First Carlist War
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The First Carlist War was a
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
in
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the conservative and devolutionist supporters of the late king's brother, Carlos de Borbón (or ''Carlos V''), became known as
Carlists Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – ...
(''carlistas''), while the progressive and centralist supporters of the
regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
, Maria Christina, acting for
Isabella II of Spain Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the succes ...
, were called Liberals (''liberales''), ''cristinos'' or ''isabelinos''. It is considered by some authors the largest and most deadly civil war of the period. The Carlist forces were split in three geographically distinct armies: ('North'), and ('Catalonia'), which by and large operated independently from each other. Aside from being a war of succession about the question who the rightful successor to king
Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_p ...
was, the Carlists’ goal was the return to a traditional monarchy, while the Liberals sought to defend the
constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
. Portugal, France and the United Kingdom supported the regency, and sent volunteer and even regular forces to confront the Carlist army.


Historical background

At the beginning of the 19th century, the political situation in Spain was extremely problematic. During the Peninsular War, the Cortes of Cádizwhich served as the Regency for the deposed Ferdinand VII collaborated on the
Spanish Constitution of 1812 The Political Constitution of the Spanish Monarchy ( es, link=no, Constitución Política de la Monarquía Española), also known as the Constitution of Cádiz ( es, link=no, Constitución de Cádiz) and as ''La Pepa'', was the first Constituti ...
. After the war, when Ferdinand VII returned to Spain (1814), he annulled the constitution in the Manifesto of Valencia, and became an absolutist king, governing by decrees and restoring the Spanish Inquisition, abolished by Joseph I, brother of
Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
. The 1805 Battle of Trafalgar had all but shattered the Spanish navy, with the Peninsular War leaving Spanish society overwhelmed by continuous warfare and badly damaged by looting. While the Spanish Empire collapsed, the maritime trade in the Americas and Philippines fell to a trickle, and Spain's military struggled to keep their colonies, with Mexico getting its independence in 1821. The overseas revenue was at a historic low, the royal coffers were empty. Balancing the books and recruitment to the military became an overriding concern for the Spanish Crown, with the governments under King Ferdinand VII failing to provide new solutions or stability. During the '' Trienio Liberal'' (1820-1823), the progressives, who were allied to the business classes, resorted to international money lenders in an attempt to avert the economic meltdown Spain was facing. They turned to Paris, and particularly London, where many liberals (many of them Freemasons) had fled on Ferdinand VII's return (1814). In London and Paris negotiations were opened respectively with Nathan Rothschild and James Rothschild. They bailed out the Spanish liberal regime, supported by Great Britain which consistently supported liberal movements in Europe and also had vested interest in securing the debt engaged in previous years. The 1823 intervention of a reactionary international alliance, the Sacred Alliance, restored Ferdinand VII on the Spanish throne, who repudiated the debts incurred by the 1820-1823 liberal rulers with the Rothschilds. For more than a decade, the unserviced liberal debt was a persistent sticking point with these financiers during talks for new loan requests. Against a backdrop of on-off bankruptcy and solvency issues, towards the end of his life, Ferdinand VII promulgated the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830 giving hopes to the liberals.
Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_p ...
had no male descendant, but two daughters, Isabella (later
Isabella II Isabella II ( es, Isabel II; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904), was Queen of Spain from 29 September 1833 until 30 September 1868. Shortly before her birth, the King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a Pragmatic Sanction to ensure the successi ...
) and Luisa Fernanda. The "Pragmatic Sanction" allowed Isabella to become Queen after his death. This overrode the rights of Carlos de Borbón, the king's brother, to the succession, He and his followers, such as Secretary of Justice Francisco Tadeo Calomarde, pressed Ferdinand to change his mind. But the agonizing Ferdinand kept to his decision and when he died on 29 September 1833, Isabella became queen. As she was only a child, a regent was needed, so her mother Queen Consort Maria Christina was appointed. A strong absolutist party feared that the regent Maria Christina would make liberal reforms, and sought another candidate for the throne. The natural choice, based on Salic Law, was Ferdinand's brother
Carlos Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...
. The differing views on the influence of the army and the Church in governance, as well as the forthcoming administrative reforms paved the way for the expulsion of the Conservatives from the higher governmental circles. Cea Bermudez's centrist government (October 1832-January 1834) inaugurated the return to Spain of many exiles from London and Paris, e.g. Juan Álvarez Mendizabal (born Méndez). The rise of Cea Bermudez was followed by a closer collaboration and understanding with the Rothschilds, who in turn clearly encouraged the former's reforms and liberalization, i.e. the new liberal regime and the incorporation of Spain to the European financial system. However, with state coffers yet again empty, the impending war, and the ''Trienio Liberal'' loan issue with the Rothschilds still not settled, Cea Bermudez's government fell. Faced with war breaking out in the Basque Country, the envoy of regent Maria Cristina's government, the Marquis of Miraflores (a middle-of-the-road liberal), contacted London's City bankers to open a line of credit with the Spanish Treasury (thus pay the next installment of external debt due in July 1834 and get new credit), as well as the British Government in order to garner its political endorsement. An agreement with Nathan and James Rothschild and a loan advance of 500,000 pounds to the Marquis of Miraflores paved the way to the establishment of the Quadruple Alliance that sealed British and French protection to the Spanish government, including military operations (April 1834). As written by one historian:
The first Carlist war was fought not so much on the basis of the legal claim of Don Carlos, but because a passionate, dedicated section of the Spanish people favored a return to a kind of absolute monarchy that they felt would protect their individual freedoms (fueros), their regional individuality and their religious conservatism.
A vivid summary of the war describes it as follows:
The Christinos and Carlists thirsted for each other's blood, with all the fierce ardour of civil strife, animated by the memory of years of mutual insult, cruelty, and wrong. Brother against brother – father against son – best friend turned to bitterest foe – priests against their flocks – kindred against kindred.
The autonomy of Aragon, Valencia and Catalonia had been abolished in the 18th century by the Nueva Planta Decrees that created a centralised Spanish state. In the Basque Country, the kingdom status of Navarre and the separate status of Álava, Biscay, and Gipuzkoa were challenged in 1833 during the central government's one-sided territorial division of Spain. The resentment against the growing intervention of Madrid (e.g. attempts to take over Biscayan mines in 1826) and the loss of autonomy was considerably strong.


