kingdom · Iberia

Sexenio Democrático

1868 CE – 1874 CE · capital Madrid

Six turbulent years of revolution in Spain, from the fall of Isabella II through an elected king and a republic to the return of the Bourbons.

Origins

In September 1868 a military rising led by Generals Juan Prim and Francisco Serrano and Admiral Juan Bautista Topete, known as the Glorious Revolution, drove Isabella II into exile. A provisional government called elections by universal male suffrage, and the Constitution of 1869 declared Spain a constitutional monarchy.

Rule and society

With the throne vacant, Serrano acted as regent while Prim searched Europe for a king, a search that helped trigger the Franco-Prussian War. The Cortes chose Amadeo of Savoy, but Prim was assassinated in December 1870, days before he arrived. Amadeo faced Carlist rebellion, war in Cuba and fractious parties, and abdicated in February 1873.

Decline and legacy

The Spanish First Republic followed, collapsing into the Pavía coup of January 1874. In December 1874 General Martínez Campos proclaimed Alfonso XII at Sagunto, opening Restoration Spain.

Lineage

Bourbon Spain 1700 CE – 1868 CESexenio DemocráticoSpanish First Republic 1873 CE – 1874 CE

Connections (2)

More states of Iberia →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sexenio Democrático. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sexenio-democratico
MLA
“Sexenio Democrático.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sexenio-democratico. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sexenio Democrático.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sexenio-democratico.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sexenio Democrático’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sexenio-democratico (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