Spain, the reign of Carlos IV and the Peninsular War

3. SPAIN: THE REIGN OF CARLOS IV AND THE PENINSULAR WAR

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THE REIGN OF CARLOS IV Carlos IV took the Spanish throne in 1788.

The next yea revolution brokeout in France.

This event had a great impact on the history of Spain.

Carlos IV was not a popular monarch, he was critised for delegating all the power to his prime minister Godoy, who the nobility hated.

The foreign policy of Carlos IV was associated with the Pacte of Famille until the execution of Louis XVI in 1793 and Spain declared war on France.

3. SPAIN: THE REIGN OF CARLOS IV AND THE PENINSULAR WAR

- After Napoleon assumed power, Spain came under his control.

- And due to this alliance, Spain lost its naval fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar against Grea Britain in 1805.

- This defeat led to the Mutiny of Aranjuezin 1808, and the royal palace was attacked by the lower classes.

They forced the king to remove Godoy and abdicate in favour of his son, Fernando VII. - After the uprising, Napoleon summoned Carlos IV and Fernando VII at Bayonne.

- They surrendered the crown to Napoleon and he them appointed his brother Joseph as king of Spain - A Cortes was convened to draft the Bayonne Constitutionas a basis for Joseph’s rule.

3. SPAIN: THE REIGN OF CARLOS IV AND THE PENINSULAR WAR -

THE PENINSULAR WAR On 2 May 1808, the people of Madrid rebelled against the French occupation.

The rebellion was brutally put down.

But the resistance spreadto ther parts of Spain, leading to the Peninsular War. The Spanish army was able to defeat the French at the Battle of Bailén (1808) in July.

Resistance was so strong that Napoleon led a large army into Spain himself.

This caused that conflict would be in favour of France and they took the control of the country.

The Junta Central only recognised Fernando VII as king and arranged the political opposition to Joseph.

After the Spanish defeatat the Battle of Ocaña, the leadership of the resistance took refuge in Cádiz.

The Cádiz Cortes were called to serve as a national assembly,this body proclaimed the Constitutin of 1812 which established a constitutional monarchy.

In 1812, Napoleon was forced to move some of his armies to Russia. With British and Portuguese support , the Spanish were able to win a number of battles and there was a decisive British victory at the Battle of Salamanca. The French were defeated in 1814.