Basque reasons for Carlist uprising

The Spanish liberal government wanted to suppress the Basque fueros and to move the customs borders to the Pyrenees. Since the 18th century, a new emergent class had an interest in weakening the powerful Basque nobility and their influence in commerce which extended throughout the world with the help of the Jesuit order. The centralisers in the Spanish government supported some of the great powers against Basque merchants from at least since the time of the abolition of the Jesuit order and the Godoy regime. First they sided with the French Bourbons to suppress the Jesuits, following the formidable changes in North America after the victory of the United States in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. Then Godoy sided with the British against the Basques in the
War of the Pyrenees The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portuga ...
of 1793, and immediately afterwards with the French of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
, also against the Basques. The British interest was to destroy, for as long as possible, Spanish commercial routes and power, which were mainly sustained by the Basque ports and merchant fleet. However, King Ferdinand VII found an important support base in the Basque Country. The 1812 Constitution of Cádiz had suppressed Basque home rule, and was couched in terms of a unified Spanish nation which rejected the existence of the Basque nation, so the new Spanish king garnered the endorsement of the Basques as long as he respected the Basque institutional and legal framework. Most foreign observers, including Charles F. Henningsen, Michael B. Honan, or Edward B. Stephens, English writers and first-hand witnesses of the First Carlist War, spent time in the Basque districts were highly sympathetic to the Carlists, which they regarded as representing the cause of Basque home rule. Probably the only exception was John Francis Bacon, a diplomat residing in Bilbao during the Carlist siege of (1835), who also praising Basque governance, could not hide his hostility towards the Carlists, whom he regarded as "savages." He went on to contest his compatriots' approach, denied a connection between the Carlist cause and the defense of the Basque liberties, and speculated that Carlos V would be quick to erode or suppress them if he took the Spanish throne.
The privileges of the Basque provinces are odious to the Spanish nation, of which Charles is so well aware, that if he was king of Spain next year, he would quickly find excuses for infringing them, if not their total abolition. A representative government will endeavour to raise Spain to a level with the Basque provinces, – a despot, to whom the very name of freedom is odious, would strive to reduce the provinces to the same low level with the rest.
Similar to what John Adams had pointed 60 years before, John F. Bacon (
Six years in Biscay...
', 1838) considers the Basques living to the north of the Ebro river as free citizens, as compared to the Spanish whom he sees as "a mere flock" liable to be mistreated by their masters. For Edward B. Stephens, the Basques were fighting at once for their own sources of legitimacy, their practical freedom, for the rights of their sovereign, and their own constitutional foundations. The excellence of the Basque home rule and its republican character is also highlighted by other authors, such as
Wentworth Webster Wentworth Webster (16 June 1828 – 2 April 1907) was an Anglican clergyman, scholar, and collector of folk tales of the Basque Country. Biography After studying in a private school in Brighton, he entered Lincoln College, Oxford at the age ...
. A deeper insight into the Basques and their relation to the Spanish during this period is offered by Sidney Crocker and Bligh Barker (1839), stating that:
the Vasques, or as they term themselves, the Escaldunes, do not consider themselves Spaniards, and differ widely from them, in character and language.
The interests of the Basque liberals were divided. On the one side, fluent cross-Pyrenean trade with other Basque districts and France was highly valued, as well as unrestricted overseas transactions. The former had been strong up to the French Revolution, especially in Navarre, but the new French national arrangement (1790) had abolished the separate legal and fiscal status of the French Basque districts. Despite difficulties, on-off trade continued during the period of uncertainty prevailing under the French Convention, the War of the Pyrenees (1793-1795),
Manuel Godoy Manuel Godoy y Álvarez de Faria, Prince of the Peace, 1st Duke of Alcudia, 1st Duke of Sueca, 1st Baron of Mascalbó (12 May 17674 October 1851) was First Secretary of State of Spain from 1792 to 1797 and from 1801 to 1808. He received many ...
