A Turbulent Historical Context
The history of Spain during the nineteenth century is characterized by intense political turmoil, with a constant swing between different ideologies. This period witnessed the struggles between centralism and decentralization, as well as monarchists and republicans. The complicated network of conflicts of those years has made many avoid deepening it, but to understand the origins of current problems, it is essential to revisit this age, when Catalan nationalism did not exist as such and Spanishism predominated.
The First Spanish Republic: an unstable regime
On February 11, 1873, Spain entered a new stage with the proclamation of the First Republic, as a result of the abdication of Amadeu and Savoy. The country was in a critical situation, with a fragmented political system and a turbulent society, where social revolts and wars, such as Carlina and Cuba, were common.
The federalist dream
Federalist Republicans, led by figures such as Francesc Pi i Margall, sought a decentralized model of American inspiration. Its aim was to establish a federation that would allow the regions to maintain their autonomy. However, his ideas were in the rejection of many, considered as a utopia that could hardly be implemented in Spain.
The announcement of the Catalan State
On March 8, 1873, Catalan Republicans proclaimed the creation of a ‘Catalan State’, an act that, despite not being a declaration of independence as those known today, reflected a radical view of federalism. This action took place at a time of fervor between the popular militias and the workers, who saw in this initiative an opportunity to claim local power in front of a central government perceived as distant.
The reaction of the central government
The Government of Figueras, aware of the threat of this statement, responded rapidly. With just over four days, the Catalan State experiment was dissolved, with the absence of a significant military reaction, as many soldiers had abandoned their ranks.
The consequences of the episode
The dissolution of the Catalan State showed the fragility of radical federalism in a Spanish context that was not ready to face such challenges. Although the episode was brief, he left a mark in Catalan collective memory, symbolizing the tensions between Spanish centralism and aspirations for self -government.
An uncertain future
The impact of the proclamation of the Catalan State was not immediately positive for federalism. The First Spanish Republic continued in a crisis spiral, with Pi and Margall assuming the presidency in a failed attempt to consolidate a federal project. The revolts that followed the whole country underwent the authority of the Government further. Thus, federalism acquired a negative connotation, associated with chaos and instability, although some of its proponents, such as Valentí Almirall, continued to fight for the ideas that had inspired this brief moment of proclamation.
