The Spanish War of Independence & Liberal Revolution 1808-1814
The Crisis of 1808: Prelude to the War of Independence
The crisis of the Old Regime in Spain began during the reign of Charles IV. The French Revolution broke out at the very beginning of his reign. Absolutist kings created an anti-revolutionary coalition in Europe. Charles IV and his minister, Floridablanca, closed Spain’s borders to anyone who could bring revolutionary ideas into the country. The war brought many military problems. The French army occupied Catalonia and the Basque Country. Charles IV’s minister, Godoy, signed the Peace of Basel and, the following year, the Treaty of San Ildefonso. The defeat of Napoleon at Trafalgar and Cape San Vicente led to the Continental Blockade against England, but Portugal did not agree to this blockade, and Napoleon decided to invade. For the invasion, Napoleon had to cross Spanish territory, and Charles IV granted permission through the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which determined the allocation of Portugal. This permission given to Napoleon led to increased discontent with both Godoy and Charles IV.
Financial and Economic Turmoil in Spain
The Spanish monarchy faced a severe financial crisis. Public debt had increased, and they could not raise taxes on the Third Estate (bourgeoisie, peasants, and workers). The only solution was for the nobility and clergy to pay, but they refused to lose their privileges. Another problem was the economic crisis: the Spanish population was larger than the number of resources available, leading to a supply crisis. The enlightened view was that the system benefited large landowners and harmed peasants. Godoy wanted to confiscate the lands of the church and the nobility. On the other hand, protests against foreign policy provoked two conspiracies involving Prince Ferdinand: the Mutiny of El Escorial and the Mutiny of Aranjuez. In the latter, two social sectors with conflicting interests were involved: the nobility and clergy, who opposed the confiscation law driven by Godoy, and the popular sectors, angered by the occupation of Spain by French troops. In Aranjuez, it was decided to remove Godoy and for Charles IV to abdicate in favor of his son, Ferdinand. Napoleon wanted to incorporate Spain into his imperial system. To take advantage of this crisis in the monarchy, he made a series of decisions:
- He summoned Charles IV and Ferdinand VII to Bayonne and forced them to waive their rights to the throne (Abdications of Bayonne).
- He appointed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, establishing a new monarchy based on the Constitution of Bayonne, which limited the king’s power and carried out a series of reforms.
- Charles and Ferdinand agreed to be moved to French palaces and received a very high payment, completely distancing themselves from Spain.
The War of Independence (1808-1814)
This war was a war for national independence and for a new political order. Before Napoleon’s maneuvers, the Spanish responded with the May 2 uprising against French troops occupying the capital. The uprising was harshly repressed but served as an example, leading almost all provinces to unite and form local and provincial resistance groups. These groups organized the fight against the French, forming the Supreme Central Board, chaired by Floridablanca, which proclaimed Ferdinand VII as the legitimate authority in Spain. However, the King of Spain was José I, who settled in Madrid in July 1808. The French defeat at Bailén forced him to return to France, and Napoleon had to come to Madrid to personally direct the occupation of the peninsula. Joseph I was able to return to Spain, but his authority was very weak due to continued resistance against the king imposed by the French. Only a minority of Spaniards, known as afrancesados, supported the French king. The majority, known as patriots, rejected the intruder king, some actively fighting in guerrilla wars and helping the guerrillas, and most disobeying or not working with the French.
The Spanish found strong support in the English. Many cities, such as Cadiz, and Galician territories were not taken by France thanks to English support. The year 1812 marked the decline of French rule, and in 1813, King Joseph I had to sign the Treaty of Valençay, which promised to leave Spain and proclaimed Ferdinand VII as King of Spain.
The Liberal Revolution
During the War of Independence, there was also an idealistic political confrontation that led to a liberal revolution. The imposition of King Joseph I caused a triple positioning:
- The Francophiles: Supported the French king, believing he would modernize Spain.
- The Royalists: Defended Ferdinand VII and preferred to maintain the absolute monarchy in more traditional terms.
- The Liberals: Also defended Ferdinand but preferred a thorough renewal of the political system, which meant ending the Old Regime and absolutism.
The Liberals took the lead, but after the war, the Royalists imposed their political views. The political revolution began with the creation of the Boards. The Central Board became the government of the resistance. Although the Boards had a revolutionary character, they were composed of nobility, clergy, and bourgeoisie and organized the defense of the country and the transformation of the Old Regime. In 1810, the Central Board convened a meeting of the Spanish Cortes in Cadiz. The three estates supported the struggle of the Spanish people but disagreed on the political order to be established after the war. They decided to draw up a constitution for Spain, which was adopted on March 19, 1812 (known as La Pepa), with a liberal philosophy. After the war, the Liberals thought Ferdinand VII would accept the legislation passed in the Constitution of Cadiz. However, neither the king nor the nobles nor the clergy agreed, and when the king arrived in Madrid, he signed a decree repealing the 1812 Constitution and reinstating the Old Regime.