's tenure in office, and the Peninsular War. Eventually, Napoleonic defeat left cross-border commercial activity struggling to take off after 1813. Overseas commerce was badly affected by the end of the Guipuzcoan Company of Caracas (1785), the French-Spanish defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), independence movements in Latin America, the destruction of San Sebastián (1813), and the eventual breakup of the Royal Philippine Company (1814). By 1826 all the grand Spanish (including the Basque) fleet of the late 18th century with its renowned Basque navigators was gone for the benefit of the British Empire, and with it, the Atlantic vocation of the Enlightened Spain. Notwithstanding the ideology of Basque liberals, overall supportive of home rule, the Basques were getting choked by the above circumstances and customs on the
Ebro , name_etymology = , image = Zaragoza shel.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Ebro River in Zaragoza , map = SpainEbroBasin.png , map_size = , map_caption = The Ebro ...
, on account of the high levies enforced on them by the successive Spanish governments after 1776. Many Basque liberals advocated in turn for the relocation of the Ebro customs to the Pyrenees, and the encouragement of a Spanish market. On Ferdinand VII's death in 1833, the minor Isabella II was proclaimed queen, with Maria Christina acting as regent. In November, a new Spanish institutional arrangement was designed by the incoming government in Madrid, homogenising Spanish administration according to provinces and conspicuously overruling Basque institutions. Anger and disbelief spread in the Basque districts.


Contenders

The people of the western Basque provinces (ambiguously called "Biscay" up to that point) and Navarre sided with Carlos because ideologically Carlos was close to them and more importantly because he was willing to uphold Basque institutions and laws. Some historians claim that the Carlist cause in the Basque Country was a pro-''fueros'' cause, but others (
Stanley G. Payne Stanley George Payne (born September 9, 1934) is an American historian of modern Spain and European Fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He retired from full-time teaching in 2004 and is currently Professor Emeritus at its Department ...
) contend that no connection to the emergence of Basque nationalism can be postulated. Many supporters of the Carlists cause believed a traditionalist rule would better respect the ancient region specific institutions and laws established under historical rights. Navarre and the rest of the Basque provinces held their customs on the Ebro river. Trade had been strong with France (especially in Navarre) and overseas up to the Peninsular War (up to 1813), but getting sluggish thereafter. Another important reason for the massive mobilisation of the western Basque provinces and Navarre for the Carlist cause was the tremendous influence of the Basque clergy in the society, one that still addressed to them in their own language, Basque, unlike school and administration, institutions where Spanish had been imposed by then. The Basque pro-''fueros'' liberal class under the influence of the Enlightenment and ready for independence from Spain (and initially at least allegiance to France) was put down by the Spanish authorities at the end of the
War of the Pyrenees The War of the Pyrenees, also known as War of Roussillon or War of the Convention, was the Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic. It pitted Revolutionary France against the kingdoms of Spain and Portuga ...
( San Sebastián,
Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...
, etc.). As of then, the strongest partisans of the region specific laws were the rural based clergy, nobility and lower class—opposing new liberal ideas largely imported from France.
Salvador de Madariaga Salvador de Madariaga y Rojo (23 July 1886 – 14 December 1978) was a Spanish diplomat, writer, historian, and pacifist. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the Charlemagne Prize in ...
, in his book ''Memories of a Federalist'' (Buenos Aires, 1967), accused the Basque clergy of being "the heart, the brain and the root of the intolerance and the hard line" of the Spanish Catholic Church. On the other side, the liberals and moderates united to defend the new order represented by María Cristina and her three-year-old daughter, Isabella. They controlled the institutions, almost the whole army, and the cities; the Carlist movement was stronger in rural areas. The liberals had the crucial support of
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
, support that was shown in the important credits to Cristina's treasury and the military help from the British (British Legion or Westminster Legion under General de Lacy Evans), the French (the
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...
), and the Portuguese (a Regular Army Division, under General Count of Antas). The Liberals were strong enough to win the war in two months. But, an inefficient government and the dispersion of the Carlist forces gave Carlos time to consolidate his forces and hold out for almost seven years in the northern and eastern provinces. As Paul Johnson has written, "both royalists and liberals began to develop strong local followings, which were to perpetuate and transmute themselves, through many open commotions and deceptively tranquil intervals, until they exploded in the merciless civil war of 1936-39."


