First Carlist War

This is the war that got me into post-Napoleonic Europe. It only seems right that it should be the subject of my fist true post.

The First Carlist War, which divided Spain between 1833 and 1840, found its origins in the contestation of the reform of the Salic law by Ferdinand VII but also the tensions between traditionalists and liberals. The liberals had known a brief period of power between 1820 and 1823 before being brutally repressed by Ferdinand yet he was seen as too lenient towards the liberals. Absolutists and Ultra-Catholics put their hopes in Don Carlos, the king's brother and heir since Ferdinand was without son and the Salic law barred women from the Spanish throne. However Queen Cristina and her sister managed to have this law retracted allowing her daughter Isabel to inherit the throne frustrating the absolutists hopes. Cristina was no liberal but as Don Carlos would not give up his right to the throne and had absolutist support she had to ally with the liberals to consolidate her power.Don Carlos's claim to the throne was the starting point of the long conflict between traditionalsim and liberalism in Spain. Upon Ferdinand VII's death in 1833 civil war broke out between the supporters of Don Carlos and those of Isabel II and the Queen regent. 

The army, whose officers were drawn from all of society, was more prone to liberalism and remained loyal to Cristina. The liberal party was divided between progressives and moderates (actually conservatives) who were staunchly opposed on constitutional issues but also remained loyal to the Queen. In general towns and cities remained loyal to the Queen, even when deep in Carlist territory, because of a stronger liberal vein. France and Britain also provided indirect help under the form of weapons and more direct intervention with the presence of the French Foreign Legion and the British Auxiliary Legion.   

The supporters of Don Carlos were mainly drawn from rural areas and then predominantly form Navare and the Basque country. Peasants were more religious and saw Don Carlos as the champion of Catholicism against anti-clerical liberals. They also opposed the centralising aims of the liberal government. Few of them were military trained at the start of the civil war yet they proved to be extremely effective at guerilla warfare and even in larger actions when competently led.

To represent this period in wargaming terms I shall be using mainly the Perry miniature range and conversions from a few other manufacturers. The rules are Blackpowder, which even have a scenario set for the First Carlist War, these are published by Warlord games. As for general literature around the war there are not many books in English, or at least I am not aware of them. Edgar Holt's The Carlist Wars in Spain is a good introduction but in my opinion is quite vague and concentrates a bit to much on the British Auxiliary Legion. The First Carlist War by Conrad Cairns and Michael Perry is very useful especially thanks to Michael's paintings. 

As I write more posts I shall give more information on the war and the different factions.