At the beginning of the nineteenth century the foreign dominions of
Spain, although reduced, were still a vast and imperial possession.
The colonial territory over which Alfonso XIII. was to have
sovereignty at the close of that century, consisted of the
Philippines, the richest of the East Indies; Cuba, the richest of the
West Indies; Porto Rico, and a few outlying groups of islands of no
great value.
Nowhere had the Constitution of 1812 awakened more hope than in Cuba;
and from the setting aside of that instrument by Ferdinand VI. dates
the existence of an insurgent party in that beautiful but most unhappy
island. Ages of spoliation and cruelty and wrong had done their work.
The iron of oppression had entered into the soul of the Cuban. There
was a deep exasperation which refused to be calmed. From thenceforth
annexation to the United States, or else a "_Cuba Libre_," was the
determined, and even desperate aim.
After a ten-years' war, 1868-78, the people yielded to what proved a
delusive promise of home-rule. How could Spain bestow upon her colony
what she did not possess herself? When in 1881 she tried to pacify
Cuba by permitting that island to send six Senators to sit in the
Spanish Cortes, it was a phantom of a phantom. There was no outlet
for the national will in Spain itself. Her Cortes was _not_ a national
assembly, and its members were _not_ the choice of the people. How
much less must they be so then in Cuba, where they were only men
of straw selected by the home government, for the purpose of
defeating--not expressing--the popular will? The emptiness of this
gift was soon discovered. Then came a shorter conflict, which was only
a prelude to the last.
A handful of ragged revolutionists, ignorant of the arts of war,
commenced the final struggle for liberty on February 24, 1895, under
the leadership of Jose Marti. At the end of two years a poorly armed
band of guerrilla soldiers had waged a successful contest against
235,000 well-equipped troops, supported by a militia and a navy, and
maintained by supplies from Spain; had adopted a Constitution, and
were asking for recognition as a free Republic. The Spanish commander
Martinez Campos was superseded by General Weyler (1895), and a new
and severer method was inaugurated in dealing with the stubborn
revolutionists, but with no better success than before. In August,
1897, an insurrection broke out anew in the Philippines, and Spain was
in despair.
America calmly resisted all appeals for annexation or for intervention
in Cuba. Sympathy for Cuban patriots was strong in the hearts of the
people, but the American Government steadfastly maintained an attitude
of strict neutrality and impartiality, and with unexampled patience
saw a commerce amounting annually to one hundred millions of
dollars wiped out of existence, her citizens reduced to want by the
destruction of their property,--some of them lying in Spanish dungeons
subjected to barbarities which were worthy of the Turkish Janizaries;
our fleets used as a coastguard and a police, in the protection of
Spanish interests, and more intolerable than all else, our hearts
wrung by cries of anguish at our very doors!
But when General Weyler inaugurated a system for the deliberate
starvation of thirty thousand "Reconcentrados," an innocent peasantry
driven from their homes and herded in cities, there to perish, the
limit of patience was reached. It was this touch of human pity--this
last and intolerable strain upon our sympathies--which turned the
scale.
While a profound feeling of indignation was prevailing on account of
these revolting crimes against humanity, the battleship _Maine_ was,
by request of Consul General Lee at that place, dispatched to the
harbor of Havana to guard American citizens and interests. The sullen
reception of the _Maine_ was followed on February 15, 1898, by a
tragedy which shocked the world. Whether the destruction of that ship
and the death of 266 brave men was from internal or external causes
was a very critical question. It was submitted to a court of inquiry
which, after long deliberation, rendered the decision that the cause
was--_external_.
It looked dark for lovers of peace! President McKinley exhausted all
the resources of diplomacy before he abandoned hope of a peaceful
adjustment which would at the same time compel justice to the Cuban
people. But on April 25, 1898, it was declared that war existed
between Spain and America.
Less than a week after this declaration, in the early morning of
May 1, a victory over the Spanish fleet at Manila was achieved by
Commodore Dewey, which made him virtual master of the Philippines;
and just two months later, July 1 and 2 were made memorable by two
engagements in the West Indies, resulting, the one in the defeat of
the Spanish land forces at San Juan, and the other in the complete
annihilation of Admiral Cervera's fleet in the Bay of Santiago de
Cuba--misfortunes so overwhelming that overtures for peace were
quickly received at Washington from Madrid; and the Spanish-American
War was over.
