[3] The former supported absolute monarchism and the traditionalism of the Antiguo Régimen ("Old Regime"); they were uniformly close to the Roman Catholic Church, and generally clericalist.
[3] The terms of surrender—notably the Convention of Vergara[3][8]—left an opportunity for relatively moderate Carlists to continue to play a role in the country's politics,[9] and many did so over the ensuing decades.
This term actually predates Carlist; this was already the name of a faction in the time of Ferdinand VII before they had settled on the Infante Carlos, Ferdinand's younger brother, as their champion[11] Leaving aside the Carlists, four groups within the Isabelino camp are generally considered to be political parties, although the two that came first chronologically did not have quite the formal organization that the term "party" may imply.
[14] In keeping with the Praetorianism that was such a factor in the Spanish politics of the time—coups and coup attempts were routine[15]—the Moderates, Progressives, and Liberal Union were each closely associated with a general, respectively Ramón María Narváez,[16] Baldomero Espartero,[17] and Leopoldo O'Donnell.
To begin with, there were the doceañistas, associated with the Cortes of Cádiz and the Constitution of 1812, and the veinteañistas or exaltados, slightly younger, somewhat farther to the left, associated with the trienio liberal (1820–1823).
[20] After the moderate Maria Christina was ousted as regent in September 1840, a division arose that crossed party lines, but importantly split the Progressives.
)[24] Also leagued with the Moderates were the vilumistas, led by the Marquess of Viluma, who wished to go back to the enlightened absolutism of the Royal Statute of 1834.
[25] This included the isturizta personal faction around Francisco Javier Istúriz, which at times allied with the Moderates against the rest of the Progressives.