In our time line Spain had pretty much managed to loose all of their once vast colonial empire. But that not have been the case...
Loss of empire. 1812-1822.
By 1812, when the first Spanish constitution was signed into effect, Spain was in turmoil. Years of brutal French occupation and guerrilla warfare against their oppressive regime had destroyed Spanish society and torn the government apart. But perhaps even more disconcerting for many was the state of the many and far flung Spanish colonies.
None of the colonies had accepted the Bonaparte’s as the true rulers of Spain and all established governments in exile which ruled the colony in the name of Spain, but in reality were for all intents and purposes independent of the true Spanish government in Cadiz. When Ferdinand the seventh became king of Spain once more he expected all that to change and sent armies to retake the colonies from what he viewed as revolutionary control.
His armies had managed to defeat the majority of the rebellions by 1816 but before peace could be appreciated a second wave of revolts, even more destructive than before, swept the empire. Unlike previously when the colonies had simply asked for greater representation in the Spanish government, the colonies now sought outright independence from the empire.
Part of the reason for this move was the king Ferdinand who soon after his coronation had dissolved the 1812 constitution and had reinstated autocratic rule in Spain. Rather than treating his colonial subject, who had contributed many men, guns and much money to his supporters during the occupation, he treated them as children in need of punishment. Thinking that his power was given by God himself he believed that he knew what was best and refused to entertain the notion that anyone else could ever be right. That was especially true of his colonies who he thought of as stupid.
Thus the governments of the colonies began a series of revolts which by the end of the year had practically caused the end of the Spanish empire. That is not to say that Spain did not try to keep ahold of their colonies, in fact up until the eighteen seventies there was serious talk in Madrid of launching attempts to regain their empire.
However their attempts were all in vain and it was not until Ferdinand was killed in 1819 that change would come about. Ferdinand’s brother Carlos had had his brother assassinated to ensure that he could claim the throne by killing his brother before he could father a child. This accomplished Carlos proclaimed himself king and attempted to exile Ferdinand’s wife Maria Christina.]
At this point Spain broke out into a civil war which pitted troops loyal to either Maria of Carlos against eachother. Carlos`s main support came from the northern regions of Spain while Maria held control of most major centres of trade and population along the coast and to the south. Despite her larger armies and greater public support it was not until 1822 that she was able to defeat Carlos and send him into exile in Portugal.
Soon afterwards Maria decided to cut her losses and in a series of treaties granted independence to Mexico under the first empire, Gran Columbia, Argentina and Chile. Spain would continue to rule over Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, and the Philippines and Guam in the Pacific.
Although she was the monarch who would grant independence to a large part of Spain’s colonial empire she never intended it to be permanent and until the day she died in 1854 she planned to retake her lost colonies. All that was lacking was the gold to fund such a move.
None of the colonies had accepted the Bonaparte’s as the true rulers of Spain and all established governments in exile which ruled the colony in the name of Spain, but in reality were for all intents and purposes independent of the true Spanish government in Cadiz. When Ferdinand the seventh became king of Spain once more he expected all that to change and sent armies to retake the colonies from what he viewed as revolutionary control.
His armies had managed to defeat the majority of the rebellions by 1816 but before peace could be appreciated a second wave of revolts, even more destructive than before, swept the empire. Unlike previously when the colonies had simply asked for greater representation in the Spanish government, the colonies now sought outright independence from the empire.
Part of the reason for this move was the king Ferdinand who soon after his coronation had dissolved the 1812 constitution and had reinstated autocratic rule in Spain. Rather than treating his colonial subject, who had contributed many men, guns and much money to his supporters during the occupation, he treated them as children in need of punishment. Thinking that his power was given by God himself he believed that he knew what was best and refused to entertain the notion that anyone else could ever be right. That was especially true of his colonies who he thought of as stupid.
Thus the governments of the colonies began a series of revolts which by the end of the year had practically caused the end of the Spanish empire. That is not to say that Spain did not try to keep ahold of their colonies, in fact up until the eighteen seventies there was serious talk in Madrid of launching attempts to regain their empire.
However their attempts were all in vain and it was not until Ferdinand was killed in 1819 that change would come about. Ferdinand’s brother Carlos had had his brother assassinated to ensure that he could claim the throne by killing his brother before he could father a child. This accomplished Carlos proclaimed himself king and attempted to exile Ferdinand’s wife Maria Christina.]
At this point Spain broke out into a civil war which pitted troops loyal to either Maria of Carlos against eachother. Carlos`s main support came from the northern regions of Spain while Maria held control of most major centres of trade and population along the coast and to the south. Despite her larger armies and greater public support it was not until 1822 that she was able to defeat Carlos and send him into exile in Portugal.
Soon afterwards Maria decided to cut her losses and in a series of treaties granted independence to Mexico under the first empire, Gran Columbia, Argentina and Chile. Spain would continue to rule over Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, and the Philippines and Guam in the Pacific.
Although she was the monarch who would grant independence to a large part of Spain’s colonial empire she never intended it to be permanent and until the day she died in 1854 she planned to retake her lost colonies. All that was lacking was the gold to fund such a move.
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