The colonial empire of Spain was at an end. The kingdom over which
Alfonso XIII. was soon to reign had at a stroke lost the Spanish
Indies in the West, and the Philippines in the far East. To America
was confided the destiny of these widely separated possessions, Porto
Rico being permanently ceded to the United States; while, according to
the avowed purpose at the outset of the war, Cuba and the islands in
the Pacific, as soon as fitted for self-government, were to be given
into their own keeping; a promise which in the case of Cuba has
already been redeemed, all possible haste being made to prepare the
Philippines for a similar responsibility and destiny.
The quickness with which cordial relations have been re-established
between Spain and the United States is most gratifying; and too much
praise cannot be bestowed upon that proud, high-spirited people, who
have accepted the results of the war in a spirit so admirable. In the
loss of her American colonies, Spain has been paying a debt contracted
in the days of her dazzling splendor--the time of the great Charles
and of Philip II.,--a kind of indebtedness which in the case of
nations is never forgiven, but must be paid to the uttermost farthing.
If history teaches anything, it is that the nations which have been
cruel and unjust sooner or later must "drink the cup of the Lord's
fury," just as surely as did the Assyrians of old. Another thing
which is quite as obvious is that the nations of the earth to-day must
accept the ideals of the advancing tide of modern civilization, or
perish! A people whose national festival is a bull-fight, has still
something to learn. Much of mediaevalism still lingers in the methods
and ideals of Spain. In the time of her opulence and splendor these
methods and ideals were hers. So she believes in them and clings to
them still. She has been the victim of a vicious political system, to
which an intensely proud, patriotic, and brave people have believed
they must be loyal.
In no other land--as we have seen--is the national spirit so strong.
Certainly nowhere else has it ever been subjected to such strain and
survived. And this intense loyalty, this overwhelming pride of race,
this magnificent valor, have all been summoned to uphold a poor,
perishing, vicious political system.
But the _Zeitgeist_ is contagious. And at no time has its influence
in this conservative kingdom been so apparent as since the
Spanish-American War; soon after this was over, Alfonso ascended the
throne of his fathers. The important question of his marriage after
long consideration was decided by himself, when he selected an English
Princess, niece of Edward VII., for his future Queen. The Princess
Ena is the daughter of Princess Beatrice,--youngest child of Queen
Victoria,--and Prince Henry of Battenberg, who was killed some years
ago during one of the Kaffir wars in South Africa. A royal marriage
uniting Protestant England and Catholic Spain would at one time
have cost a throne and perhaps a head; and the cordiality, and even
enthusiasm, with which this union has been greeted in England shows
what seas of prejudice have been sailed through and what continents
of sectarian differences have been left behind; proving that the
_Zeitgeist_ has been busy in England as well as in Spain.
The royal marriage of these two children--(the King having just passed
his twentieth birthday)--attended by the traditional formalities, and
a revival of almost mediaeval splendor, took place at Madrid, June 1,
1906. The many romantic features attending the courtship of the
boy King and his English girl-bride invested the occasion with a
picturesque interest for the whole world. And yet--impossible as it
would have seemed--there existed some one degenerate enough to convert
it into a ghastly tragedy. While returning to the royal palace over
flower-strewn streets, after the conclusion of the marriage ceremony,
a bomb concealed in a bouquet was thrown from an upper window, hitting
the royal coach at which it was directly aimed. The young King and
Queen escaped as if by a miracle from the wreck; and the destruction
intended for them bore death and mutilation to scores of innocent
people in no wise connected with the Government; and Madrid, at the
moment of her supreme rejoicing, was converted into a blood-stained,
mourning city.
Never did anarchistic methods seem so utterly divorced from
intelligence as in this last attempt at regicide. If it had succeeded,
an infant-nephew would have been King of Spain, with a long regency,
perhaps, of some well-seasoned Castilian of the old school!
