Spain's 1808 Abdication Crisis: Causes, Key Players & Aftermath

• The Bayonne Abdication, which occurred in early May 1808 at Marracq Castle in Bayonne, France, refers to the successive resignations of Kings Carlos IV and his son, Ferdinand VII, to the throne of Spain. Napoleon then ceded these rights to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, who reigned as José I.
  The Central Supreme Junta was the accumulated legislative and executive body of Spain during the Napoleonic occupation. Established on September 25, 1808, following the Battle of Bailén and the Council of Castile declaring the Bayonne abdications void, it remained in power until January 30, 1810.
  The Aranjuez Mutiny: A popular uprising on March 18, 1808, triggered by various factors, including the consequences of the Battle of Trafalgar, popular discontent, and court intrigues.
  Bailén: A battle during the Spanish War of Independence, marking Napoleon's army's first major defeat. It took place on July 19, 1808.
  Godoy: A Spanish nobleman and politician, Prime Minister during the reign of Charles IV.
  José I: A French lawyer, King of Naples (1806-1808), and King of Spain (1808-1813).

Key Concepts

• National Sovereignty: An ideological concept from liberal political theory, emphasizing equal rights for all citizens.
• National Militia: Armed citizens, separate from the army or police, playing a significant role in liberal revolutions.
• Primogeniture: An old Castilian law preserving linked properties, passing them to the eldest son.
• Mesta: Created in 1273 by Alfonso X, uniting shepherds of León and Castile into an association with significant privileges (exemption from military service, rights of way, etc.).
• Constitution of 1812 (La Pepa): Enacted on March 19, 1812, in Cádiz. Spain's first constitution, known for its liberalism. Officially in effect from 1812-1814, it was later reinstated during the Liberal Triennium (1820-1823) and briefly in 1836-1837.