Second Carlist War begins in Spain

Background. Carlism was a traditionalist and legitimist movement seeking to establish an alternative Bourbon branch descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina, on the Spanish throne. The movement arose from an early 19th-century dispute over the succession of the Spanish monarchy and dissatisfaction with the Alfonsine line of the House of Bourbon. This ideological foundation repeatedly broke out into military conflicts known as the Carlist Wars, of which the Second War was one.

Dynastic Context. The conflict was theoretically connected to the marriage of Isabella II with the Carlist pretender Carlos Luis de Borbón. This union was supported by doctrinaire elements and Carlists. The outbreak occurred during the 'Moderate decade' dominated by Marshal Narváez, amidst the 'Affair of the Spanish Marriages' involving international intrigues between France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Nature of Conflict. Known as the War of the Matiners, the conflict was characterized by harassing actions at early hours. It was primarily a Catalan revolt against Madrid, fought by Carlists under General Ramón Cabrera. The war was minor in the Basque Country, where it was non-existent, distinguishing it from earlier Carlist strongholds. It coincided with the democratic Revolutions of 1848.