As mentioned in my previous post, by the time the great war started every major country in Europe was directly involved or had a stake in its outcome. However, one country was conspicuous by its absence. Spain, licking its wounds from a century of turmoil, was politically, economically and socially spent and had remained neutral throughout the continental conflict.
The decline of the Spanish empire started back in the 18th century with the War of Succession (1701-1714) and culminated in the 19th century with the War of Independence or Peninsular War (1808-1814), the Civil War of 1820-1823, three Carlist Wars (1833-1839; 1846-1849; 1872-1876) and the Spanish American War of 1898.
The first and last of these wars were unavoidable. The Civil War of 1820 and the three succeeding Carlist Wars were the long term consequences of the War of Independence of 1808 which was sparked by Napoleon's usurpation of the crown. It was a war born out of greed and double crosses.
The War of Succession 1701-1714
When Charles II died in 1700 he had no heirs, and with his passing, the Habsburg line in Spain which had ruled for two centuries, came to an abrupt end. The War of Succession that followed was one in which Europe's ruling families, all related either by blood, marriage or both, opposed the naming of Philip, Duc d'Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV the Sun King and grand nephew of Charles II, as heir to the Spanish throne as this would have created a world super power with the consolidation of vast territories under one ruler and would have upset the balance of power in Europe. These territories included the Netherlands (through the Habsburg line), the kingdoms of Milan, Naples and Sicily as well as colonies in the Americas (Louisiana, Canada and South America) and Asia (Philippines).
Hence, alliances were formed. Opposing the French-Spanish coalition were England, Portugal, the Dutch Republic, the Duchy of Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire (Germany). It was during this war that England took control of Gibraltar from Spain.
Ultimately, Philip was recognized as king in the Treaty of Utrecht but had to renounce any claim to the French throne and ceded Spain's European possessions to Austria and England. It was the start of the Spanish Bourbon line from which the current king, Juan Carlos I, is descended. The decline had begun.
The War of Independence 1808-1814
If you're familiar with Spanish painter, Goya, then you have no doubt seen his paintings, Dos de Mayo and Los Fusilamientos del Tres de Mayo which represent the Spanish uprising against Napoleonic troops and the subsequent executions of the rebels by the French.
However, this is a war that might have been avoided. Napoleon, taking advantage of the favorable allied relations that existed between France and Spain, (the queen consort of Charles IV, Maria Luisa de Parma, was the daughter of Louis XV) gained permission to transit through Spanish territory (via the Treaty of Fontainebleau 1807) on his way to invading Portugal which had defied France by aligning with the British. Napoleon had called for a continental blockade of British imports after the defeat of the combined French and Spanish naval fleets at the hands of Lord Admiral Nelson at Trafalgar in 1805 and was eager for vengeance, and thus, set out to gain control of Portuguese ports.
As fate would have it, the treaty turned out to be a double double-cross. Spanish Prime Minister, Manuel de Godoy, initially requested a Portuguese alliance against invading French troops but had secretly made a deal with the French to divvy up Portuguese territories after the latter's defeat. France, in turn, had no intention of sharing anything with Spain, usurped the Spanish crown, forced the abdication of Charles IV and installed Joseph Bonaparte as king. As a result, Spain turned against Napoleon, allied itself with the British and a protracted war ensued.
So much for alliances. Spain's greed and subterfuge was its own undoing.
The Civil War of 1820-1823
After Napoleon's defeat in 1814, Ferdinand VII, son of deposed king Charles IV, was restored to the monarchy. During that time a liberal constitution (1812) was drafted and approved by the Cadiz Cortes (National Assembly). It espoused the liberal ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 including the creation of a constitutional monarchy with limited power. In order that he might return to assume the Spanish throne, Ferdinand VII, who was exiled in France during Joseph Bonaparte's rule, agreed to the liberal provisions of the 1812 Constitution, albeit begrudgingly.
Given the years of internal conflict, mistrust, secret deals and betrayals, the liberals and conservatives were soon going at it in sporadic conflicts that only served to erode the economy. The French stepped in and restored some semblance of order with the return of absolute rule in 1823.
The Carlist Wars
After Ferdinand VII died in 1833, his wife, Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, became regent for her daughter Isabel. Before his death, Ferdinand signed the Pragmatic Sanction which allowed the throne to pass onto female heirs in contravention of Salic Law. Carlos, the brother of Ferdinand, disputed the legitimacy of the Sanction and declared himself rightful heir. A half century of civil wars soon followed by forces supporting the conservative Carlos (Carlists) against the progresistas supporting Isabel.
Isabel was finally deposed, exiled to Paris in 1868 and abdicated in 1870 resulting in the short lived First Spanish Republic.
The Spanish American War
Throughout the century, while different wars were ravaging Spain and a series of ineffectual rulers came and went, the colonies in South America started declaring their independence. Hence, not only were the wars depleting Spanish coffers, Spain could no longer count on income coming from the colonies. Everything was unraveling both at home and abroad.
The culmination of Spanish decline came at the hands of the Americans when they wrested control of Cuba and the Philippines in 1898 after the sinking of the Maine. By the turn of the century, Spain was the sick man of Europe trying to recover from a century that had left it all but broken.
Young king Alfonso XIII sat on the throne and would remain sovereign until his abdication in 1931.
Epilogue
While this summary is historically correct, it is far too brief and simplistic. Suffice it to say that Spain lived through a century of conflicting governments and ideals among numerous factions - liberals, conservatives, federalists, carlists, monarchists, republicans, anarchists, secessionists - which left the country in ruins.
This was Spain at the end of the first World War, a country in social decay in search of itself at the margin of mainstream Europe.
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