The
Carlist Wars were a series of
civil wars that took place in
Spain during the 19th century. The contenders fought to establish their claim to the throne, although some political differences also existed. Indeed, several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the
Carlists — followers of
Infante Carlos (later Carlos V) and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and fought for the cause of Spanish tradition (
Legitimism and
Catholicism) against
liberalism, and later the
republicanism, of the Spanish governments of the day. The Carlist Wars had a strong regional component (
Basque region,
Catalonia, etc.), given that the new order called into question region specific law arrangements and customs kept for centuries.