The Crisis of the Spanish Monarchy (1788-1814)
The Reign of Charles IV (1788-1808)
Charles IV ascended the Spanish throne in 1788. The French Revolution began the following year, impacting Spain’s political landscape. In 1792, Charles IV entrusted power to Manuel de Godoy. Following the execution of Louis XVI, Spain declared war on France, culminating in defeat and the Peace of Basle (1795). With Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise in 1799, Spanish politics vacillated between fear of France and attempts at appeasement. Alliances with France led to conflict with Great Britain, resulting in the disastrous Battle of Trafalgar (1805), crippling the Spanish navy and further straining the royal treasury. Godoy resorted to borrowing and increased taxes, facing opposition from the nobility and the Church.
The Mutiny of Aranjuez (1808)
In 1807, Godoy and Charles IV signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau with Napoleon, allowing French troops into Spain to attack Portugal. On March 18, 1808, a riot erupted in Aranjuez, where the royal family resided. Fearing a French invasion, they fled. The mutiny revealed a deep crisis within the Spanish monarchy. Charles IV appealed to Napoleon for help in regaining the throne from his son, Ferdinand VII.
The Monarchy of Joseph Bonaparte (1808-1814)
Napoleon summoned Charles IV and Ferdinand VII to Bayonne. Both abdicated in favor of Napoleon, who installed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as King of Spain. The Cortes approved a constitution, effectively dismantling the Old Regime. The new code promoted equality before the law, reformed taxation, and opened access to public positions. Manorialism was abolished, church lands were confiscated, and primogeniture was eliminated.
The War of Independence (1808-1814)
: The popular revolt and the formation of Together: May 2, 1808, the rest of the royal family, who still remained in the palace, was preparing to leave for Bayonne, where it was believed Napoleon had kidnapped Fernando VII, according to the rumors spread among the population of Madrid.Las riots that had to stop the march of the family, was severely punished by General Murat, tropas.Las by their local boards were first formed and were especially by persons in favor of Fernando VII.Poco later, provincial boards were created, which assumed sovereignty in the absence of the king, declared war on Napoleon and sought the support of Great Bretaña.En September 1808 sent representatives Boards Aranjuez, taking advantage of momentary withdrawal of the French in Madrid after the defeat of Bailen, to form a Supreme Council and Jovellanos Central.Floridablanca were the most enlightened members of the Board recognized Ferdinand VII as king, but to return them asumerian the poder.Ante the French advance, the Board fled to Seville and thence to Cadiz, 1810, the only city that, aided by the British, French resisted the siege.Resistance: sites and guerrillas: The resistance of cities such as Girona, Zaragoza and Tarragona, subject to the sites of the French troops, sport bombing and starvation for months, part of the army immobilized frances.La defeat of the invaders in Bruc ( June), it prevented the conquest of Andalusia, Jose I forazaron madrid.es to leave in January 1809, Jose I came back in Madrid and in 1809 the French rule was extended to the territory Spanish. todod fall of 1808, the Traditional Spanish Army was unable to oppose the advance of French forces, guerrillas, small local groups of between 30 and 50 miembros.Sus members were farmers, artisans, ect., although its leaders they used to belong to the educated elites (military and clergy ). The guerrillas attacked by sorpresa.En 1812 Napoleon began the conquest of Russia and forced him to withdraw thousands of soldiers of the peninsula the Spanish troops, supported by the guerrillas and the British army under General Wellington got the win Arapiles. Jose I definitely leaving Madrid was taken by Willington on 12 August. Unable to keep the two frntes, Napoleon decided to agree on ending the conflict with the Spanish and allow the return of Fernando VII, tried Valençay. Attitudes social, political and ideological: A minority of the Spanish, the French style is called, collaborated with the monarchy of Jose I. originating mainly from enlightened despotism, they were linked to their program reformista.Al end of the war, many were exiled to the persecution initiated by Fernando VII.El bulk of the Spanish population formed the known as the front patriotico.La most were the clergy and the nobility wanted a return to absolutism under the enlightened monarchy of Fernando VII.Algunos believed that with the return of Fernando VII could undertake a program of reforms and modernization the country.The liberals saw in the war an opportunity to make a system change in Spain politico.Implantar a liberal political system, based on a constitution as supreme law in national sovereignty, the division of powers, ect.