Floridablanca Ministry
The Floridablanca Ministry was a Spanish government that served between 1777 and 1792 during the reigns of Charles III of Spain and Charles IV of Spain. It was headed by the Count of Floridablanca, a prominent reformer, who sought to press on with the program of reforms initiated by his predecessor Grimaldi. One of the pillars of Floridablanca's beliefs was that friendly relations with Britain were crucial for the general improvement of Spain. It was considered ironic that in 1779 Spain, at the urging of the King, entered the American War of Independence on France's side, declaring war in Britain. Despite his reluctance, Floriblanca took much of the credit for the war, as a Spanish force took advantage of the overstretched British Navy and took several of their colonies in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. In the peace treaty that followed, Spain was awarded Minorca and Florida which had been lost to the British earlier in the century. The war strengthened the governments position during the 1780s, and they pressed ahead with many reforms. A new threat to power began to emerge in the form of Manuel Godoy, a royal favourite and a Francophile, who grew increasingly influential. Following the outbreak of the French Revolution the reforming liberalism of Floridablanca and his followers rapidly fell out of fashion, and he was dismissed to make way for Godoy in 1792.
Cabinet
Floridablanca's first government
Floridablanca's second government
| Portfolio | Image | Holder | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Secretary of State (PM) | File:Pompeo Girolamo Batoni - Don José Moñino y Redondo, Conde de Floridablanca - 1974.386 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg | The Count of Floridablanca | 8 July 1787 – 28 February 1792 |
| Secretary of State for Grace and Justice | 8 July 1787 – 25 April 1790 (acting) | ||
|
Antonio Aniceto Porlier | 25 April 1790 – 28 February 1792 | |
| Secretary of State for Grace and Justice of Indies | 8 July 1787 – 25 April 1790 | ||
| Secretary of State for the Treasury | 
|
Pedro López de Lerena | 8 July 1787 – 16 October 1791 |
|
Diego de Gardoqui | 16 October 1791 – 28 February 1792 | |
| Secretary of State for War | Jerónimo Caballero y Vicente del Campo | 8 July 1787 – 27 April 1790 | |
| Manuel Negrete de la Torre | 27 April 1790 – 28 February 1792 | ||
| Secretary of State for the Navy | File:AntonioValdésYFernándezBazán 1222533.jpg | Antonio Valdés y Fernández Bazán | 8 July 1787 – 28 February 1792 |
| Secretary of State for War, Treasury, Commerce and Navigation of Indies | 8 July 1787 – 25 April 1790 |
Bibliography
- Hughes, Robert. Goya. Vintage, 2004.
- Simms, Brendan. Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire. Penguin Books 2008.
