warfare . As such, Carlists attempted to avoid direct confrontation with the Liberals, and instead relied on guerrilla warfare to achieve their goals. In response to Carlist weaknesses, the Liberals planned to conduct a pacification war to drive the Carlists into a direct confrontation where
6048-559: The growing Industrial Revolution and constant conflict in Spanish politics, the Third Carlist War was a culmination of a long political process. The political appearance of the conflict, exemplified by the struggle for the Spanish crown, masked a more crude reality. The growth of liberal ideals after Napoleon Bonaparte's occupation of Spain and Spain's subsequent fight for independence alarmed Spain's traditional groups, who decided to fight for their beliefs. Tumultuous reigns of monarchs Ferdinand VII , Isabel II and Amadeo I exemplified
6144-431: The growing liberalism of the Spanish state. Carlism found most of its supporters in rural areas, especially in places which had previously enjoyed special status before 1813, such as Catalonia and especially the Basque Country . In these parts of the country, Carlists enjoyed support from the Catholic peasantry and minor nobles, with occasional support from the major nobility. After Ferdinand VII 's death in 1833 without
6240-417: The harbor, with neither side having taken any damage. The rest of the North Atlantic Squadron under Rear Admiral William T. Sampson , operating in Cuban waters, did not arrive until June 1, and together the U.S. naval forces blockaded Cervera's squadron in Santiago. On June 2–3, the American commander decided to try to blockade the Spanish ships in the harbor by sinking a collier, the USS Merrimac , at
6336-424: The high echelons of the army and among the large landowners, and drew some support from the middle classes. The Liberals promoted industrialization and social modernization. Reforms included the confiscation and sale of church lands and other institutions that supported the old regime, the establishment of elected parliaments, the construction of railways and the general expansion of industry throughout Spain. There
6432-428: The inconclusive battle of Mañeru , where both sides claimed victory over the other. One month later, government general Moriones attempted an assault on Estella, defended by the Carlist general Joaquin Elio, but was repulsed with heavy casualties in the nearby town of Montejurra . Although the battle was inconclusive, both sides claimed victory once again. Estella would remain as a Carlist stronghold until 1876. Combined,
6528-413: The naval ministry of Admiral Segismundo Bermejo , however. After the explosion aboard the American battleship USS Maine in Havana harbor in February 1898, the admiral sped back to Spain to speak to the government in person, but received orders from the Admiralty while at Cape Verde to take several ships back to Cuba and prepare for war, despite the severe problems in the fleet. Cervera returned to
6624-430: The newly promoted flag officer made the prime minister promise to not lower the naval budget in return, which Mateo accepted. However, it was not long before the prime minister broke that promise and so Cervera resigned from the position in 1892, but not before trying to make efforts to improve the Spanish Navy's efficiency. The rear admiral was appointed as the naval attaché in London shortly afterwards, where he witnessed
6720-480: The outbreak of the Third Carlist War in 1872, half of the Spanish Treasury's overall revenue was destined to pay interest on public debt, with rates as high as 22.6%. At any moment, the government could officially declare bankruptcy. The House of Rothschild, a major beneficiary of this arrangement, soon lost hope of a recuperation of the Spanish finances, and refused to engage in any further major operations. The government turned to Paribas for new loans, which agreed to
6816-458: The overthrow of Isabella II in La Gloriosa revolution in 1868 and the subsequent coronation of Amadeo I of Savoy as King of Spain in 1870. The selection of Amadeo I as King instead of the Carlist pretender, Carlos VII , was considered a great insult to the Carlists who had strong support in northern Spain, especially in Catalonia , Navarre and the Basque Provinces ( Basque Country ) After some internal dissensions in 1870–1871, ending with
6912-441: The political instability of the government and the lack of available resources, such as financing, to suppress the Carlist uprising. The guerrilla attacks carried out by the Carlists were challenging for the Liberals to deal with because of the Carlists' ability to use the terrain to their benefit. All the aforementioned Liberal advantages were largely irrelevant in this kind of warfare, putting both sides on similar footing. However,
7008-582: The political unrest present in Spain, and resulted in the loss of traditionalist predominance, especially during the reign of Isabel II . Political reforms, carried out between 1833 and 1872 by moderate liberals such as De la Rosa , Cea Bermudez and Baldomero Espartero , as well as the government formed after " La Gloriosa ", left Carlists and other traditional circles in a weakened position. The expropriations of ecclesiastic property carried out by Mendizabal (1836), followed by those of Espartero (1841) and Pascual Madoz (1855), were considered an attack on
