May the Sun Never Set: A Spanish Empire TL
TheRealAndOnlyGaru
Introduction:

In OTL, the 19th Century was a troublesome time for Spain. The loss of its colonies in America and the Pacific, as well as the numerous...
alternatehistory.com
Chapter 1: De Riego’s Expeditionary Force​

The King Ferdinand VII of Spain had given the Count of Calderón the responsibility organizing an expeditionary army to America. The Count of Calderón chose coronel Rafael de Riego as the commander of the Expeditionary Army. The Expeditionary Army sailed from Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain, the 1st January 1820. De Riego and his troops arrived at the Port of Veracruz two weeks later.

The forces led by Rafael Del Riego quickly managed their way to Mexico City. They met with Viceroy Apodaca and criollo General Agustín de Iturbide. Iturbide and De Riego joined their forces, and started a campaign against the rebel forces. Iturbide and De Riego soon achieved major victories, and the 6th December Iturbide was appointed Commander of the Royal Army of New Spain. Guadalupe Victoria, one of the leaders of the Mexican Insurgency, was captured late June 1821, and Vicente Guerrero, main leader of the Mexican Insurgency, was captured the 3th March 1822, after Guerrero's forces were defeated at the Battle of Tampico. The capture of Guerrero marked the end of the Mexican Insurgency.

Mexican Revolutionary leader Vicente Guerrero.

After beating the rebel forces in New Spain, General Iturbide and coronel De Riego went to Peru, the last royalist stronghold in South America, and left coronel Carlos Moya in charge of New Spain. The royalist victory at New Spain and the arrival of more troops had given the royalist army at Peru great moral support. The Royalist Army now faced the Ejército libertador del Perú (Peruvian Liberation Army), backed by Great Colombia and the United Provinces of Río de La Plata. The week after the arrival of Iturbide and De Riego, José de La Serna, Viceroy of Peru issued a decree commanding all royalist troops in South America to assemble and retreat at Peru.

Coronel De Riego was injured on battle by late 1822, and sailed back to Spain. At his return at Spain, he was awarded many honors, and named Minister of Marine and War of Spain by the king Ferdinand VII, impressed by his military success, even though De Riego was a liberal and detested the absolutist Ferdinand VII. At the end, Rafael de Riego felt honored by the King's offer and accepted it.

Spanish Coronel, Politician & War Hero Rafael de Riego.

Without De Riego, Iturbide gained full responsibility of the Royalist Army, but successfully managed to beat the rebel forces at Peru. The Ejército Libertador del Perú, led by Field Marshall Antonio José de Sucre, was finally defeated after the Battle of Ayacucho, the 9th December 1824. After the Battle of Ayacucho, Spanish troops maintaned control over Peru and the Upper Peru (OTL Bolivia).

The Battle of Ayacucho, decisive Spanish victory.

After the Battle of Ayacucho, Spain and its former colonies began negotiating a treaty. Great Colombia, Chile, the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the Republic of Uruguay and the Kingdom of Spain signed a treaty October 13th, 1826, thus ending the Latin American wars of Independence. The main points of the Treaty of Buenos Aires were:

Spain must recognize the independence and sovereignty of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Chile and Great Colombia.

The nations of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Chile and Great Colombia must recognize the Spanish rule on New Spain and Peru.

Spain must not interfere in the affairs of the newly independent nations, and these same nations must not seek to destabilize or fund rebellions in the Spanish territories in the Americas.

The Kingdom of Spain will immediately have diplomatic relationships and will trade with each the nations of Great Colombia, the United Provinces of the Río the la Plata, the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Paraguay after the ratification of this treaty.

The Treaty of Buenos Aires angered many Spanish conservatives, such as the Infante Carlos María Isidro, brother to the King, but also angered many liberals at Great Colombia & the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, that wished to have a fully united South America, free of Spanish influence. At the end, both Spain and their former colonies accepted the Treaty of Buenos Aires, as the other choice was to continue a war that had spilled too much blood.