Combatants

Both sides raised special troops during the war. The Liberal side formed the volunteer Basque units known as the Chapelgorris, while Tomás de Zumalacárregui created the special units known as aduaneros. Zumalacárregui also established the unit known as Guías de Navarra from Liberal troops from La Mancha, Valencia, Andalusia and other places who had been taken prisoner at the Battle of Alsasua (1834). After this battle, they had been faced with the choice of joining the Carlist troops or being executed. The term Requetés was at first applied to just the Tercer Batallón de Navarra (Third Battalion of Navarre) and subsequently to all Carlist combatants. The war attracted independent adventurers, such as the Briton C. F. Henningsen, who served as Zumalacárregui's chief bodyguard (and later was his biographer), and Martín Zurbano, a ''contrabandista'' or smuggler, who:
soon after the commencement of the war sought and obtained permission to raise a body of men to act in conjunction with the queen's troops against the
Carlists Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – ...
. His standard, once displayed, was resorted to by smugglers, robbers, and outcasts of all descriptions, attracted by the prospect of plunder and adventure. These were increased by deserters...
About 250 foreign volunteers fought for the Carlists; the majority were French monarchists, but they were joined by men from
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
, Britain,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
,
Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
, and the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
states.19th Century bibliography of military history in the Basque Country
/ref> Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzenberg fought for the Carlists, and had taken part in the French conquest of Algeria and the Swiss civil war of the Sonderbund. The Carlists' ranks included such men as Prince
Felix Lichnowsky Felix (von) Lichnowsky, ''fully'' Felix Maria Vincenz Andreas ''Fürst'' von Lichnowsky, ''Graf'' von Werdenberg ( es, link=no, Félix Lichnowsky; 5 April 1814 – 19 September 1848) was a son of the historian Eduard Lichnowsky who had wr ...
, Adolfo Loning, Baron Wilhelm Von Radhen and
August Karl von Goeben August Karl Friedrich Christian von Goeben (10 December 181613 November 1880), was a Prussian infantry general, who won the Iron Cross for his service in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. Early career Born at Stade 30 km west of Hambu ...
, all of whom later wrote memoirs concerning the war. The Liberal generals, such as Vicente Genaro de Quesada and
Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri (1788–1851) was a Spanish military man and administrator. Born in Beriáin in Navarre, he distinguished himself as a cadet during the War of Spanish Independence. He was married to Josefa de Erice, later Condesa ...
, were often veterans of the Peninsular War, or of the wars resulting from independence movements in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...
. For instance, Jerónimo Valdés participated in the battle of Ayacucho (1824). Both sides executed prisoners of war by firing squad; the most notorious incident occurred at Heredia, when 118 Liberal prisoners were executed by order of Zumalacárregui. The British attempted to intervene, and through Lord Eliot, the
Lord Eliot Convention The Lord Eliot Convention, or simply the Eliot Convention or Eliot Treaty ( es, Convenio Lord Eliot), was an April 1835 agreement brokered by Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans between the two opposing sides of the First Carlist War. It had as ...
was signed on April 27–28, 1835. The treatment of prisoners of the First Carlist War became regulated and had positive effects. A soldier of the
British Auxiliary Legion The British Auxiliary Legion, also called the British Legion (''La Legión Británica'') or Westminster Legion, existed from 1835 to 1837. It was a British military force sent to Spain to support the Liberals and Queen Isabella II of Spain against ...
wrote:
The British and Chapelgorris who fell into their hands he Carlists were mercilessly put to death, sometimes by means of tortures worthy of the North American Indians; but the Spanish troops of the line were saved by virtue, I believe, of the Eliot treaty, and after being kept for some time in prison, where they were treated with sufficient harshness, were frequently exchanged for an equal number of prisoners made by the Christinos.
However, Henry Bill, another contemporary, wrote that, although "it was mutually agreed upon to treat the prisoners taken on either side according to the ordinary rules of war, a few months only elapsed before similar barbarities were practiced with all their former remorselessness."


