Napoleon's Reign and the Spanish War of Independence

Napoleon

In 1802, Napoleon was named First Consul for life after his victory in Italy. In 1804, he was declared Emperor. He established the Civil Code, covering marriage, divorce, education, and inheritance.

Napoleon conquered many areas of Europe and spread Enlightened policies, but Austria, Prussia, and Great Britain tried to prevent it. Napoleon also had many problems when he invaded Spain and Russia. Finally, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Napoleon in Spain

Napoleon's Occupation of Spain

Charles IV and his minister Manuel Godoy supported Napoleon against Britain, but Spain was defeated at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).

In 1807, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau, by which Charles IV let the French troops enter the peninsula to invade Portugal.

In 1808, Charles IV was deposed by his son, Ferdinand VII, as King of Spain, and Charles asked Napoleon for help to recover the kingdom. Charles and Ferdinand were called by Napoleon to go to Bayonne (France) and solve the problem. However, they finally renounced their rights to the Spanish throne in favor of Joseph I, Napoleon's brother. Because of this, the War of Independence started in Spain in order to expel the French. From this point on, there were two governments in Spain:

• The monarchy of Joseph I
• The Central Council of Cadiz, which represented Ferdinand VII while he was arrested in France. It was formed by representatives elected by the Spanish people.

The Spanish War of Independence

It began on May 2, 1808, when Madrid rose up against the French. Napoleon conquered the whole of Spain except Cadiz, where the Central Council emerged. The war ended in 1814, thanks to British support, whose troops were led by the Duke of Wellington. Moreover, Spain defeated France because it carried out a guerrilla war, based on surprise attacks and sabotage.

The Courts of Cadiz (1810-1814)

In 1808, a Central Council was formed in Spain in order to represent Ferdinand VII, who was arrested in France by Napoleon. This council ruled Spain in the name of Ferdinand, conducted the war against France, and held courts in Cadiz, which represented the Spanish people in 1810.

On March 19, the Courts of Cadiz approved the first Spanish Constitution, which established a constitutional monarchy on Ferdinand's return, with popular sovereignty, separation of powers, equality under the law, and freedom of thought.

However, when Ferdinand came back to Spain after the French defeat, he rejected the Constitution and ruled the country as an absolute monarchy.