From “King soldier” to “peacemaker”. Symbolic representations of Alfonso XII of Borbon

Authors

  • Rafael Fernández Sirvent Universidad de Alicante

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17811/hc.v0i11.264

Keywords:

Alfonso XII of Borbón, “the Peacemaker”, King Soldier, Spanish Monarchy, symbolic representations, legitimacy

Abstract

Alfonso XII of Borbon (1857-1885) has been remembered by the appellative of “the Peacemaker” by his facet of “military King”. An important part of the King’s characterization was due to the propaganda strategy promoted by Antonio Canovas del Castillo and by the Alfonsin Circles, in addition to a relevant event which brought positive consequences for the Alfonsina Monarchy: the end of the Carlist War (Spanish Civil War, 1872-1876). This essay tries to state which the circumstances were that originated the image of Alfonso XII as “King Soldier”, as well as presenting several elements of the propaganda mechanism which contributed to stand out this legitimate characterization to the point of achieving to set it into the popular imagery. To that effect this would be contrast with several types of primary sources such as: historical documentation, press, poetic and iconographic representations, essentially.

 

Submission Date: 16/12/2009

Acceptance Date: 12/02/2010

Author Biography

Rafael Fernández Sirvent, Universidad de Alicante

Profesor Ayudante Doctor de Historia Contemporánea en la Universidad de Alicante. Ha publicado varios trabajos relacionados con su tesis doctoral (biografía de Francisco Amorós, Valencia, 1770 - París, 1848), fundamentalmente sobre ideas políticas, educación y exilio español a Francia en el siglo XIX. En la actualidad es miembro de un grupo de investigación que trabaja sobre las representaciones simbólicas de reyes y regentes en la España del siglo XIX.

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Issue

No. 11 (2010): Historia Constitucional N. 11 (2010)

Section

Southern Europe

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