The historiography dealing with the 1848 revolutions has traditionally considered Spain not to have taken part in the European events. This article argues that, on the contrary, such events, and in particular the revolution in France, had a considerable impact on Spanish political life. In fact, there were revolutionary upheavals in Spain throughout the year 1848, and the country was governed under extraordinary laws until 1849. The February revolution in Paris provoked a split in the Spanish liberal, so-called progressive forces, and gave birth to the Spanish Democratic Party in April 1849, with the support of liberal democrats and republicans. The events of 1848 also promoted divisions in the ruling conservative party, which finally lost power after the revolution of 1854.