Cánovas del Castillo y Sagasta

Cánovas del Castillo and Sagasta

• Cánovas del Castillo led the conservative liberal party, advocating for the Bourbon dynasty, census suffrage, and shared sovereignty between the King and Cortes.
• Sagasta led the liberal progressive party with more reformist ideas, yet both parties' actions were similar in practice.

Party Turnaround Mechanisms

• If a ruling party lost public trust, the monarch appointed the opposing party to form a new government.
• Elections followed, aiming for a stable parliamentary majority.
• Fraudulent practices and caciquismo ensured favorable election results, securing the ruling party's position.
• Voting manipulation included purchasing votes, electoral fraud (like falsifying voter rolls), and intimidation.

Caciquismo

• Local strongmen (caciques) exerted significant influence over local politics, particularly in rural areas.
• Their power was entrenched through controlling local governments, manipulating land allocation, and supporting their preferred candidates.
• Caciques used their influence to control voting, guaranteeing favorable outcomes for the ruling party.

Electoral Fraud (Pucherazo)

• The "Pucherazo" encompassed various electoral fraud tactics.
• Voter rolls were falsified, including deceased individuals or preventing legitimate voters from casting ballots.
• Violence and intimidation were used to prevent opposition voices and sway voters.
• Vote-buying was a common tactic.

Political Opposition

• The Restoration regime faced opposition.
• Different groups notably voiced opposition including Carlists (royalists), nationalists, republicans, and labour unions.
• Regionalist movements questioned the idea of a unified Spanish nation, highlighting the distinct identities of regions like Catalonia and the Basque Country.