Editing Amadeo I of Spain (section)

==== Proclamation of the Republic ====
[[File:Estanislao Figueras.png|thumb|[[Estanislao Figueras]], first President of the [[First Spanish Republic]].]]

On February 10, Madrid federalists demanded the Republic as news of abdication broke. Ruiz Zorrilla's cabinet split: Progressives favored a provisional government and consultation, aligning with Constitutionalists, while Democrats, led by Martos and Rivero, pushed for a Cortes Convention to declare the Republic, leveraging their majority with federalists. Ruiz Zorrilla sought a 24-hour session suspension, but Martos overruled him, declaring the Cortes sovereign post-abdication, with “no other possibility but the Republic.” The Cortes voted itself permanent, despite crowd pressure quelled by the [[National Militia (Spain)|National Militia]].{{Sfn|Vilches|2001|pp=339-342}}

On February 11, Republican threats of insurrection by 3 p.m. forced action. Martos, Rivero, and Senate President Figuerola convened both chambers as a National Assembly. After reading Amadeo's letter, Martos ceded government power to the Cortes, which, with 258 votes to 32, proclaimed the [[First Spanish Republic]]:

“The National Assembly assumes all powers and declares the Republic as the form of government...”{{Sfn|Fontana|2007|p=371}}

That evening, [[Estanislao Figueras]] was elected President of the Executive Power, heading a Radical-Republican cabinet: Republicans [[Emilio Castelar]] (State), [[Francesc Pi i Margall]] (Interior), [[Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso|Nicolás Salmerón]] (Justice); Radicals [[José Echegaray]] (Finance), [[Manuel Becerra Bermúdez|Manuel Becerra]] (Public Works), [[Francisco Salmerón]] (Overseas), General Fernández de Córdoba (War), and Admiral Beránger (Navy). Martos became Assembly president with 222 votes to Rivero's 20.{{Sfn|Vilches|2001|pp=344-345; 365-366}}{{Sfn|López-Cordón|1976|p=54}}