Práxedes Mateo Sagasta

Práxedes Mariano Mateo Sagasta y Escolar (21 July 1825 – 5 January 1903) was a Spanish civil engineer and politician who served as Prime Minister on eight occasions between 1870 and 1902—always in charge of the Liberal Party—as part of the turno pacifico, alternating with the Conservative leader Antonio Cánovas. He was known as an excellent orator.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mateo Sagasta and the second or maternal family name is Escolar.
The Most Excellent
Práxedes Mateo Sagasta
Prime Minister of Spain
In office
7 March 1901 – 10 December 1902
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Preceded byMarcelo Azcárraga
Succeeded byFrancisco Silvela
In office
5 October 1897 – 7 March 1899
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Preceded byMarcelo Azcárraga
Succeeded byFrancisco Silvela
In office
13 December 1892 – 24 March 1895
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Preceded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
Succeeded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
In office
28 November 1885 – 8 July 1890
MonarchsVacant
Alfonso XIII (born 17 May 1886)
Preceded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
Succeeded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
In office
10 February 1881 – 14 October 1883
MonarchAlfonso XII
Preceded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
Succeeded byJosé Posada Herrera
In office
29 June 1874 – 31 December 1874
PresidentFrancisco Serrano
Preceded byJuan de Zavala
Succeeded byAntonio Cánovas del Castillo
In office
21 December 1871 – 26 May 1872
MonarchAmadeo I
Preceded byJosé Malcampo
Succeeded byFrancisco Serrano
Personal details
Born(1825-07-21)21 July 1825
Torrecilla en Cameros, Logroño, Spain
Died(1903-01-05)5 January 1903 (aged 77)
Madrid, Spain
Resting placePantheon of Illustrious Men
Political partyLiberal Party
Signature

Biography

Mateo Sagasta was born on 21 July 1825 at Torrecilla en Cameros, province of Logroño, Spain. As a member of the Progressive Party while a student at the Civil Engineering School of Madrid in 1848, Sagasta was the only one in the school who refused to sign a letter supporting Queen Isabel II.

After his studies, he took an active role in government. Sagasta served in the Spanish Cortes between 1854–1857 and 1858–1863. In 1866 he went into exile in France after a failed coup. After the Spanish Revolution of 1868, he returned to Spain to take part in the newly created provisional government.

He served as Prime Minister of Spain during the Spanish–American War of 1898 when Spain lost its remaining colonies. Mateo Sagasta agreed to an autonomous constitution for both Cuba and Puerto Rico. Mateo Sagasta's political opponents saw his action as a betrayal of Spain and blamed him for the country's defeat in the war and the loss of its island territories in the Treaty of Paris of 1898. He continued to be active in politics for another four years.

Mateo Sagasta's ministry lost a vote in the Cortes on 2 December 1902, he handed in his resignation to the King on the following day, and formally resigned on 10 December 1902.[1]

Mateo Sagasta died just a month after his last resignation, on 5 January 1903 in Madrid at the age of 77.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Latest intelligence - Resignation of Señor Sagasta". The Times. No. 36942. London. 4 December 1902. p. 5.
  2. "Obituary. Señor Práxedes Mateo Sagasta". Annual Register for 1903. Longmans, Green, and Co. 1904. p. 113.
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