Spanish War of Independence: Causes, Battles, and Key Figures
Spanish War of Independence
The Spanish War of Independence was a conflict fought on Spanish territory against the French invasion. Napoleon Bonaparte, through the Treaty of Fontainebleau signed on October 27, 1807, agreed with the Spanish King Charles IV (through his minister Manuel Godoy) to occupy Portugal to enforce the trade blockade against Great Britain.
French troops entered Spain as allies, but Napoleon decided to take military control of the country. This led to a rift between Charles IV and his heir, Ferdinand VII. Napoleon unseated the House of Bourbon, replacing it with his own family, specifically his brother, who became King Joseph I. To minimize resistance, Napoleon tricked both Charles IV and Ferdinand VII into going to Bayonne, France, where they were forced to abdicate between May 5 and 6, 1808.
The goal was to dismantle the Spanish state. The entire royal family, including Infante Don Antonio, who led a governing board, was to be taken into captivity. An uprising against the French spontaneously occurred in Madrid on the morning of May 2nd. With no government, the Spanish people reclaimed their sovereignty militarily. Juntas arose everywhere, which then created a Central Board in May and June. Throughout Spain, people took up arms.
Initially, the French had 100,000 men occupying much of northern Spain, except for Asturias and Galicia. The Spanish Army had a similar number of troops but with obsolete equipment. From June to October 1808, the first phase of the war took place. The most important victory was the unexpected Spanish triumph at Bailen, led by Francisco Javier Castaños.
Napoleon, surprised by this defeat, which shattered the myth of his invincibility, decided to intervene personally. He arrived in Spain with an impressive army of 150,000 men. This led to the rise of guerrilla warfare, a Spanish invention used to constantly harass the French through various means. As a result, much of the French Army had to perform police duties. It was a total war, resulting in a sophisticated war of nerves.
Key Phases of the War
Phases of the war: During 1811 and 1812, a war of attrition took place. The role of the guerrillas was decisive. Additionally, Napoleon was forced to withdraw troops from Spain to the Russian front. It was during this time that the Duke of Wellington achieved his first successes at Salamanca and Arapiles. Joseph I was forced to leave Madrid and move the court to Valencia. Andalusia was definitively liberated.
The last phase comprised the years 1813 and 1814. The French retained an army of 100,000 men. The Spanish had 130,000, plus 70,000 in the Anglo-Portuguese army commanded by Wellington. In the spring of 1813, Joseph I established the court at Valladolid. He soon had to retreat before the advancing Allied Army through the Douro Valley. The French were defeated at Vitoria and San Marcial.
Ferdinand VII had already been freed by Napoleon after the Treaty of Valençay. The King crossed the border on March 24, 1814. On April 11th, an armistice was signed with the head of French troops in the Iberian Peninsula, Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, which ended a war lasting nearly six years. The war was definitively finished when, weeks later, Ferdinand took over the government after returning to the throne.