Peninsular War & Spanish Liberal Revolution
Phases of the Peninsular War
The military events occurred in three phases:
a) Stage 1: May-October 1808. Initial failure of French occupation. Guerrilla warfare emerges. General Castaños defeats Dupont at Bailén (July 19, 1808). Joseph Bonaparte retreats from Madrid to the Ebro.
b) Phase 2: October 1808-July 1812. War of attrition and guerrilla actions. England sends an expeditionary army to Portugal. Napoleon arrives in Spain, quelling most sieges except Cádiz. He returns to France due to European wars.
c) Phase 3: July 1812-1814. Spanish-English offensive. Victory at Salamanca (July 1812). French expulsion culminates in May 1814. Napoleon signs the Treaty of Valençay (December 1813), freeing Ferdinand VII.
War Consequences
The war caused unprecedented damage in Spain: demographic, economic, cultural, moral, political, and liberal losses. Internationally, it aided Napoleon’s defeat and sparked Spanish American independence.
Joseph Bonaparte’s Government
Constitution of Bayonne
Napoleon convened an Assembly of Notables in Bayonne to address Spain’s state. He appointed Joseph as King (June 6). The assembly approved a constitution with these features:
- Spain as a hereditary monarchy with a powerful king, but with citizen rights.
- Powers divided among the King, Senate, Council of State, and Courts.
- Included a declaration of rights and liberal reforms, though not a full constitution.
Modernizing Measures
Joseph I aimed for reforms but faced resistance due to Napoleon’s control, opposition, and financial constraints. He implemented:
- Ministerial supremacy over old Directors.
- Dissolution of religious orders and property sales.
- Fiscal reform.
- Educational and cultural reform.
- Territorial reorganization.
The Afrancesados
A minority supported Joseph I, collaborating with his administration.
Courts of Cádiz and the 1812 Constitution
Ideological Groups
Spaniards divided into Afrancesados (pro-French) and Patriots (anti-French). Patriots split into Liberals and Traditionalists.
Call to the Courts
The Central Governing Junta ceded power to a conservative Regency. In January 1810, the Regency called for the Courts in Cádiz. The Courts opened on September 23, 1810.
Courts’ Composition
The Courts declared national sovereignty. Participants were chosen from free areas and cities. Three trends emerged:
- Liberals: Advocated national sovereignty.
- Reformists (Jovellanos): Favored gradual reform.
- Absolutists: Defended royal sovereignty.
Middle classes dominated, with limited representation from nobility, clergy, or masses.
Courts’ Work
The Courts aimed to dismantle the Ancien Régime and draft a constitution.
a) Legislation (Decrees)
- Freedom of the press (except religious).
- Abolition of feudalism, Inquisition, guilds, primogeniture, Mesta, internal customs.
- Limited confiscation.
- Creation of a national militia.
b) The 1812 Constitution
Approved on March 19, 1812. Key features:
- National sovereignty.
- Separation of powers: Legislature (unicameral Courts), Judiciary, Executive (limited monarchy).
- Parliamentary monarchy.
- Unicameral system.
- Individual rights and freedoms.
- Indirect male suffrage.
- Catholicism as the sole religion.