The Moderado Party and the Introduction of Steam Power in the Spanish Navy, 1844-1854

Abstract

Steam power was a crucial factor in the reconstruction of the Spanish navy in the mid-nineteenth century. Army requirements for strategic mobility, together with the debate over the relative proportion of steam to sailing ships and the condition of the dockyards, drove the naval policy of this period. However, a weak treasury meant that the government was willing to spend substantially on the navy only in a national crisis, while political instability and internal opposition further hampered the successful implementation of the naval programmes. Nevertheless, the number of steamers was increased considerably and the screw propeller was introduced.