War


Northern front

The war was long and hard, and the Carlist forces (labeled "the Basque army" by John F. Bacon) achieved important victories in the north under the direction of the brilliant general Tomás de Zumalacárregui. The Basque commander swore an oath to uphold home rule in Navarre (''fueros''), subsequently being proclaimed commander in chief of Navarre. The Basque regional governments of Biscay,
Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a Provinces of Spain, province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country, heir of the ancient Basque señoríos#Lords of Álav ...
, and Gipuzkoa followed suit by pledging obedience to Zumalacárregui. He took to the bush in the Amescoas (to become the Carlist headquarters, next to Estella-Lizarra), there making himself strong and avoiding the harassment of the Spanish forces loyal to Maria Christina (Isabella II). 3,000 volunteers with no resources came to swell his forces. In summer 1834, Liberal (Isabeline) forces set fire to the Sanctuary of Arantzazu and a convent of Bera, while Zumalacárregui showed his toughest side when he had volunteers refusing to advance over Etxarri-Aranatz executed. The Carlist cavalry engaged and defeated in Viana an army sent from Madrid (14 September 1834), while Zumalacárregui's forces descended from the Basque Mountains over the Álavan Plains (Vitoria), and prevailed over general Manuel O'Doyle. The veteran general
Espoz y Mina Francisco Espoz Ilundáin (17 June 1781 – 24 December 1836), being better known as Francisco Espoz y Mina, was a Spanish guerrilla leader and general. Biography He was born in Idocin in Navarre. His father, Juan Esteban Espoz y Mina, and hi ...
, a Liberal Navarrese commander, attempted to drive a wedge between the Carlist northern and southern forces, but Zumalacárregui's army managed to hold them back (late 1834). In January 1835, the Carlists took over Baztan in an operation where the general Espoz y Mina narrowly escaped a severe defeat and capture, while the local Liberal Gaspar de Jauregi ''Artzaia'' ('the Shepherd') and his '' chapelgorris'' were neutralized in Zumarraga and Urretxu. By May 1835, virtually all
Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French de ...
and seigneury of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. ...
were in Carlist hands. Opposing his advisers and Zumalacárregui's plan, Carlos V decided to conquer Bilbao, defended by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
and the British Auxiliary Legion. With such an important city in his power, the Prussian or Russian Tsarist banks would give him credit to win the war; one of the most important problems for Carlos was a lack of funds. In the siege of Bilbao, Zumalacárregui was wounded in the leg by a stray bullet. The wound was not serious, he was treated by a number of doctors, famously by Petrikillo (nowadays meaning in Basqu
'quack' or 'dodgy healer'
. The relationship of the pretender to the throne and the commander in chief was at least distant; not only had they differed in operative strategy, but Zumalacárregui's popularity could undermine Carlos' own authority, as in the early stages of the war, the Basque general was offered the crown of Navarre and the lordship of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. ...
as king of the Basques. The injury did not heal properly, and finally General Zumalacárregui died on June 25, 1835. Many historians believe the circumstances of his death were suspicious, and have noted that the general had many enemies in the Carlist court; however, to date no further light has been shed on this point. In the European theatre, all the great powers backed the Isabeline army, as many British observers wrote in their reports. Meanwhile, in the east, Carlist general Ramón Cabrera held the initiative in the war, but his forces were too few to achieve a decisive victory over the Liberal forces loyal to Madrid. In 1837 the Carlist effort culminated in the Royal Expedition, which reached the walls of Madrid, but subsequently retreated after the
Battle of Aranzueque The Battle of Aranzueque was a military confrontation at the village of Aranzueque, Spain, on 19 September 1837, during the First Carlist War. The battle pitted the troops of the pretender to the Spanish crown, Carlos V, against the troops of ...
.


