Contemporary age: part 1

The Start of the war of independence

At the beginning of the 19^th century, Carlos IV was king.

 
Carlos IV

  

Familia de Carlos IV by Goya

In 1807 France signed a treaty allowing the French troops to cross Spain to occupy Portugal. However, France broke the treaty and invaded some Spanish cities.

The king hid in Aranjuez, ready to escape south (to Seville and then America) in case of need – if the French troops decided to attack him-.

Because of :

• -         The difficult living conditions of the population,
• -         The fact that the population became nervous when they discovered the king was hidden in Aranjuez
• -         And also because prince Fernando-future king Fernando VII- wanted to be the king,

In 1808 the Motin de Aranjuez broke out and the kind ceded the throne to his son Fernando VII.

Fernando VII

Napoleon ( the emperor of france) took advantage of this situation and replaced the new king with his brother, José Bonaparte.

The population did not accept this and on the 2^nd May 1808 they rebelled against the French troops and the War of Independence began.

The Spanish population was divided into two groups:

-          Patriotas: wanted Fernando VII back. Within this group, we have:

• o         Liberals: wanted a constitution to limit the power of the king
• o         Conservatives: Wanted all the power to the king

-          Afrancesados : supported the French king

In 1810, a group of liberals met in Cadiz and in 1812 approved a constitution that limited the king´s power and established rights for citizens so everybody became equal under the law.

In 1814 Spain defeated France and Fernando VII returned as king of Spain.