7104-631: The posting of commander of the Cuban squadron on 20 October 1897 and immediately organized training exercises to prepare the crews, since the last time naval drills had been carried out was 1884 (during tensions with the German Empire over the Caroline Islands ). Cervera sought to correct the numerous deficiencies in the fleet within a short time period, including lack of training and inadequate supplies. He continued to face difficulties from
7200-560: The reactivation of the war parties, Carlists were able to muster 3,000 men in Catalonia , 2,000 in Valencia , and 850 in Alicante . With the failure of the uprising in the Basque Provinces and Navarre and the escape of Carlos VII to France , Carlist forces regrouped and reformed themselves for the next strike. All high-ranking officials were removed and replaced with new ones, including General Dorregaray who replaced General Rada as
7296-494: The removal of Ramón Cabrera as the head of the Carlist party , the Carlists started a general uprising against Amadeo I's government and its Liberal supporters. The Third Carlist War became the final act of a long fight between Spanish progressives (centralists) and traditionalists which started after the Spanish Peninsular War (1808–1814) and the promulgation of the constitution of Cadiz in 1812 which ended
7392-462: The request of Prime Minister Antonio Cánovas del Castillo . Cánovas asked Cervera to take up the post of Minister of the Navy, but Cervera refused, saying that he preferred to be at sea rather than at a desk job. In 1879, he was given command of the training corvette Ferolana , where he remained until 1882, when he was transferred to oversee the Cartagena naval base. From 1885 to 1890, he served on
7488-571: The same day, King Alfonso XII of Spain entered Pamplona . After the end of the war, the Basque charters ( fueros/foruak ) were abolished, shifting the border customs from the Ebro River to the Spanish coast. In the chartered territories, home rule provisions, left over from the resolution of the First Carlist War , were abolished, and conscription of youth in the Spanish army became compulsory. The war resulted in between 7,000 and 50,000 casualties. The Third Carlist War began in 1871, after
7584-542: The shipbuilding commission of the battleship Pelayo and became its first commander, but had to fight against the bureaucratic procedures of the Spanish Navy that caused delays in her construction. In May 1891, the Queen Regent María Cristina assigned Cervera to her court as her naval aide-de-camp . A year later the captain was assigned to oversee the construction of several cruisers for
7680-430: The siege and capture of such cities. Instead, they showed great skill in attacking undefended towns or isolated outposts, employing their knowledge of the terrain to their benefit. In addition to guerilla parties, there were also several Carlist armies operating in the main theaters of the war under the command of Carlos VII 's most trusted officers. These armies were composed of royalist volunteers which were united under
7776-408: The siege by the government army under Serrano forced Carlists to divert attacks to the liberating army and cease the bombardment of the city. Government commanders, determined to lift the siege and liberate Bilbao , launched a counteroffensive. On February 24, Marshal Serrano sent General Moriones with a relief force of 14,000 men. Carlist besiegers under the command of Nicolas Ollo, entrenched near
7872-577: The situation of public finances so ruinous that they avoided embarking in any financial operations. The Spanish government took emergency measures aimed at collecting the funds necessary for their campaign against the Carlist outbreak in the north, some of which broke the boundaries of what could be ethical and economically viable. In 1874, after General Serrano's military victory in Bilbao, Alphonse Rothschild wrote to his cousins in London: The fall of
7968-682: The technical innovations being made by the British Royal Navy , a post he held until the situation in Cuba began escalating around 1896–97. The admiral viewed the escalation of tensions between the kingdom and the United States with alarm, as he believed their defeat would be inevitable in a war because of the U.S. Navy 's advancements between 1892 and 1896. Cervera thought that the Spanish were unprepared and did not possess enough ships to defend their colonies. Nonetheless, he accepted
8064-407: The town of Somorrostro , repelled the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties; 1,200 government troops were killed, and many more were wounded. As the assault was halted, Moriones was removed from command due to mental instability. Another attempt was made between March 25–27. Serrano took command of 27,000 men and 70 pieces of artillery and attacked the town of Somorrostro once again. Joaquin Elio,