There was an incident in connection with this marriage which deeply
touches the American heart. The special envoy, bearing a letter of
congratulation to the King from President Roosevelt, was received
with a warmth and consideration far exceeding what was required by
diplomatic usage, and the stars and stripes helping to adorn Madrid
for the great festival gave assurance that Spain and the United States
are really friends again.
LIST OF VISIGOTH KINGS.
A.D.
Ataulfus, 411-415
Wallia, 415-420
Theodored, 420-451
Thorismund, 451-452
Theodoric I. (Defeated Attila), 452-466
Evaric (Completed Gothic Conquest in Spain), 466-483
Alaric, 483-506
Gesaleic, 506-511
Theodoric II., 511-522
Amalaric, 522-531
Theudis, 531-548
Theudisel, 548-549
Agilan, 549-554
Athanagild I., 554-567
Liuva I., 567-570
Leovigild, 570-587
Recared I., 587-601
Liuva II., 601-603
Witteric, 603-610
Gundemar, 610-612
Sisebert, 612-621
Recared II. (3 months).
Swintila, 621-631
Sisenand, 631-636
Chintila, 636-640
Tulga, 640-642
Chindaswind, 642-649
Receswind, 649-672
Wamba, 672-680
Ervigius, 680-687
Egica (son of Wamba), 687-701
Witiza, 701-709
Roderick, 700-711
Theodomir, } Kings without a kingdom { 711-743
Athanagild II.,} { 743-755
KINGS OF THE ASTURIAS AND LEON.
A.D.
Pelayo (of Royal Gothic birth), 718
Favila (son of above), 737
Alfonso I. (son-in-law of Pelayo), 739
Fruela I. (son of Alfonso), 757
Aurelio, 768
Mauregato, 774
Bermudo I., 788
Alfonso II., 791
Ramiro I., 842
Ordono I., 850
Alfonso III., 866
Garcia, 910
Ordono II., 914
Fruela II., 923
Alfonso IV., 925
Ramiro II., 930
Ordono III., 950
Sancho I., 955
Ramiro III., 967
Bermudo II., 982
Alfonso V., 999
Bermudo III., 1027
Fernando I. (also King of Castile), 1037
Alfonso VI., 1065
Urraca, 1109
Alfonso VII. (also King of Castile), 1126
Fernando II., 1157
Alfonso IX. (Aided Conquest of Moors), 1188
Fernando III., 1230
LEON AND CASTILE UNITED.
Alfonso X. (_el sabio_), 1252
Sancho IV., 1284
Fernando IV., 1295
Alfonso XI., 1312
Pedro I. (_el cruel_), 1350
Enrique II., 1369
Juan I., 1379
Enrique IV., 1454
Isabel I. (married to Fernando II.
of Aragon), 1474
CASTILE AND ARAGON UNITED.
Carlos I. (Charles I. Elected
Charles V. of Germany, 1519), 1516
Philip II., 1556
Philip III., 1593
Philip IV., 1621
Carlos II., 1665
HOUSE OF BOURBON.
