Resumen
Los cien mil hijos de San Luis recounts the dramatic events of 1823, when France invaded Spain under the pretext of restoring absolute monarchy.
The invaders, known as Los Cien Mil Hijos de San Luis (The Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis), were sent by the Holy Alliance to crush liberal reforms and reinstall King Ferdinand VII as an absolute monarch.
Through the vivid storytelling of Galdós, we follow Salvador Monsalud, a recurring liberal-leaning character in the series, who experiences firsthand the ideological clash between liberalism and absolutism.
The novel paints a powerful portrait of betrayal, exile, and the disillusionment of Spain’s progressive hopes after a brief constitutional period known as the Trienio Liberal (1820–1823).
As French troops march across Spain with minimal resistance, the Spanish people witness the dismantling of their fledgling democracy. Galdós captures the emotional weight of lost ideals, as well as the brutal consequences of foreign intervention.