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His reign coincided with the French
Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire and this affected Spain´s power and
independence. -
French and Spanish forces were defeated by
the British at the Battle of Trafalgar. -
Spain signed the Treaty of Fontaineblau with France: this treaty gave French troops permission to pass through Spain on their way to attack Portugal.
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In the end, French forces occupied Spain. Charles´s and Ferdinand renounced their rights to the Spanish throne in favour of Napoleon. Napoleon made his own brother the new King of Spain in 1808.
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People of Madrid revolted against the French occupation
The French were finally defeated in 1813, thanks to the 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. -
Central Council was replaced by the Regency Council.
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The Cortes de Cádiz, approved the first Spanish
constitution. This was a victory of the Enlightenment ideas over the Ancien Régime.
