Quadruple Alliance (1834)
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The Quadruple Alliance was a
treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
signed between the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...
,
Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...
on 22 April 1834, by which the four
States State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
undertook to expel from Portugal the Portuguese Infante
Miguel --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disamb ...
and the Spanish Infante Carlos. With the beginning of the
Carlist War The Carlist Wars (, ) were a series of civil wars that took place in Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought over claims to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1 ...
, additional articles were signed in August of that year, by which the rest of the signatory parties undertook to help the legitimist government in Spain. The treaty was understood by the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
and
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
, absolutist powers, as a joint diplomatic action in
international politics International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...
to defend the
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
models represented by the governments of the Quadruple Alliance. In the practical field, given that France and the United Kingdom were the first European powers, it was a question of both securing partial control of Spain and Portugal as medium-sized countries with unstable policies, such as the government of Isabella II in Spain, in a manner closer to a protectorate. This put an end to Spain's membership of the
Holy Alliance The Holy Alliance (; ), also called the Grand Alliance, was a coalition linking the absolute monarchist great powers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, which was created after the final defeat of Napoleon at the behest of Emperor Alexander I of Rus ...
, already quite denaturalized, and it was a significant milestone that two countries traditionally at loggerheads, such as France and the United Kingdom, reached a mutual understanding. The Quadruple Alliance guaranteed the support of France and the United Kingdom for the dynastic pretensions of the daughter of
Ferdinand VII of Spain Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was Monarchy of Spain, King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (t ...
,
Isabella II Isabella II (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...
, against the pretender to the Crown, Carlos María Isidro de Borbón, a fact that was significant for the defeat of the latter's supporters in the First Carlist War and for the consolidation of the regime.


Context

The
Revolutions of 1830 The Revolutions of 1830 were a revolutionary wave in Europe which took place in 1830. It included two "Romantic nationalism, romantic nationalist" revolutions, the Belgian Revolution in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the July Revolution ...
marked a turning point in the system of the European concert initiated at the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
in 1815. As Menchén Barrios states, "''the political ambitions that lead to it he Quadruple Alliancedepend on the existing antagonisms between the liberal Europe that emerges from the revolution and the absolutist Europe''". The
Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was a conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. The ...
was the first example of the division into blocs, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
on the one hand,
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
on the other. The rapprochement between the United Kingdom and France was brought about by "''multiple interests, and not only by ideological affinities''", although these were evident. In France, the revolution of 1830 gave power to
Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...
, who at first adopted liberal positions. In the United Kingdom, the '' Whigs'' took over the government and imposed the
Great Reform Act The Representation of the People Act 1832 (also known as the Reform Act 1832, Great Reform Act or First Reform Act) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (indexed as 2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 45), enacted by the Whig government of Pri ...
in 1832, which allowed for a certain political openness and a broadening of the basis of the parliamentary regime. An important point of the ''Whig'' approaches, and especially of the radicals who supported them in
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, was the defense of liberal ideals in
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. This defense and union explained the rapprochement with France, which took the form of a common front against the absolutist monarchies. In any case, this collaboration had two important limitations: the traditional English principle of non-intervention and the different and conflicting economic interests of each country. As for
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, both countries had a very difficult internal situation. In Portugal, a
war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim to be the Order of succession, rightful successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are ...
had been going on since the mid-1820's. In Spain the situation was also similar, although
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
would not break out until after the signing of the treaty. In international politics the treaty, and the dependence it entailed, was "''the result of the international isolation of the Isabelline regime''". López-Cordón emphasized this isolation, adding that it stemmed from the "''disqualification of Spain as a European power, the result of the unfortunate foreign policy of
Fernando VII Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (the Desired), and af ...
''". An example of Spain's isolation in international politics is that only France and England recognized Isabella II as the legitimate heir at first. Her example was only followed by countries dependent on those powers.


Meaning

The immediate purpose of the treaty was to achieve the expulsion of the Infantes Miguel and Carlos from Portugal, but it was understood that the commitments assumed went beyond this. Without the need to explicitly state this in the treaty, England continued to maintain its influence in Portugal and unilateral Spanish action was avoided. Furthermore, the union of the constitutionalist countries (what would be called the ''"spirit" of the Quadruple'') made the Northern Powers uneasy.
Javier de Burgos Francisco Javier de Burgos y del Olmo (22 October 1778—22 January 1848) was a Spanish jurist, politician, journalist, and translator. Early life and career Born in Motril, into a noble but poor family, he was destined for a career in the ...
defined the treaty as "''a kind of provocation directed at the Northern Powers''" (Prussia, Austria and Russia). The negotiation of the additional articles was complicated, as it involved transforming moral support into effective support on the ground. The new articles concerned the United Kingdom, but above all France, which made specific commitments without much intention of fulfilling them quickly. The most obvious meaning for the historiography on the Quadruple Alliance is that this treaty entailed a "tutelage" of the United Kingdom and France over Spain and Portugal, something that was already reflected in the very text of the treaty. The tutelage was due to the unequal weight of the signatories due to their situation and circumstances. Authors such as Vilar have come to consider that "''in practice it is a treaty of Anglo-French protectorate over the two states of the Iberian Peninsula''".


