Spain Under Charles IV: Crisis and Conflict (1788-1808)
The Reign of Charles IV (1788-1808)
Impact of the French Revolution
The beginning of Charles IV’s reign coincided with the outbreak of the French Revolution, impacting Spain’s internal and external policies. The monarchy responded by closing borders to revolutionary propaganda, censoring news, and prohibiting book imports and student departures. Prime Minister Count of Floridablanca’s successor, Count of Aranda, maintained neutrality with France, but Queen Maria Luisa and Manuel Godoy orchestrated his overthrow in 1792, leading to an alliance with Britain.
Economic and Demographic Crisis
Economic growth slowed during Charles IV’s reign, marked by a demographic crisis in the 1790s. Grain crop losses caused widespread famine in 1789-1790 and, most dramatically, in 1803-1804, increasing mortality. The weakened population faced new epidemics like yellow fever in the early 19th century. The ancien régime limited solutions to the subsistence crises and declining agricultural production, which required intensive methods and substantial capital investment.
War with France
Following Louis XVI’s execution in 1793, war erupted between Spain and the French Republic. Despite alliances with Britain and Portugal, French armies invaded Basque and Catalan regions in 1794. Spanish municipalities organized their own defense, a first in Spanish history. The Peace of Basel (1795) ended the war, but Spain lost part of Santo Domingo and became subject to French interests.
Alliance with France and Napoleonic Wars
Spain’s alliance with France meant subordination to Napoleon’s policies. The Treaty of San Ildefonso (1796 and 1800) involved Spain in Napoleon’s planned invasion of Britain. This led to Spain’s defeat at Cape St. Vincent (1797), the loss of Trinidad, the War of the Oranges against Portugal (1801), and the devastating defeat at Trafalgar (1805).
Consequences of War
The continuous wars resulted in population losses and two major crises: a fiscal crisis, with increasing debts and decreasing income from the Americas, forcing the Crown to raise taxes, borrow abroad, and sell Church lands; and a crisis of colonial trade, as British naval dominance disrupted trade between Spain and America, ending Spain’s monopoly in 1796 and reducing tax revenue.
Loss of Credibility and the Mutiny of Aranjuez
The monarchy faced a legitimacy crisis, unable to defend its territory or implement reforms due to the disrupted American trade. The prevailing belief among the privileged was that removing Godoy, Charles IV’s abdication, and his son Ferdinand’s accession would solve the problems. This led to the Mutiny of Aranjuez in March 1808, imprisoning Godoy and forcing Charles IV to abdicate in favor of Ferdinand. Simultaneously, Spain signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807), allowing Napoleon’s troops into Spain to divide Portugal.
Sources of Discontent
- Privileged sectors (Church and nobility) opposed Godoy’s policies strengthening royal authority and fiscal measures challenging their rights.
- Writers and political literature clandestinely spread ideas resembling the French Revolution.
- Unsuccessful opposition movements against absolutism arose in cities and towns.
- Popular unrest led to riots over subsistence, land disputes, and manorial rights in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.