Bombardment of Barcelona (1842)

The reign of Isabella II (1833-1868) was seen as very troubled as she first came to the throne as an infant. Her succession was disputed by the Carlists, who refused to recognize a female sovereign, leading to the Carlist Wars. Isabella’s failure to respond to growing demands for a more progressive regime contributed to the decline in monarchical strength. The Carlist Wars were a civil war in Spain that was fought between factions over the succession to the throne and the Spanish monarchy. The First Carlist War was one of the major stepping stones that led to the bombardment. The Carlist force was made up of all who opposed the liberal revolution: small rural nobility, lower clerics, and many farmers that believed that liberalism would bring higher taxes. In addition to being regent, Espartero also served as prime minister of Spain three times. He was associated with Spanish liberalism that would ultimately use him as a symbol of victory over the Carlists. ==Consequences==

The repression ordered by the Government was harsh. The militia was disarmed and several hundred people were arrested. Between seventeen and eighteen individuals from the Patuleyas (militia) and one of their commanders were shot. The city was collectively punished with the payment of an extraordinary sum of 12 million reals to compensate the dead or wounded soldiers and the city council had to pay for the reconstruction of the Citadel of Barcelona. The Government, at the urging of Espartero, also dissolved the Barcelona Weavers Association (the first union in the history of Spain) and closed all newspapers except the conservative Diario de Barcelona. A new revolt the following year, called the Jamància, led to another bombardment, this time focused on the shipyards and the walls causing 335 deaths and leading to 40,000 people fleeing the city. In July 1856, the city was again shelled from Montjuïc, following protests against the military coup of O'Donnell which had overthrown the progressive government. ==References==