Spain
Alfonso XII (1857-1885) was king of Spain from 1874 to 1885. He was the son of Queen Isabella II of the House of Bourbon. An uprising against Isabella in 1868 forced Alfonso and his mother into exile and a republic was formed. After six years of political unrest culminating in the failure of the republic in 1874, General Arsenio Martínez de Campos gained the support of the army for Alfonso and proclaimed him king. Alfonso returned to Madrid in 1875.
Spain had some stability during the rest of Alfonso's reign, largely due to the efforts of his prime minister, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. A new constitution was adopted in 1876, providing for a legislature of two chambers, limited suffrage, and religious toleration. Under a system arranged by Cánovas, political power alternated between two parties, both supporting the crown.
Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) was king of Spain from 1886 to 1931. Born after the death of his father, Alfonso XII, he became king as an infant. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was regent until he formally succeeded to the throne in 1902. During her regency Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines in the Spanish-American War.
Alfonso's reign was marked by repeated attempts on his life, native uprisings in Spanish Morocco, and agitation for autonomy in Catalonia, a region in northeastern Spain. In 1921 a large Spanish force was defeated by Rif tribesmen in Morocco. An investigation to fix responsibility for the defeat revealed corruption among high-ranking officials. Before the report of the investigation could be published, General Miguel Primo de Rivera staged a successful coup, establishing a military dictatorship. Alfonso, who remained in Spain as king, supported the dictatorship (1923-30) and was held responsible for some of its evils.
Following an overwhelming Republican victory in the municipal elections of 1931, Alfonso left Spain and the Second Republic was established. He formally abdicated in favor of his son, Don Juan, a few weeks before his death in Rome in 1941.