Chapter 2: The new Government ​

King Ferdinand VII of Spain had two brothers, Carlos María Isidro de Borbón and Francisco de Paula de Borbón. Carlos was even more reactionary than his brother the King, and was known to be “more royalist than the King, and more Catholic than the Pope”, while Francisco was a moderate. Both Carlos and Francisco formed part of the King’s council, and their views often clashed with each other, but Francisco always standed behind the King and always supported his decisions.

The Infantes Francisco de Paula (left) & Carlos María Isidro de Borbón (right)

Eventually, the Infante Francisco gained more influence over the King, and convinced King Ferdinand to appoint Francisco Cea Bermúdez, a moderate, as the Secretary of State, the war hero Colonel Rafael De Riego, a liberal, as Minister of War and the Marine, Luis López Ballesteros, a moderate, as Minister of Finance, and Juan de D’Odonojú, a liberal, was made Viceroy of Spain.

Spanish Secretary of State Francisco Cea Bermúdez

After securing New Spain in 1821, and Peru in 1824, Spain recognized the independence of its former colonies, United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Chile and Gran Colombia, in 1826, thus ending the Latin American Revolutions and Latin American Wars of Independence.

In 1828, some changes were made to the colonial system. Upper Peru, formerly under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata, would be incorporated to the Viceroyalty of Peru, and the Philippines would get autonomy from New Spain.

José de la Serna would keep his position as Viceroy of Peru until his death in 1832, while Juan d’Odonojú, a liberal of Irish ascendancy, would be named Viceroy of New Spain in 1822, replacing Viceroy Apodaca. Agustín Iturbide would become the highest military commander at the Americas, after being named Supreme Commander of the Royal Army of New Spain, and the first criollo to hold such a position power in the Spanish Empire.

Viceroy of New Spain Juan de O’Donojú (left) & Spanish General Agustín de Iturbide (right)

After the Napoleonic Wars, the Spanish War of Independence and the Latin American Wars of Independence, the Spanish economy was in shambles. The main task of the Cea Bermúdez’s government was to revive the economy and begin to industrialize. Luis López Ballesteros, Spanish Minister of Finance, made reforms on the Spanish economy, and in 1829 created the Bolsa de Madrid and the Banco de España.

On foreign policy, Spain made economic agreements with Britain, ratified the Treaty of Adams-Onís with the United States and forged good relationships with the Kingdom of France, the Austrian Empire & the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Also, from 1822 onwards, Spain began to allow American settlers into the sparsely-populated Texas, in an effort to industrialize and develop the region.

Chapter 3: A succession crisis​

King Ferdinand VII of Spain had struggled to have an heir. After three failed marriages, Ferdinand finally married Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies in 1829. With Maria Christina, Ferdinand would have two daughters, Isabella, born in 1830, and Luisa Fernanda, born in 1832. The Spanish Law of Succession, known as the Salic Law, established by Philip V of Spain in 1713,, denied women the right to rule, so in 1830, King Ferdinand VII enacted the Pragmatic Sanction of 1830, allowing Ferdinand’s daughter and heir, Isabella, to rule Spain at the time of King Ferdinand’s death.

King Ferdinand VII of Spain (left) and his wife Quenn Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (right).

The ultraconservatives, led by Carlos María Isidro, brother to King Ferdinand VII , didn’t want Isabella to rule Spain, so they tried to make King Ferdinand repeal the Pragmatic Sanction when Ferdinand VII fell ill in September 1832. After Ferdinand VII recovered shortly after, the Pragmatic Sanction was again enacted. A few months afterwards, the Infante Carlos refused to acknowledge his niece Isabella as Prince of Asturias and rightful heir to the Spanish Crown, so King Ferdinand exiled his brother Carlos to Portugal.

King Ferdinand VII’s life would finally come to an end the 29th September 1833, at the age of 49. He would be succeeded by his three years old daughter, Isabella II of Spain. Her mother, Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, was named Regent of the Kingdom in the name of her daughter. However, Maria Christina married with Agustín Fernando Muñoz y Sánchez, a sergeant of the Spanish Royal Guard three months after the death of King Ferdinand VII, so Maria Christina would be deposed and substituted by her brother-in-law, the Infante Francisco, Duke of Cádiz

Queen Isabella II of Spain, ascended to the Spanish throne at the early age of three.