Southern front

In the south, the Carlist general Miguel Gómez Damas attempted to establish a strong position there for the Carlists, and he left Ronda on November 18, 1836, entering Algeciras on November 22. But, after Gómez Damas departed from Algeciras, he was defeated by Ramón María Narváez y Campos at the
Battle of Majaceite The Battle of Majaceite was fought in the First Carlist War. Ramón María Narváez y Campos was ordered to intercept the expedition of the Carlist general Miguel Gómez Damas. Narváez left Madrid in October 1836 with three divisions, while G ...
. An
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
commentator wrote that "it was at Majaciete that arváezrescued Andalucía from the Carlist invasion by a brilliant '' coup de main'', in a rapid but destruction action, which will not readily be effaced from the memory of the southern provinces."T. M. Hughes, ''Revelations of Spain in 1845'' (London: Henry Colburn, 1845), 124. At Arcos de la Frontera, the Liberal Diego de Leon managed to detain a Carlist column by his squadron of 70 cavalry until Liberal reinforcements arrived. Ramon Cabrera had collaborated with Gómez Damas in the expedition of Andalusia where, after defeating the Liberals, he occupied Córdoba and Extremadura. He was pushed out after his defeat at
Villarrobledo Villarrobledo () is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Albacete, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It's better known for having the world's largest area covered by vineyards (more than 30,000 has., approxim ...
in 1836.


End

After the death of Zumalacárregui in 1835, the Liberals slowly regained the initiative but were not able to win the war in the Basque districts until 1839. They failed to recover the Carlist fortress of Morella and suffered a defeat at the Battle of Maella (1838). The war effort had taken a heavy toll on Basque economy and regional public finances with a population shaken by a myriad of war related plights—human losses, poverty, disease—and tired with Carlos' own absolutist ambitions and disregard for their self-government. The moderate Jose Antonio Muñagorri negotiated as of 1838 a treaty in Madrid to put an end to war ("Peace and Fueros") leading to the Embrace of Bergara (also Vergara), ratified by Basque moderate liberals and disaffected Carlists across all the main cities and countryside. The war in the Basque Country ended with the '' Convenio de Bergara'', also known as the ''Abrazo de Bergara'' ("the Embrace of
Bergara es, vergarés, vergaresa , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = BasqueSpanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = + ...
", ''Bergara'' in Basque) on 31 August 1839, between the Liberal general Baldomero Espartero, Count of Luchana and the Carlist General Rafael Maroto. Some authors have written that General Maroto was a traitor who forced Carlos to accept the peace with little focus as to the precise context in the Basque Country. In the east, General Cabrera continued fighting, but when Espartero conquered Morella and Cabrera in
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
(30 May 1840), the fate of the Carlists was sealed. Espartero progressed to
Berga Berga () is the capital of the ''comarca'' (county) of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià, Capolat and Castellar del Riu. History Berga derives its name ...
, and by mid-July 1840 the Carlist troops had to flee to France. Considered a hero, Cabrera returned to Portugal in 1848 for the Second Carlist War.


Consequences

The Embrace of Bergara (August 1839) put an end to war in the Basque districts. The Basques managed to keep a reduced version of their previous home rule (taxation, military draft) in exchange for their unequivocal incorporation into Spain (October 1839), now centralized, and divided into provinces. The October 1839 Act was confirmed in Navarre, but events took an unexpected turn in Madrid when General Baldomero Espartero rose to office with the support of the
Progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techn ...
in Spain. In 1840, he became premier and regent. The financial and trading bourgeoisie burgeoned, but after Carlist war the Treasury's coffers were depleted and the army pending discharge. In 1841 a separate treaty was signed by officials of the Council of Navarre (the ''Diputación Provincial'', established in 1836), such as the Liberal Yanguas y Miranda, without the mandatory approval of the parliament of the kingdom (the ''Cortes''). That compromise (called later the ''Ley Paccionada'', the Compromise Act) accepted further curtailments to self-government, and more importantly officially turned the Kingdom of Navarre into a province of Spain (August 1841). In September 1841, Espartero's uprising had its follow-up in the military occupation of the Basque Country, and subsequent suppression by decree of Basque home rule altogether, definitely bringing the Ebro customs over to the Pyrenees and the coast. The region was gripped by a wave of famine, and many took to overseas emigration at either side of the Basque Pyrenees, to America. Espartero's regime came to an end in 1844 after the moderate Conservatives gained momentum, and a settlement was found for the stand-off in the Basque Provinces.


