Ferdinand VII
Ferdinand VII was not liberal by any means. When the Bourbons
returned to the Spanish throne after Napoleon was defeated in 1814, they tried to restore
things as they were before the French Revolution and Napoleon. They wanted divine right
monarchy. That is being reactionary. Ferdinand had to face a revolt from soldiers in Spain
who were being sent to the New World to suppress independence movements. These soldiers
demanded the restoration of the Constitution of 1812, a liberal (but radical to the
Spanish) constitution created when the Bourbons were in exile/captivity in France.
Ferdinand had no means to supress the soldiers so he gave in and restored the 1812
constitution. He then appealed to the conservative coalition in Europe to send him help to
reassert his authority. France, a monarchy again and desirous of showing that it was now
conservative, sent troops into Spain to restore Ferdinand's authority. Mexican
conservatives hated the 1812 constitution and many therefore supported Ituribide's call
for independence because they saw Iturbide as a true conservative who was helping them
escape from "liberal" Spain. Had they waited a few more years, conservatism
would have been reasserted in Spain and there would have been no reason to leave. Some
Mexicans would supported either the liberal (desiring a republic) or the conservative
(desiring a monarchy) independence movement did so because they believed that Mexican, not
Spaniards, should control Mexico.
