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This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 13 December 2024. 1807–1814 war against Napoleon in Iberia Not to be confused with the French invasion of Spain in 1823. Peninsular War Part of the Napoleonic Wars Peninsular war Clockwise from top left: The Third of May 1808 Battle of Somosierra Battle of Bayonne Disasters of War prints by Goya Date 2 ...
Spain had been allied with France against Britain since the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1796. After the defeat of the combined Spanish and French fleets by the British at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, cracks began to appear in the alliance, with Spain preparing to invade France from the south after the outbreak of the War of the Fourth Coalition.
The Peninsular war proved a major disaster for France. Napoleon did well when he was in direct charge, but severe losses followed his departure, as he severely underestimated how much manpower would be needed. The effort in Spain was a drain on money, manpower and prestige. Historian David Gates called it the "Spanish ulcer".
Spain in the 19th century was a country in turmoil. Occupied by Napoleon from 1808 to 1814, a massively destructive "liberation war" ensued.Following the Spanish Constitution of 1812, Spain was divided between the 1812 constitution's liberal principles and the absolutism personified by the rule of Ferdinand VII, who repealed the 1812 Constitution for the first time in 1814, only to be forced ...
The heavily outnumbered Spanish detachment of conscripts and artillery were unable to stop the Grande Armée's advance on Madrid, and Napoleon entered the capital of Spain on 4 December, a month after having entered the country. [10] 4 December 1808 Napoleon entered Madrid with 80,000 troops. [10] Madrid: French victory
And the ceaseless armies of European and, subsequently, American tourists − who invaded France after the ravages of 25 years of continuous continental warfare (1790-1815) faded from memory − ...
The Dos de Mayo was among the few spontaneous popular uprisings of the war, launched without significant fore-planning, funding, or leadership by government elites. While elements within the Spanish military and state bureaucracy did envision military action to expel the French from the country, Murat's hold on Madrid was held to be unassailable in the short term.
As Napoleon realised that extensive trade was going through Spain and Russia, he invaded those two countries. His forces were tied down in Spain, in which the Spanish War of Independence occurred simultaneously, and suffered severely in, and ultimately retreated from, Russia in 1812.