Philip V., 1700
Fernando VI., 1746
Carlos III., 1759
Carlos IV., 1788
Ferdinand VII., 1799
Joseph Bonaparte, 1806
Ferdinand VII. (reinstated), 1814
Isabella II. (dethroned, 1868), 1843
Alfonso XII., 1874
Alfonso XIII., 1885
INDEX
Abbasides, 66, 67
Abd-el-Rahman I, 66, 67, 68, 69, 72
Abd-el-Rahman II, 72, 73, 74
Abd-el-Rahman III, 74
Abdul Hassan, 105, 106
Acropolis, 92
Actium, 27
AEneas, 12
AEtius, 36
Ahab, 12
Alaric, 31
Alcazar, 89
Alexander, 13
Alfonso I, 63, 64, 65, 78
Alfonso III, 78
Alfonso VI, 81, 82
Alfonso IX, 86
Alfonso X, 90
Alfonso XII, 154, 155, 156, 160
Alfonso XIII, 144, 148, 150, 155, 162
Alhambra, 92, 106, 107
Alhama, 106
Almanzor, 79, 80, 86
Almoravides, 83, 84
Alsace, 129
Andalusian, 32, 61, 67, 79, 80
Antony, 27
Arabia, 91
Aragon, 64
Arianism, 40, 46
Armada, 121
Arthur, 70, 82
Assyrian, 7
Asturias, 6, 63, 64, 78, 81, 125
Ataulf, 32
Austria, Archduke of, 110
Ayasha, 105
Babel, 4
Babylonian, 7
Bacon, Roger, 87
Badajos, 83
Baghdad, 74, 75
Balboa, 114
Balearic, 11
Barcelona, 12
Basques, 36, 70
Battenberg, 162
Beatrice, 162
Berber, 2, 58, 65, 81, 83
Bertrand du Guesclin, 96
Black Prince, 95
Blanche de Bourbon, 95
Blenheim, 133
Boabdil, 105, 106, 107
Bourbon, 130
Braganza, Duke de, 128
Brummel, 73
Brunhilde, 42
Brutus, 27
Cadiz, 8, 21, 55, 120
Caesar, 26, 27
Canaan, 7
Canada, 138, 139
Canning, 147
Cantabrian, 56, 64, 127
Carlists, 149
Carlos II, 128, 130, 131, 132
Carlos III, 135, 136, 141
Carlos IV, 142
Carolinas, 129
Carthage, 10, 12
Carthagena, 15
Castelar, 153
Castile, 64, 79, 81, 94, 100, 101, 109
Castilian, 81, 123
Catalonian, 6
Catherine, 109, 118
Catherine de' Medici, 119
Cato, the Elder, 22
Cervantes, 24, 126
Cervera, 160
Ceuta, 18
Chaldean Civilization, 6
Chanson de Roland, 70
Charlemagne, 69, 70, 142
Charles Martel, 58, 69, 86
Charles I, 131
Charles II, 129
Charles V, 95, 110, 112, 122, 123
Chivalry, 126
Christina, 150
Christina, Hapsburg, 154
Cid, 82, 83, 85, 88
Clovis, 36
Columbus, 29, 109, 114
Constantinople, 107
Constantius, 34
Constanza, 96
Constitution, 144, 145, 148, 149
Corneille, 24, 26
Cortes, 112, 113, 144, 145, 147
Cortez, 112
Count Julian, 52-56
Court of the Lions, 106
Covadonga, 64, 88
Crusade, 86, 87
Damascus, 60, 74
Delenda est Carthago, 21
De Soto, 112
Dictator, 27
Dido, 12
Don Quixote, 126
Don Carlos, 159
Drake, Sir Francis, 120
Edward III, 96
Egmont, 119
Egyptian Civilization, 6
Eleanor, Queen, 90
Elizabeth, 120
Ena, Princess, 162
Enrique III, 96, 97
Enrique IV, 97
Errigius, 73, 74
Escurial, 117, 121, 154, 155
Eugene, Prince, 133
Eulogius, 73, 74
Evaric, 36
Ezekiel, 10
Ferdinand I, 100, 101, 105, 107, 111, 130
Ferdinand VI, 135
Ferdinand VII, 142
Fernando I, 79
Flanders, 112
Florida, 121, 129
Francis I, 111, 114
Francis d'Assisi, 152
Frederick II, 90
Gallicians, 6
Garibaldi, 153
George IV, 73
Gibraltar, 18, 135, 139, 141, 142
Granada, 85, 86, 92, 100, 101, 104
Guadalquivir, 73
Hamilcar, 14, 15
Hannibal, 12
Hapsburg, 130
Havana, 138
Henrietta, 127
Henry II, 119
