The idea of Spain in Spanish reactionary discourse (1808-‍1814)

Abstract

Many recent scholars have assumed that liberal nationalism arose long before reactionary nationalism, and more specifically, that Spanish “national Catholicism” did not emerge until the second half of the 19^th century. This assumption has led a number of noted historians to embrace the following ideas concerning the political discourse of the so-called “serviles”: 1) that it opposed the Bonapartes for religious and not patriotic reasons; 2) that it was thoroughly absolutist and did not grant any role to the nation in its political schemes; 3) that it rejected the word patria and even more the word nation; 4) that it deeply feared the people; 5) that it did not invoke the heroes of the fatherland or elaborate a national historical narrative opposed to that of the liberals; 6) that it did not espouse the idea of the “anti-Spain”; and 7) and that it showed signs of xenophobia but did not exalt the Spanish national identity. Without pretending to solve the much debated question of the origins and nature of modern nationalism, this article shows that the reactionary texts published in Spain between 1808 and 1814 do not support any of these historiographical assertions.