Meanwhile, the Spanish ultraconservatives proclaimed the Infante Carlos, brother to the deceased king Ferdinand VII, king of Spain as Charles V, beginning the Spanish Civil War. The ultraconservative faction, known as the “Carlists”, faced the liberals, known as the “Isabelines”. The isabelines gathered the support of Great Britain and France, but only Miguel I of Portugal backed Charles V of Spain, though the Holy Alliance, made by Austria, Prussia and the Russian Empire wished to have Charles V on the Spanish throne, they didn’t do anything about it.

Infante Carlos, who proclaimed himself King Charles V of Spain.

The Carlists had support in the northern areas of Spain, specially in the Basque Country and Navarre, while the areas of Castille, Andalusia and the Mediterranean Coast where under the control of the Isabelines. The Spanish colonies were also splitted too. The Viceroyalty of New Spain, the General Captaincies of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines acknowledged Isabella II as the Queen of Spain, while the Viceroyalty of Peru, the General Captaincies of Upper Peru, Santo Domingo and Guatemala swore loyalty to Charles V of Spain.

On the early stage of the war, both sides went on a guerrilla warfare, seizing & raiding villages to secure their territories. The first major battles began on 1834. The Carlist Armies were led by Basque General Tomás de Zumalacárregui, while the Isabelines were led by General Baldomero Espartero. On the Spanish mainland, the Carlists achieved some victories in 1834 and 1835, seizing Asturias, León, Cantabria, Aragón and Galicia. The Carlists failed to capture Barcelona the 7th of December 1835, marking the beginning to the end of the Carlists. The Carlists know that in order to get support from Austria, Prussia and Russia, the Carlists needed to seize Catalonia, so that the Austrian Armies could land in Spain and help the Carlists. As the Isabelline army, led by General Espartero defeated the Carlists at Barcelona, their hopes were crushed, but still continued fighting. The year of 1836 saw many Isabelline victories, as the Carlist retreated to rural Catalonia and the British landed at La Coruña & Ferrol to help the Isabelines seize Galicia and Asturias.

The Carlist General Tomás de Zumalacárregui (left) and his rival, the Isabelline General Baldomero Espartero (right).

On the Americas, the Isabelines had it much easier. New Spain, Spain’s largest colony on the New World, was under Isabelline control, as the Viceroy of New Spain, Juan de O’Donojú was a liberal, and the war hero General Agustín de Iturbide, though not a liberal, swore allegiance to Queen Isabella II of Spain. General Iturbide led an offensive to the Carlist controlled General Captaincy of Guatemala between 1834 and 1835. On 1836, the Carlists lost control over Santo Domingo, and Iturbide would head to Peru that same year. Overall, in 1836 it looked like the Carlists were going to lose, after suffering important defeats at Barcelona and Guatemala (1835), Ferrol, La Coruña, Oviedo, Santo Domingo (1836).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S: The next chapter will be centered on the end of the Spanish Civil War and the Texan Revolution.

Chapter 4: The beginning of the Isabeline Era​

The Isabelines had won various battles, and by 1836, they had a clear advantage over the Carlists. The death of General Tomás de Zumalacárregui by mid 1836 only made things worse to the Carlists. By then, the Isabelines, aided by the British, were advancing on northern Spain, while they were also gaining more ground on the Catalonian Front. The battles also continued at the colonies. General Jerónimo Valdés was leading an army to Peru, the last Carlist stronghold in the American Continent, but there were ongoing uprisings against the liberals in Veracruz, Puebla and Monterrey.

General Jerónimo Valdés landed at the beaches near Callao the 5th February 1836. The Isabelline army took Callao almost a week later, the 11th February, after a bloody battle. Quickly thereafter, the Isabelline army captured Lima, so the Viceroy of Peru, Rafael de Ceballos, fled to Cusco. General Valdés left Peru in the following weeks. Iturbide secured northern Peru within three months, and by September 1836, finally attacked Cusco. This time, Ceballos was taken prisoner, but the Carlists kept fighting at Upper Peru. The Carlists would be swept from Peru in January 1837.