8160-476: The war. In February 1901, Cervera was promoted to Vizealmirante ( vice admiral ) and in December 1902 became the Chief of Staff of the Navy . In May of the following year, King Alfonso XIII of Spain named him a senator of the kingdom for life. By 1906, his health was failing and Cervera was reassigned to manage the naval district of Ferrol before retiring the next year. He died on 3 April 1909. Admiral Cervera
8256-456: Was also a strong current of anti-clericalism among them. After Ferdinand's death, the government undertook a division of Spain into provinces and "historic regions" with the 1833 territorial division of Spain . The division overruled the traditional administration of the Basque districts , who held a specific autonomous status within Spain. For example, Navarre was still a Basque-based kingdom with its own decision-making bodies and customs on
8352-413: Was ambushed by Carlist forces under Francisco Savalls . In the ensuing slaughter, Cabrinety was killed, and his column of 800 men were either killed or captured by Carlists. Another important clash occurred at Bocairente on December 22, when a government force commanded by General Valeriano Weyler was attacked by a numerically superior Carlist force led by Jose Santes. Driven back in the initial stage of
8448-600: Was an important point of confrontation. Catalonia and Aragon had lost their specific institutions and laws during and after the War of the Spanish Succession due to the Nueva Planta decrees of 1707–1716, and wanted to win them back. Carlists upheld these former institutions during the two major Carlist wars, resulting in Catalonia and the Basque Country becoming the epicentres of fighting. Finally,
8544-567: Was an important rallying point for Carlism . There was also a perceived support for the feudal system displaced by the French occupation, although this is disputed by historians. The Carlists summarized their beliefs in the motto: "For God, for the Fatherland and the King." In the deeply religious and conservative atmosphere of 19th century Spain, Carlism attracted a large number of followers, particularly among sections of society which resented
8640-516: Was assumed by Rafael Tristany until Carlos VII replaced him with the Infante Alfonso , Carlos's own brother. Several efforts were made to form a common military structure during the summer of 1872 but were unsuccessful until the arrival of the Alfonso in December 1872. At the same time, Carlist Pascual Cucala gained popular support in the Maestrat . With the arrival of the infant Alfonso and
8736-584: Was decisively defeated. Pascual Cervera y Topete was born in Medina-Sidonia in the province of Cadiz , the son of a Spanish Army officer who fought against French invasion of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars . Cervera entered the naval college at the age of thirteen and was later made a midshipman during his first voyage to Havana in 1858. He later made lieutenant junior grade at the age of 21 and spent time serving in both Cuba (during
8832-407: Was later overthrown by a coalition of politicians and moderate military figures. On the Carlist side, Ramón Cabrera rose to become the head of the Carlist party, a position he would hold until 1870. His future move to change his allegiance to the Spanish regime during the Third Carlist War would prove crucial to the government's success. The Second Carlist war started in 1846, after the failure of
8928-587: Was married and had several children, but he lived his private life with a rigid schedule. One of his sons was also in the Spanish Navy and served with his father at Santiago. Cervera also spoke fluent English . Admiral Cervera continued to be a popular figure in the years following his death, to the point that even the Spanish Navy acknowledged him as a symbol of patriotism by naming a light cruiser after him. Third Carlist War Liberal and republican victory The Third Carlist War ( Spanish : Tercera Guerra Carlista ), which occurred from 1872 to 1876,
9024-550: Was set as the opening day of the uprising. In response to the uprising, thousands of sympathetic volunteers, most without training and some without weapons, gathered in Orokieta-Erbiti (Oroquieta-Erbiti), north of Navarre , awaiting Carlos's arrival. As in Navarre , groups in Biscay also rose in arms against the government on the same day. Several raiding parties carried out guerrilla activities across Catalonia (under
9120-422: Was successful, resulting in the growth of Carlist forces in the first months of 1873. In February, the Carlist army numbered around 50,000 men on all fronts. In February, after the abdication of King Amadeo I and the proclamation of the First Spanish Republic , General Dorregaray arrived to lead the Carlist army in the Basque Country , starting a campaign against government forces. At May 5, Carlist forces under
9216-459: Was the last Carlist War in Spain . It is sometimes referred to as the "Second Carlist War", as the earlier "Second" War (1847–1849) was smaller in scale and relatively trivial in political consequence. Leading up to the war, Queen Isabella II abdicated the throne in 1868, and the unpopular Amadeo I , son of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, was proclaimed King of Spain in 1870. In response,
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