Romanticism, Reaction and Revolution

British Views on Spain, 18141823

Bernard Beatty, Alicia Laspra Rodríguez

• Publisher: Peter Lang Group
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9783034322492
• eBook ISBN: 9781787077041
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Teaching History
• Index: History

When the Peninsular War ended in 1814, the prolonged struggle had all but exhausted both British government finances and the British public's enthusiasm for war. The authoritarian rule of Ferdinand VII aroused long-standing British suspicions of Spanish ways, which emerged in British literary works that depicted a retrograde, fanatical Spain. The tumultuous years following Ferdinand's reign also led to divisions among the European powers, some favouring the restoration of Ferdinand, with the British government and liberal forces vehemently opposed.

This diverse volume focuses on British reactions to, and representations of, Spanish affairs during this lively period (1814–1823). It demonstrates both Spain's visibility in Regency Britain and the consequent inspiration and dialectical activity of British politicians, artists and intellectuals. It does so through a combination of literary, social, historical and cultural perspectives that bring both fresh light to this formative period of nineteenth-century British attitudes to Spain and a wealth of new scholarly material.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction: Romanticism, Reaction and Revolution (Bernard Beatty and Alicia Laspra-RodríguezÍ)
• Part I. Political Views
• Part II. Cultural Views
• Bibliography
• Notes on contributors
• Index