Meanwhile, at mainland Spain, the Isabelines gained control of Asturias, León, Cantabria and rural Catalonia between November 1836 and May 1837, in a offensive coordinated with the British. The Carlists only had Navarre, the Basque Country, la Rioja and part of Aragon. They were surrounded from the west, the east and the south. It was clear that the Carlists were to be defeated. The question was when would they would be defeated.

The final offensive would begin in July 1837. The Spanish army marched through Pamplona, and a joint Anglo-Spanish fleet besieged San Sebastián. San Sebastián fell to the Isabelline forces August 3rd 1837. Two days later, the remaining Carlist forces surrendered, ending the Spanish Civil War. The defeated Don Carlos was exiled and fled to Moscow, while at the Court of Madrid the liberals celebrated a new era for Spain.

The infante Francisco de Paula de Borbón was allowed to stay as Regent of the Realm in the name of his niece Queen Isabella II until the Queen reached the age of 16. The Infante made a provisional government with the goal of making a new constitution, as the previous one, the Constitution of Cádiz, was vague and unclear, and had to be modified in order to clarify certain aspects the moderates considered to be “too radical”.

A new constitution was approved the next year. It was a liberal constitution, based on the French Constitution of 1791 and the Constitution of Cádiz. It guaranteed some individual rights such as free press and holding property, but denied others such as religious freedom. As in regards to government, the Spanish Constitution was much conservative than its predecessors. There would be two chambers; the higher chamber or the Senate, and the lower chamber or the Cortes. The monarch or regent still held a lot of power, as it could veto laws, appoint or dismiss the Prime Minister and appoint members to the Senate. The only elected officials were the Deputies (members of the lower house).

As in regards to the overseas territories and its inhabitants, the Spanish Constitution guaranteed the Spanish citizenship to the all peninsulares living in the overseas territories, as well to criollos that owned property or had served 5 years in the Spanish army or navy, and to mestizos who had served at least 10 years in the army or the navy. The viceroyalties were maintained, as the Court of Madrid though they had made enough for the criollos and mestizos.

The constitution had received most of its support from the moderates, (the largest coalition in the Cortes and Senate, most of whom were supporters of the Regent). The liberals condemned its lack of a balanced government, but saw this constitution as a “draft” that would evolve in the next decades. In the other hand, the conservatives expected a more liberal constitution, and were glad the Church held its power. At the end of the day, both liberals and conservatives were kept in check, but neither of them were truly satisfied.

Even though much of Spain had recovered from the events of the Napoleonic Occupation and the Latin American Wars of Independence, it would struggle once again because of the Second War of Spanish Succession. But the signing of the 1838 Constitution would not only mark a the dawn of a new political era for Spain, it also showed up how far the ideas of the Enlightenment could reach. Even though having lost half its empire and much of its international prestige, it still was powerful enough to draw the attention of the European powers.

The news of the liberalization of Spain soon reached Europe and the Americas. Many British (who had contributed to the Isabelline victory), French and German bourgeois were encouraged to move to Spain, which revived a Spanish economy hit by war and needy of industrialization. Meanwhile, the members of the Holy Alliance (Prussia, Austria and Russia) saw as first France, and now Spain, had embraced liberalism. At the other side of the Atlantic, the former Spanish colonies cheered up, as they knew a reactionary Spain would be far more hostile towards them. As for the United States, they didn’t bother to celebrate the liberal victory, but actually took advantage of Spain’s weakness during its civil war.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have already apologized for not posting for the last 6-7 weeks, and here is the fourth chapter. The next chapter will be centered on Texas.

Chapter 5: Texas​

One of Francisco Cea Bermúdez’ Government’s new measures was to allow American Southerners to settle in Texas, in an attempt to develop New Spain’s economy. Thousands of Americans moved to the arid region of Texas from 1820 to 1836, bringing their slaves with them. Soon, the anglo-americans became the majority of Texas population, a region that had been sparsely populated by the Spanish.

Spain had banned the Slave Trade in 1820, and in 1830, banned slavery, but allowed the American settlers to preserve their slaves. This, however, changed in 1835. The Duke of Cádiz, Regent of Spain, banned American settlers from having slaves. The American settlers were outraged. At that time, Spain was in a state of civil war, and the American settlers took advantage of the situation, as they knew Spain would be unable to send troops.

