First Carlist War
A civil war over succession and the nature of Spanish monarchy.
The First Carlist War, which raged in Spain from 1833 to 1840, was the first of three such conflicts. It pitted two factions against each other, divided over who should inherit the throne and what kind of monarchy Spain should have. On one side were the Carlists, conservative and devolutionist backers of the late king’s brother, Carlos de Borbón (also called Carlos V). On the other were the Liberals, also known as cristinos or isabelinos, who were progressive and centralist supporters of the regent, Maria Christina, ruling on behalf of Isabella II. While the war was a succession dispute over King Ferdinand VII’s rightful heir, the Carlists aimed to restore an absolute monarchy, whereas the Liberals sought to uphold a constitutional one.
This was the largest and deadliest civil war in nineteenth-century Europe, involving more combatants than the Spanish War of Independence. Depending on the figures, it may also have been the biggest counter-revolutionary movement of the century. It is often called the last major European conflict of the pre-industrial age. The war killed about 5% of Spain’s 1833 population, with military casualties making up half that number. Fighting mostly took place in the Southern Basque Country, Maestrazgo, and Catalonia, marked by repeated raids and reprisals against both soldiers and civilians. Importantly, it foreshadowed the idea of “two Spains” that would resurface during the Spanish Civil War a century later.
Before the Carlist Wars, Spain was deep in social, economic, and political crisis due to mismanagement under Charles IV and Ferdinand VII, having stagnated since the reforms and successes of Charles III. In the early 19th century, Spain had just over 20 inhabitants per square kilometer, far fewer than other European countries. At the war’s start, the population was about 12.3 million.
The Spanish American wars of independence began in 1808, more than two decades before Ferdinand VII’s death, but their social, economic, and political effects still weighed heavily on the peninsula. Spain did not abandon plans for military reconquest until the Carlist conflict began. Between 1792 and 1827, the value of imports of goods, imports of money, and exports from the Americas fell by factors of 3.80, 28.0, and 10.3, respectively. Conflicts with the British, especially the Battle of Trafalgar, had left Spain without the naval strength t
- Conflict type
- Civil war
- Duration
- 1833 to 1840
- Location
- Southern Basque Country, Maestrazgo, and Catalonia
- Combatants
- Carlists vs. Liberals (cristinos/isabelinos)
- Population at start
- Approximately 12.3 million
- Deaths
- 5% of the 1833 Spanish population
- Known for
- Largest and most deadly civil war in 19th-century Europe
Lore & Background
Before the start of the Carlist Wars, Spain was in a deep social, economic, and political crisis as a result of mismanagement by Charles IV and Ferdinand VII. Spain had only slightly more than 20 inhabitants per square kilometer in the early 19th century, much less than other European countries. The conflict was responsible for the deaths of 5% of the 1833 Spanish population—with military casualties alone amounting to half this number. It was mostly fought in the Southern Basque Country, Maestrazgo, and Catalonia and characterized by repeated raids and reprisals against both armies and civilians.
Reader's Guide
The First Carlist War was a precursor to the idea of the two Spains that would surface during the Spanish Civil War a century later. It was the largest and most deadly civil war in nineteenth-century Europe and fought by more men than the Spanish War of Independence. It might have been the largest counter-revolutionary movement in 19th-century Europe depending on the figures. The war was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the Carlists sought a return to absolute monarchy, while the Liberals defended constitutional monarchy. The conflict was responsible for the deaths of 5% of the 1833 Spanish population. Its economic background included a deep crisis from mismanagement, loss of colonies, and the Napoleonic Wars, which left Spain heavily in debt and with a stagnant agricultural sector. The war's legacy includes its role in shaping the ideological divide that later erupted in the Spanish Civil War.
Did You Know?
- The First Carlist War was the largest and most deadly civil war in nineteenth-century Europe.
- It was fought by more men than the Spanish War of Independence.
- The conflict was responsible for the deaths of 5% of the 1833 Spanish population.
- It is considered the 'last great European conflict of the pre-industrial age.'
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the First Carlist War in the canon?
It is a Spanish civil war spanning 1833 to 1840, in which conservative Carlist partisans of Carlos de Borbón (styled Carlos V) clashed with liberal cristino forces defending the regency of Maria Christina and the young Isabella II. The fundamental dispute was over who should inherit the throne and whether Spain's monarchy should be decentralized and traditional or centralized and progressive.
What role does the First Carlist War play in the larger series?
As the opening entry of the European Religious And Political Conflicts arc, it establishes the recurring tension between succession law, regional autonomy, and centralist governance that would resurface in the second and third Carlist wars. It marks the first of three such conflicts in Spain's nineteenth-century history.
How does the First Carlist War's story end?
The conflict concluded in 1840 with the Carlist faction defeated, leaving the liberal isabelino side in command of the Spanish crown. The war claimed roughly five percent of Spain's 1833 population—approximately 615,000 lives—making it one of the most lethal civil wars the nation had endured.
Why is the First Carlist War important to the canon?
It locked in a deep ideological split between a conservative, church-aligned, regionally autonomous vision of Spain and a progressive, centralist liberal one, a fault line that would reopen in the later Carlist wars. Its fighting was concentrated in the Southern Basque Country, Maestrazgo, and Catalonia, showing how local identity could ignite a national conflict.
Who are the main combatants in the First Carlist War?
The Carlists, conservative and devolutionist backers of Carlos de Borbón, faced off against the Liberals—also called cristinos or isabelinos—who were progressive, centralist supporters of the regent Maria Christina acting for Isabella II. The two sides differed not only on the succession question but on the very structure of the Spanish state.
More in European Religious And Political Conflicts 1-19
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