Contracting parties

The initiative for the treaty came from the United Kingdom. Portugal, despite considering military support as essential, joined the treaty with little enthusiasm, seeing it as necessary and inevitable. Vilar believes that even Portugal joined the treaty "''in a somewhat forced way''". Spain, on the other hand, signed as enthusiastic, since it was seen as a diplomatic success, as the "''crowning of the process of rapprochement with the United Kingdom''". Moreover, the accession of France was at first viewed with reluctance by Palmerston, the British Foreign Secretary who signed the treaty, and was only achieved under pressure from Talleyrand, the French ambassador in London. The final inclusion gives a secondary role to France, dependent on the rest of the parties; it was rather a moral effect to "''dispel the rumors spread by the absolutist powers about Franco-British differences''". For France it was a way to achieve an "''institutional compromise that would support the Entente''". Therefore, rather than out of interest in the Portuguese and Spanish problems, France's inclusion is understood by its desire for rapprochement with Britain.


Consequences

Two stages can be distinguished in the practical existence of the Quadruple Alliance. The first would be the immediate implementation of the commitments undertaken and the second would refer to the "spirit of the Quadruple", once the reasons that justified the treaty had been concluded.


Portuguese and Spanish civil wars

The immediate implementation of the commitments assumed was the solution to the Portuguese problem. The Spanish question and the implementation of the additional articles would be more complicated. In general the "''British support was more effective''", although more diplomatic than economic or military. On this last issue there are some divergences in the historiography. For Vilar the military support was minimal and based on "''waste troops''". On the contrary, Rodríguez Alonso believes that the question should be investigated more and that one cannot minimize or speak of waste troops, summarizing the aid in "''the sending of an Auxiliary Legion, with the sale of arms and supplies for the war and with the sending of ships to hinder the provisioning by sea of the Carlist troops''". Menchén does affirm that the "''British collaboration was very valuable at some moments in spite of the economic compensations''", giving the example of its importance in resolving the blockade of Bilbao. The economic compensations referred to the inclusion of Spain in the British commercial system, something that did not materialize despite the fact that a commercial treaty was signed, but not ratified, in 1835. There is agreement among historians to consider as unhelpful or even negative the help of France in the Spanish matter, especially because of its scant control of the frontiers. France seemed, at times, an ally of Carlism rather than of the Elizabethan government. López-Cordón goes so far as to say that it constitutes "''indirectly rench aidalmost the most effective aid of the legitimist side''," adding that the supposed aid was the sending of volunteers of little importance because of their low numbers and because in most cases they went over to the Carlist side. French historiography explains the ambiguity of the aid by the European context: Louis Philippe I never lost the dialogue with Austria that would ask him to "restrain" the United Kingdom. According to these interests, he thought it necessary to maintain an attitude of moderation to avoid a generalization of the conflict. Throughout the development of the war, French intervention was sought in compliance with the agreement and even a change of government was made, passing to the moderate Ofalia, so that there would be greater ideological harmony. However, the intervention did not take place and this led to greater English dependence and influence for Spain. As for Portuguese cooperation in the Carlist War, it took a long time to be put into practice and was of little importance. It became effective only in 1836 and the following year the troops had to return due to internal uprisings in Portugal. In addition to military aid, the United Kingdom played an important diplomatic role, especially in two areas. Firstly, in the attempt to reduce the excesses of both sides in the war, signing for this purpose two agreements, the
Eliot Elliot (also spelled Eliot, Elliotte, Elliott, Eliott and Elyot) is a personal name which can serve as either a surname or a given name. Although the given name has historically been given to males, females have increasingly been given the name ...
and Segura Lécera, of "''very relative effectiveness''". Of greater importance is the second issue: intervention in the peace agreements that took the form of the
Convention of Vergara The Convention of Vergara (, ), entered into on 31 August 1839, was a treaty successfully ending the major fighting in Spain's First Carlist War. The treaty, also known by many other names including the Embrace of Vergara (), was signed by Bald ...
, which in its final draft essentially included the terms of the British proposal, despite the fact that it was made without foreign mediation. Rodríguez Alonso shares this view, adding that the British diplomats "''had played a fundamental role in the previous negotiations, but they took care that their work did not appear in the first place''".