At the peak of the Second Spanish War of Succession, by August 1835, various Texans rebelled against Spain. . On the first weeks, the Texans took the main Spanish guvernamental buildings in Texas, and the territories near the border the Spanish-American Border. The Texans started receiving support from the United States. After all, the Texan rebels came from the United States, and the United States wished to diminish Spain’s influence in North America.

After gaining support and trade with the US, the Texans began doing small raids against Spanish outposts, slowly consolidating their control on the region. But, seeing how little presence the Spanish had on the region, the Texans decided to advance. Facing little to no resistance, the Texans, led by Stephen Austin, captured San Antonio by November 1835.

When the news of a Texan rebellion reached Madrid, the Court responded with outrage. The Duke of Cádiz ordered General Agustín de Iturbide to march against the Texan Rebels. After Iturbide ended the Carlist presence in the Gulf of Mexico by late 1835, he headed towards Texas. From December 1835 until Iturbide’s arrival on February 1835.

The Spanish recklessly attacked the Alamo, launching the February Offensive. The Battle Alamo was followed by other Spanish Victories, like Refugio & Corpus Christi, and the massacre of the Battle of the Alamo, where Spanish troops slaughtered the Texan rebels after a two week siege. When the news of Spanish advance reached Washington D.C, the US began to send troops to fight alongside the Texans.

With moral support and fresh troops, the Texans achieved a decisive victory in April 21st 1836, in the Battle of San Jacinto, even killing the legendary war-hero Spanish High Commander Agustín de Iturbide. After Iturbide’s death, the Spanish Army was in chaos and retreated back. A young general, named Antonio López de Santa Ana, took the provisional command of the Spanish forces, but was unable to change of the course of the war, as the Texans had a higher morale, Santa Ana’s army was in shambles and Spain couldn’t send more troops, as it was embroiled in a civil war.

Texas was now independent, and claimed the areas East of the Río Grande, though the young Texan nation was not recognized by Spain and other major powers like Britain and France. The talented criollo Spanish officer, Antonio López de Santa Anna, took de facto the deceased Iturbide’s place as General and Commander of the Royal Army of New Spain, even though he had been defeated in the final stage of the war. Juan de O’Donojú, Viceroy of New Spain, resigned shortly after the Texan victory, and was replaced by Miguel de Tacón y Rosique, Governor of Cuba, shortly after the Spanish Civil War ended in 1838.

Shortly after achieving their independence, Texas wanted to join the United States. The American Congress rejected Texas’ proposal several times between 1836 and 1844. In December 1845, James K. Polk, President of the United States, accepted Texas’ request to join the Unite States and made an agreement with Great Britain, dividing the Oregon Country, before going to war with Spain.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As can be clearly seen, the next chapter will bring the ending of the Texan conflict, in the form of the war between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain.

Interesting TL. You've portrayed fairly accurately the tightrope that Spain would have to walk along to keep from going too far in the conservative or liberal direction and pissing too many people off. Mostly avoiding the Carlist Wars will be a huge boon to Spain, as will keeping New Spain.

I have to wonder, though, how is Spain maintaining control of Peru? It's so distant and disconnected that while I'm sure it pledges nominal fealty to Spain, but the Viceroys ruling it will more or less have total control over Peru with little oversight from Spain, at least until a Central American Canal is built. Which I'm sure suits them just fine, but doesn't help Spain much.

As for the Spanish-American War, it seems that New Spain has just as loose of a hold on its Northern Territories as Mexico did IOTL. So I expect that like IOTL they will be seized without much of a fight, outside of Spanish-majority areas like Santa Fe. But it also seems the U.S will have a tougher time marching to Mexico City than they did IOTL, so it may be foolish for the Americans to try it. Another factor to consider is Cuba, which the Americans will want and which could threaten American sealanes, and which will be very difficult for the Americans to actually seize.

I could see it going a number of ways, from very bad for the Americans if they try to get greedy to roughly IOTL. It also depends on how willing Spain is to commit to the war. Either way, the areas of Northern California, Utah, Colorado, and the already Independent parts of Texas are almost certainly becoming American, but who knows about the rest.