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Military Wages and Coup d’État in Spain (1850-1915): the Use of Public Spending as a Coup-Proofing Strategty : The USE of PUBLIC SPENDING AS A COUP-PROOFING STRATEGY

Sabaté Domingo, Oriol LU ; Espuelas, Sergio and Herranz-Loncán, Alfonso (2022) In Revista de Historia Economica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History 40(2). p.205-241
Abstract
In 1833-1874, Spain suffered 0.7 coups per year. By contrast, the Restoration (1874-1923) saw the eradication of successful coups. This can be partially attributed to the turno pacífico, which allowed the main political parties to alternate in office without dragging the military into politics. We suggest, however, that the reduction in coup risk was also associated with a conscious budget policy. This, though, did not rely on increases in total military expenditure (which actually stagnated during most of the Restoration), but on the steady improvement of officers' remunerations and promotions. This strategy was probably detrimental to Spanish military capacity abroad, but was consistent with the objective of keeping the military out of... (More)
In 1833-1874, Spain suffered 0.7 coups per year. By contrast, the Restoration (1874-1923) saw the eradication of successful coups. This can be partially attributed to the turno pacífico, which allowed the main political parties to alternate in office without dragging the military into politics. We suggest, however, that the reduction in coup risk was also associated with a conscious budget policy. This, though, did not rely on increases in total military expenditure (which actually stagnated during most of the Restoration), but on the steady improvement of officers' remunerations and promotions. This strategy was probably detrimental to Spanish military capacity abroad, but was consistent with the objective of keeping the military out of politics. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
coup-proofing, military wages, Spanish Restoration
in
Revista de Historia Economica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History
volume
40
issue
2
pages
205 - 241
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85098081051
  • scopus:85098081051
ISSN
0212-6109
DOI
10.1017/S0212610920000270
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ebc3dbc2-3dfa-4fda-824b-7c7954818a40
date added to LUP
2021-01-11 09:22:47
date last changed
2022-10-31 14:56:42
@article{ebc3dbc2-3dfa-4fda-824b-7c7954818a40,
  abstract     = {{In 1833-1874, Spain suffered 0.7 coups per year. By contrast, the Restoration (1874-1923) saw the eradication of successful coups. This can be partially attributed to the turno pacífico, which allowed the main political parties to alternate in office without dragging the military into politics. We suggest, however, that the reduction in coup risk was also associated with a conscious budget policy. This, though, did not rely on increases in total military expenditure (which actually stagnated during most of the Restoration), but on the steady improvement of officers' remunerations and promotions. This strategy was probably detrimental to Spanish military capacity abroad, but was consistent with the objective of keeping the military out of politics.}},
  author       = {{Sabaté Domingo, Oriol and Espuelas, Sergio and Herranz-Loncán, Alfonso}},
  issn         = {{0212-6109}},
  keywords     = {{coup-proofing; military wages; Spanish Restoration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{205--241}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Revista de Historia Economica - Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History}},
  title        = {{Military Wages and Coup d’État in Spain (1850-1915): the Use of Public Spending as a Coup-Proofing Strategty : The USE of PUBLIC SPENDING AS A COUP-PROOFING STRATEGY}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0212610920000270}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0212610920000270}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}