The "spirit" of the Quadruple Entente

With the end of the war the treaty formally ceased to have effect, but neither side sought its cancellation. This was called the "spirit" of the Quadruple Alliance and took the form first of all of the growing Franco-British influence in Spain. In fact, there was a struggle between the two countries, which in the long run would lead to the end of the ''Entente'', to the understanding between France and the United Kingdom. The struggle for greater influence in Spain was fundamentally due to two issues. On the one hand, economic pretensions, but above all because the strategic control of the peninsula ensured two fundamental routes: the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
to
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
route controlled by the United Kingdom from
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
, and the French maritime route of
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
s-
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
. From 1830 onwards this second route would be vital for the French because of their conquests in Algeria, which made Spain "''a key player in Mediterranean politics''". For these reasons, any support in the peninsula was from the beginning the image of a rivalry, "''any abandonment by one state was immediately exploited by another to gain advantages''". The end of the ''Entente'' between the French and the British, and with it of the "spirit" of the Quadruple Alliance, was also due to the weakness it had since its formation because of the opposing economic interests that made political union impossible. On the international level the first divergences, without causing serious problems in any case, occurred in
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, in 1840, when France supported
Mehmet Ali Mehmet Ali, Memet Ali or Mehmed Ali ("Ali"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.) is a Turkish language, Turkish ...
in his attempt at independence from the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, finally having to give in and abandon Ali. At the Spanish level, for example, the divergences were noted in the influence of each State in the government. Thus, at the time of the fall of Espartero, it was understood that a period of French influence was opening up. In Portugal the struggles between the French and the English were always of less importance, since the traditional British influence continued to be maintained. The turning point of the ''Entente'' and of the "spirit" of the Quadruple Alliance also occurred in Spain, with the issue of the royal marriages that marked the definitive "''Franco-British estrangement, to the point that the Quadruple Alliance effectively ceased to exist"''. These were the marriages of Queen
Isabella II Isabella II (, María Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias; 10 October 1830 – 9 April 1904) was Queen of Spain from 1833 until her deposition in 1868. She is the only queen regnant in the history of unified Spain. Isabella wa ...
and the Infanta
Luisa Fernanda Luisa Fernanda is a former television entertainment news anchor, radio broadcaster, theatre and soap actress, singer and model. She was born on December 17th, 1970 in Mexico City. She worked for HSE in 2001 then Telemundo until the end of 2007. ...
. Both countries were trying to prevent the prince who married Isabella from harming their interests. Although in the end the Queen had to settle for a Spanish prince to avoid suspicions, France managed to get the Infanta to marry a Frenchman, the
Duke of Montpensier The French fief, lordship of Montpensier (named after the village of Montpensier, Puy-de-Dôme, Montpensier, département in France, département of Puy-de-Dôme), located in historical Auvergne (province), Auvergne, became a countship in the 14 ...
, something that Narváez allowed "''above all to prevent a possible British advantage from being taken advantage of by the progressives''". The balance was thus broken by a question of party, the
moderate Moderate is an ideological category which entails centrist views on a liberal-conservative spectrum. It may also designate a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. Political position Canad ...
, not of State. The last invocation of the Quadruple Treaty occurred during the Portuguese crisis of 1846-1847 and is the practical demonstration of the loss of its "spirit" with the Franco-British estrangement. Spanish interventionism in Portugal worried the British, who feared the influence of France, and this led to an agreement to settle the Portuguese question again jointly, under the guise of the Quadruple Treaty. Spain and France thought of "plural intervention as the best way of dealing with British predominance". Historians are categorical, expressing, as Menchén does, that "''after 1847 we can no longer speak of the Quadruple''". Moreover, the revolutionary events of 1848 changed the international panorama, especially for Spain: it would be impossible to maintain normal relations with a
republican France In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...
and at last the range of relations with other powers outside the Quadruple would open up, as the absolutist courts looked favorably on Narváez's repressive action.


Effects on Spain's international and domestic policy

It would be in Spain where the Quadruple Alliance would leave the deepest mark, extending its consequences far beyond 1847. As Vilar summarizes, it not only "contributed decisively to the consolidation of the Spanish liberal regime", but "even determined the general orientation of Spanish foreign policy throughout the reign and, to a certain extent, until 1939". This general orientation can be summarized in two points. First, Spain is included in a specific system of alliances; Menchén calls it, with the significant title of his study, a "Western system" as opposed to an absolutist Eastern one. Second, it stopped taking sides between France and England and took a balanced position: "when France and the United Kingdom agree, we march with them; when they do not, Spain abstains". Regarding the consolidation of the Spanish liberal regime as the fruit of the "spirit" of the Quadruple Alliance, it is worth noting the British influence which, in any case, did not support the revolutionaries, but rather the more moderate among the
progressives Progressivism is a left-leaning political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to advance the human condition through social reform. Adherents hold that progressivism has universal application and endeavor to spread this idea to human so ...
.


See also

*
Concession of Evoramonte The Concession of Evoramonte, also known as the Convention of Evoramonte,Smith, p. 398 is a peace treaty signed on 26 May 1834, in the town of Evoramonte, Alentejo, between the Constitutionalists and the Miguelites, that ended the Portuguese ...
*
The Two Georges ''The Two Georges'' is an alternate history and detective thriller novel co-written by science fiction author Harry Turtledove and Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss. It was originally published in 1995 by Hodder & Stoughton in the United King ...
, which features a Franco-Spanish dynastic union called the Holy Alliance


Notes and References


Bibliography

* * * * {{Cite book , last=Vilar , first=Juan Bautista , title=Juan Carlos Pereira (coord.): La política exterior de España (1800-2003) , publisher=Ariel , year=2003 , location=Barcelona , pages=401–420 , language=es , chapter=España en la Europa de los nacionalismos: entre pequeña nación y potencia media (1834-1874)


External links


Treaty text (in Spanish)
1834 in international relations Treaties of Spain Treaties of France Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of Portugal 19th-century military alliances Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston