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In 1788, Carlos IV became King of Spain.
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Reign of Carlos IV of Spain.
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The British wanted to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte and weaken the French military power in Europe.
The allied forces of France and Spain were defeated by the British at the naval Battle of Trafalgar. -
In 1807, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Fointanebleau. In the treaty it was stipulated the military invasion of Portugal, wich was allied with Great Britain, by France and Spain. This treaty gave French troops permission to pass through Spain on their way to attack Portugal.
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The Spanish War of Independence began on 2 May 1808, when the people of Madrid rose up against the French occupation.
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During this war, two important processeswere taking place at the same time: the war itself, and a political revolution.
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After the French forces occupied Spain, Carlos IV and his son Fernando VII were sent to Bayonne, in France. There, they renounced their rights to the Spanish throne in favour of Napoleon.
Little bit later, Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, became King of Spain. -
Joseph Bonaparte was the head of the French government in Spain. He introduced enlightened reforms.
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Reign of Joseph I Bonaparte as king of Spain.
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The Battle of Bailén was the first defeat of the napoleonic army in open field.
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The Central Council represented the absent Fernando VII in the areas not occupied by the French.
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The Cortes of Cádiz approved the Constitution on March 19, 1812, it is the first Spanish Constitution.
It was the answer of the Spanish people to the invasor intentions of Napoleon. -
End of the reign of Joseph I Bonaparte as king of Spain.
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The French were finally defeated in 1813, thanks to support from British forces led by the Duke of Wellington, and to groups of Spanish citizens who carried out guerrilla attacks on the French forces.
In December of 1813, by the Treaty of Valençay, Napoleon offers the peace and recognizes Fernando VII as king of Spain.