Chronology of battles

* Battle of Malays (April 10, 1834) - Liberal victory * Battle of Alsasua (April 22, 1834) - Carlist victory * Battle of Gulina (June 18, 1834) - Carlist victory * Battle of Alegría de Álava (October 27, 1834) - Carlist victory * Battle of Venta de Echávarri (October 28, 1834) - Carlist victory *
Battle of Mendaza The Battle of Mendaza was an early battle of the First Carlist War, occurring on December 12, 1834, at Mendaza, Navarre. The Carlists had enjoyed a victory in the Battle of Venta de Echavarri in October and also the fruits of a raid on Navarre, ...
(December 12, 1834) - Liberal victory * First Battle of Arquijas (December 15, 1834) - Liberal victory * Second Battle of Arquijas (February 5, 1835) - Carlist victory * Battle of Artaza (April 22, 1835) - Carlist victory * Battle of Mendigorría (July 16, 1835) - Liberal victory * Battle of Arlabán (January 16–18, 1836) - Carlist victory * Battle of Terapegui (April 26, 1836) - Liberal victory * Battle of Villarrobledo (September 20, 1836) - Liberal victory *
Battle of Majaceite The Battle of Majaceite was fought in the First Carlist War. Ramón María Narváez y Campos was ordered to intercept the expedition of the Carlist general Miguel Gómez Damas. Narváez left Madrid in October 1836 with three divisions, while G ...
(November 23, 1836) - Liberal victory * Battle of Luchana (December 24, 1836) - Liberal victory *
Battle of Oriamendi The Battle of Oriamendi (Basque: ''Oriamendiko Gudua'') was a battle fought on 16 March 1837 during the First Carlist War. The battle was an overwhelming victory for the Carlists. Prelude The battle was part of a campaign in spring 1837 when ...
(March 16, 1837) - Carlist victory * Battle of Huesca (March 24, 1837) - Liberal victory *
Battle of Villar de los Navarros The Battle of Villar de los Navarros (August 24, 1837) was a battle of the First Carlist War. It occurred near the town of Villar de los Navarros in Zaragoza Province and was a victory for the Carlists. The Carlists took many prisoners, includ ...
(August 24, 1837) - Carlist victory *
Battle of Andoain The Battle of Andoain (Basque: ''Andoaingo Gudua'') was a battle fought on 14 September 1837, during the First Carlist War in northern Spain. The action took place in Andoain, south of the main Liberal stronghold of San Sebastián. Liberal troops, ...
(September 14, 1837) - Carlist victory - End of the
British Auxiliary Legion The British Auxiliary Legion, also called the British Legion (''La Legión Británica'') or Westminster Legion, existed from 1835 to 1837. It was a British military force sent to Spain to support the Liberals and Queen Isabella II of Spain against ...
as an effective fighting force *
Battle of Aranzueque The Battle of Aranzueque was a military confrontation at the village of Aranzueque, Spain, on 19 September 1837, during the First Carlist War. The battle pitted the troops of the pretender to the Spanish crown, Carlos V, against the troops of ...
(September 19, 1837) - Liberal victory, end of Carlist campaign known as the '' Expedición Real'' * Battle of Maella (October 1, 1838) - Carlist victory * Battle of Peñacerrada (June 20–22, 1838) - Liberal victory *
Battle of Ramales The Battle of Ramales, a battle of the First Carlist War, occurred at Ramales in Cantabria on May 12, 1839. The Liberals were commanded by Baldomero Espartero, the Carlists by Rafael Maroto. History The Liberals, initially outnumbering the ...
(May 13, 1839) - Liberal victory


References


Further reading

* Lawrence, Mark. ''Spain’s First Carlist War, 1833-40''. Palgrave: Basingstoke, 2014. * Atkinson, William C. ''A History of Spain and Portugal''. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1960. * Brett, Edward M. ''The British Auxiliary Legion in the First Carlist War 1835-1838: A Forgotten Army''. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2005. * Carr, Raymond. ''Spain, 1808-1975'' (1982), pp 184–95 * Chambers, James. ''Palmerston: The People's Darling''. London: John Murray, 2004. * Clarke, Henry Butler. ''Modern Spain, 1815-98'' (1906) old but full of factual detai
online
* Coverdale, John F. ''The Basque Phase of Spain's First Carlist War''. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984. * Holt, Edgar. ''The Carlist Wars in Spain.'' Chester Springs (Pennsylvania): Dufour Editions, 1967. * Payne, Stanley G. ''History of Spain and Portugal: v. 2'' (1973) ch 19-21 * Webster, Charles K. ''The Foreign Policy of Palmerston 1830-1841''. London: E. Bell & Sons, 1951. (2 volumes). * Wellard, James. ''The French Foreign Legion''. London: George Rainbird Ltd., 1974. * Williams, Mark. ''The Story of Spain''. Puebla Lucia (California): Mirador Publications, 1992.


