Monarchies of Spain and England

The course of the 20th century was marked by the devolution of the monarchies of Western Europe that had been decisive markers of history since the time of Charlemagne. A combination of petty and great wars and various kinds and degrees of cultural transformation between the 10th and 20th centuries dispossessed petty and great princes of their thrones. The growing momentum of republican/democratic government, evolution of political and social theory, and revolutionary dynamics had the effect of demystifying what was not dethroned in a context of political rivalries and missional regime change. In some cases, such as that of Russia, the royal family was altogether disposed of by the Bolshevik revolution as a guarantor of permanent regime change.

Two European monarchies showed a remarkable resilience regarding their traditional roles into the 21st century: Spain and England. The English constitutional monarchy has been characterized by continuity, despite changes in the scope and limit of royal political authority. The Spanish monarchy, though suppressed during

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m were the peasantry, desperately poor because of an antiquated and unequal agrarian structure, a Church that was enormously rich and almost completely in control of education, an inefficient, costly, and privileged military class, and a monarchy and semifeudal aristocracy which fostered reaction (Spain, 1971, p. 103). Even more important to the fate of the Spanish monarchy in the 20th century, RiveraÆs approach to governance in Spain was ôtoleratedö by Alfonso XIII (Powell, 1996). Such toleration, in concert with SpainÆs retarded level of development vis-a-vis other countries of Western Europe, had consequences. Powell says that it guaranteed that AlfonsoÆs reign ôwould not long outlast the dictatorshipö (1996, p. 1). Widespread opposition to RiveraÆs policies became so intense that in 1930 he was forced out of office, which was another blow to the prestige of the monarchy. Governments that succeeded Rivera, including two military governments, also failed. Republican advocates forced municipal elections in 1931 (the first free elections ever held in Spain), and they were overwhelmingly successful. Alfonso XIII left Spain but--crucially--did not abdicate (Powell, 1996). In theory, then, if not in fact, SpainÆs crowned heads were s
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Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page)