O'Donnell was a strong supporter of the liberal
Cristinos and the regency of
Maria Christina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies during the 1830s. When General
Baldomero Espartero seized power in 1840, O'Donnell went into exile with Maria Christina and was involved in an attempted coup against Espartero in 1841. O'Donnell was soon back in power and was sent to Cuba as Captain General in October 1843. O'Donnell was responsible for the 1844 massacre known as the repression of "La Escalera". Thousands of slaves and free-coloured people in Cuba were confined in dungeons, tortured and executed in what became known as the
Year of the Lash. In 1854, he made a
pronunciamiento against the government and was named
Prime Minister for a time. He served as War Minister of the Espartero government. The
Crimean War caused an increase in grain prices due to the blockade of Russia, causing a famine in
Galicia during 1854. Riots against
power looms spread through Spain, and General O'Donnell intervened, marching on
Madrid. Espartero relinquished power in O'Donnell's favour on 14–15 July 1856, and Queen
Isabella II asked him to form a government as the 44th
Prime Minister of Spain. For his new administration, O'Donnell formed the
Unión Liberal Party, which was designed to combine
Progressive, Moderate, and
Carlist factions. O'Donnell attempted to define moderate policies for Spain with this new party, advocating a
laissez-faire approach and confiscating church land. He was dismissed after only a few months in power on 12 October, and two years of reaction followed. In later governments, O'Donnell was more careful. His two later administrations worked laboriously to attract foreign investment to improve Spain's railroad infrastructure. He failed to achieve much economic growth, however, and increased industry only in
Basque country and
Catalonia, both of which already had substantial industrial centres. He was a proponent of a new and aggressive
imperial policy, intended principally to expand Spanish territory in Africa, particularly after French successes in
Algeria. In the first administration, he served twice simultaneously as
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister. He was the 136th Minister of Foreign Affairs and the 48th Prime Minister of Spain between 30 June 1858 and 2 July 1858, and the 138th Minister of Foreign Affairs between 21 October 1860 and 18 January 1863, remaining again solely as Prime Minister until 26 February 1863. His second term as the 53rd Prime Minister started on 21 October 1860. He took a brief respite from his government in 1860 to command the Spanish army at the
Battle of Tétouan and the
Battle of Wad Ras during the
Spanish-Moroccan War, overseeing the capture of
Tétouan. He was rewarded for his abilities in the campaign with the title
Duke of Tetuán. In 1866, he repressed a revolt commanded by General
Juan Prim, and was subsequently dismissed by the queen for the brutality of his regime on 11 July 1866. He was the 103rd
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Tower and Sword. ==Family==