Henry VIII, 109, 111, 117
Hidalgo, 50, 63, 78, 123
Hiram, 10, 109
Hispania, 21
Holy Alliance, 146, 147, 148, 149
Honorius, 34
Horn, 119
Huesca, 25
Huns, 36
Iberia, 2, 6
Ides of March, 27
Ionian, 9
Isabella I, 12, 96, 100, 102, 108, 109, 110, 130
Isabella II, 150, 151, 152
Isabella de Bourbon, 125
Isabel of Portugal, 114
Isaiah, 13
Islam, 59, 64
Jamaica, 128, 129
James II, 131, 132
Janizaries, 158
Jesuits, 136
Jezebel, 12
Joanna, 109, 110
John of Gaunt, 96, 97
Jose Marti, 157
Joseph Bonaparte, 143
Juan II, 100, 102
Juntas, 143
Karl, Archduke of Austria, 132, 133
Kelts, 4
Keltiberians, 5, 15, 22
Khalif, 65, 66, 75-77
Koran, 60
Kossuth, 151
Lee, 159
Leo X, 111
Leon, 79, 81, 94
Leopold, 132
Leovigild, 43
Lira, 24
Lorraine, 129
Louis IX, 90
Louis XIII, 125
Louis XIV, 127, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134
Louis XV, 140
Louisiana, 139
Lucan, 29
Luther, 114, 116
Madrid, Treaty of, 139
Magellan, 114
Mahdi, 85
Maine, 159
Manila, 138, 160
Maria Theresa, 127, 132
Marie de' Medici, 125
Marius, 23, 24
Marlborough, 133
Martian, 29
Martinez Campos, 158
Mary Tudor, 117, 118
Maximilian, 109, 111
Mazzini, 153
Mercedes, 154
Mexico, 20, 112, 137
Milan, 135
Minorca, 135
Mississippi, 138
Mithridates, 25
Monroe, 147
Moor, 56
Moriscos, 126, 128
Moscow, 143
Montpensier, Duke de, 152, 154
Munda, 26
Murillo, 52
Mur-Viedo, 16
Musa, 52
Naples, 135
Napoleon, 139, 142
Navarre, 79, 94
Nelson, 142
Ne plus ultra, 18
Nero, 29, 73
Netherlands, 115, 119, 120, 128, 135
New Orleans, 139
Nineveh, 7
Noah, 7
Numantia, 24
Octavius Augustus, 23
Olivier, 70
Omeyads, 66, 67, 72, 74
Opus Majus, 87
Ordono I, 79
Osca, 25
Ostrogoths, 36
Paladins, 70
Pedro, 83, 95
Pelagius, 64
Pelasgians, 30, 88
Peru, 20, 112, 137
Petronius, 73
Phenicia, 91
Philip II, 161
Philip III, 125, 126, 127
Philip IV, 127, 128
Philip V, 33, 134, 133
Philippi, 27
Philippines, 137, 138, 156, 158, 160
Pillars of Hercules, 18, 82
Pizzarro, 112
Placidia, 33
Plutarch, 24
Pompey, 25, 26
Ponce de Leon, 112
Portugal, 94, 102, 109
Pragmatic Sanction, 151
Pretender, 132
Protestantism, 115, 118, 119
Punic, 11, 14, 16
Quebec, 138
Quintilian, 29
Ramiro I, 79
Recared, 46
Reconcentrados, 159
Reformation, 114
Richelieu, 131
Roderick, 51, 54, 56, 107
Roland, 70, 71
Rome, 13
Roncesvalles, 13
Saguntum, 9, 16
Sahara, 2
Salic Law, 150
Saracen, 61, 62, 63
Santiago de Cuba, 160
Sardinia, 11, 14, 135
Scipio, 19, 22
Seneca, 29
Seville, 88, 89
Sidon, 7, 12
Spanish Succession, War of, 33
Spartans, 30
St. Augustine, 129
St. Bartholomew, 119
Stuart, House of, 131
Suevi, 31
Sylla, 23, 24
Syrian, 7
Tarif, 53
Tarshish, 10, 13
Toledo, 45, 65
Torquemada, 103
Trafalgar, 142
Troy, 9
Tubal, 4
Tyre, 7, 13
Ulfilas, 39
Utrecht, Peace of, 134
Valladolid, 100, 101, 104, 117
Vandals, 30
Visigoths, 36
Wamba, 47
Wellington, 143
Weyler, 158
White Hind, 26
Witiza, 50, 51
Yusuf, 67
Zante, 9
Zarynthus, 9
Zeitgeist, 162, 163
Ziryab, 73
End of Project Gutenberg's A Short History of Spain, by Mary Platt Parmele