Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

THE HIST OR Y OF NOR THERN SP AIN  45

Later, unpopular PM Godoy allied Spain
with Napoleon. In 1808 Napoleon
kidnapped the Spanish royal family and
declared his brother, Joseph, king of Spain,
triggering the Peninsular War, with Spain
aided by Britain. During the war, a Cortes
or parliament met in Cádiz and approved
Spain’s first constitution in 1812.
At the end of these wars in 1814 Spain’s
Fernando VII agreeing to accept the Constitution institutions were severely weakened.
The restless 19th century also saw the
Bourbon Spain awakening of nationalist sentiments in
In 1700 Carlos II died without an heir. In the the Basque Country. Galicia and Catalonia
subsequent War of the Spanish Succession, sought to rescue their languages and
Castile and most of the north supported traditions from the dominance of the
Felipe V (of the French Bourbon dynasty). official Spanish-speaking culture.
Catalonia, Aragón and Valencia supported
the Archduke Charles of Austria, who Carlist Wars
promised to restore their traditional rights. When Fernando VII died in 1833, a dis pute
Felipe V was victorious, and in 1715 made arose over his successor – his brother
Spain into a unified state, abolishing the Don Carlos or daughter Isabel – and civil
local rights of Catalonia, Aragón and other conflict, the Carlist Wars, began. The Carlists
regions. In return for their loyalty, however, had support in the northern provinces,
the Basque Country and Navarra were particularly in the Basque Country, Navarra
allowed to keep their local rights. and north Catalonia, which opposed state
The 18th-century Bourbon kings and centralization. The Carlists were defeated;
ministers sought to reform Spain’s the First Republic was proclaimed in 1873.
adminstration and halt the country’s
decline. Most impor tant was Carlos III
(1759–88), who in his efforts to encour age
economic expansion ended Seville’s
monopoly on trade with Spanish America.
This had an immediate effect in the north,
which saw vigorous expansion in ship-
building, trade and agriculture.
The French Revolution was the start
of a traumatic period. Initially Spain joined
European monarchies in attacking
Republican France, with heavy losses. A battle between loyalists and Carlists during the Carlist Wars

1767 Jesuits expelled from Spain 1846–9 1898 Following the
and its empire by Carlos III Second Carlist War Spanish-American War,
Spain loses the last of its
1702–14 War of the 1833–9 major colonies
Spanish Succession First Carlist War
1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900
1875 Bourbon
Felipe V (1700–24), the first 1808–1814 War of 1812 Promulgation of dynasty restored
of the Bourbon kings Independence liberal constitution in Cádiz
with Napoleon leads to uprising
1872–6 Third Carlist War

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