In Spanish

*Alcala, Cesar and Dalmau, Ferrer A. 1a. ''Guerra Carlista. El Sitio de Bilbao. La Expedición Real (1835-1837)''. Madrid : Almena Ediciones, 2006. *Artola, Miguel. ''La España de Fernando VII''. Madrid: Editorial Espasa-Calpe, 1999. *Burdiel, Isabel. ''Isabel II''. Madrid: Santillana Ediciones, 2010. *Bullón de Mendoza, Alfonso. ''La Primera Guerra Carlista''. Madrid: Editorial Actas, 1992. *Bullón de Mendoza, Alfonso (Editor): ''Las Guerras Carlistas. Catálogo de la exposición celebrada por el Ministerio de Cultura en el Museo de la Ciudad de Madrid''. Madrid, Ministerio de Cultura, 2004. *Clemente, Josep Carles. ''La Otra Dinastía: Los Reyes Carlistas en la España Contemporanea''. Madrid: A. Machado Libros S.A., 2006. *Condado, Emilio. ''La Intervención Francesa en España (1835-1839)''. Madrid: Editorial Fundamentos, 2002. *De Porras y Rodríguez de León, Gonzalo. ''La Expedición de Rodil y las Legiones Extranjeras en la Primera Guerra Carlista''. Madrid: Ministerio de *Defensa, 2004. *De Porras y Rodríguez de León, Gonzalo. ''Dos Intervenciones Militares Hispano-Portuguesas en las Guerras Civiles del Siglo XIX''. Madrid: Ministerio de Defensa, 2001. *Fernandez Bastarreche, Fernando. ''Los Espadones Románticos''. Madrid: Edito-rial Synthesis, 2007. *Garcia Bravo, Alberto; Salgado Fuentes, Carlos Javier. ''El Carlismo: 175 Años de Sufrida Represión''. Madrid: Ediciones Arcos, 2008. *Henningsen, Charles Frederick. ''Zumalacarregui''. Buenos Aires: Espasa-Calpe Argentina, 1947. *Moral Roncal, Antonio Manuel. ''Los Carlistas''. Madrid: Arco Libros, 2002. *Moral Roncal, Antonio Manuel. ''Las Guerras Carlistas''. Madrid: Silex Ediciones, 2006. *Nieto, Alejandro. ''Los Primeros Pasos del Estado Constitucional: Historia Administrativa de la Regencia de Maria Cristina''. Barcelona: Editorial Ariel, 2006. *Oyarzun, Roman. ''Historia del Carlismo''. Madrid: Ediciones Fe, 1939. *Perez Garzon, Juan Sisinio (Editor). ''Isabel II: Los Espejos de la Reina''. Madrid: Marcial Pons Historia, 2004. *Pirala, Antonio. ''Historia de la Guerra Civil''. Madrid: Turner SA / Historia 16, 1984. (6 Volumes). *Romanones, Conde de. ''Espartero: El General del Pueblo''. Madrid: Ikusager Ediciones, 2007. *Urcelay Alonso, Javier. ''Cabrera: el Tigre del Maestrazgo''. Madrid: Ariel, 2006. *Vidal Delgado, Rafael. ''Entre Logroño y Luchana: Campañas del General Espartero''. Logroño (Spain): Instituto de Estudios Riojanos, 2004.


In Portuguese

*J.B. (Full name unknown). "Relaçao Historica da Campanha de Portugal pelo Exercito Espanhol as Ordens do Tenente General D. Jose Ramon Rodil (1835)". Published as part of ''D. Miguel e o Fim da Guerra Civil'': Testemunhos. Lisbon: Caleidoscopio Edição, 2006.


In French

*Montagnon, Pierre. ''Histoire de la Legion''. Paris: Pygmalion, 1999. *Porch, Douglas. ''La Legion Etrangere 1831-1962''. Paris: Fayard, 1994. *Bergot, Erwan. ''La Legion''. Paris: Ballard, 1972. *Dembowski, Karol. ''Deux Ans en Espagne et en Portugal, pendant la Guerre Civile, 1838-1840''. Paris: Charles Gosselin, 1841.


External links


Site by the Zumalakarregi Museum dedicated to the First Carlist War
{{Authority control Basque history Carlism Civil wars involving the states and peoples of Europe Civil wars of the Industrial era Military history of Spain Wars involving Portugal Wars involving France Wars involving the United Kingdom Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Europe 1830s in Spain