Abdications of Bayonne
On the 27th of October 1807, an unsuccessful attempt by the Prince of Asturias to end Manuel Godoy's government revealed deep instability within Spain. Napoleon observed this chaos and decided that leaving Spain as a potential enemy was no longer an option. He wrote from Saint Helena years later that he could not leave Spain at his back while enemies lurked nearby. The French Emperor believed it necessary to bind Spain to his system, whether willingly or through force. Spanish foreign policy had been under French influence since 1801, yet the royal family's internal dissensions stained their reputation with general contempt. Thierry Lentz noted that French minds viewed Spain as a tragicomic kingdom characterized by religious obscurantism and poverty. Napoleon initially planned only to annex provinces north of the Ebro River, shifting the border like in Carolingian times. This plan required marrying Prince Ferdinand to Lucien Bonaparte's daughter Charlotte, but Lucien refused consent. Instead, Napoleon used the Treaty of Fontainebleau signed on the same day as the Escorial Conspiracy to move troops into Spain. Between the 22nd of December 1807, and the 6th of February 1808, three army corps led by Marshals Dupont, Moncey, and Duhesme crossed the Franco-Spanish border. Marshal Joachim Murat arrived on February 20 as lieutenant general commanding between 80,000 and 100,000 men. An aide reported on December 20 that Spain looked to Napoleon as its only savior from ruin. Minister Talleyrand advised replacing the House of Bourbon entirely, stating that an imperial prince would complete the Empire's system. He argued that 30,000 men would suffice for this operation.
Ferdinand VII left Madrid on April 10, expecting to meet Napoleon in Burgos. His entourage included Escoiquiz, the Dukes of Infantado and San Carlos, and Secretary of State Pedro Cevallos. They were escorted by French troops under General Anne Jean Marie René Savary's command. The king appointed his uncle Infante Antonio Pascual de Borbón to preside over a Junta of Government before departing. Upon arriving in Burgos on April 12, crowds welcomed him triumphantly, yet Napoleon was absent. They continued to Vitoria the next day where the Emperor also failed to appear. Mariano Luis de Urquijo warned Ferdinand that French press reports indicated plans to end the Bourbon dynasty. Despite warnings, Savary's assurances and threats convinced them to proceed toward Bayonne. A former minister wrote: "They are all blind and heading toward inevitable ruin." Ferdinand sent a letter to Napoleon asserting Charles IV's abdication was free and spontaneous. Napoleon responded harshly on April 18, never using the title Majesty again. He stated he needed to ascertain what happened before recognizing the new king. Surprisingly, Ferdinand addressed the letter as "My Lord and Brother" and announced his immediate departure for Bayonne. He left Vitoria on April 19 despite crowd attempts to stop him due to distrust. Meanwhile, Manuel Godoy arrived in Bayonne on April 26 after being freed from prison. Charles IV and his wife began their journey to Bayonne on April 22. The royal parents were greeted with 101 cannon salutes upon entering the city, unlike Ferdinand who received no imperial envoy at the border.
At noon on April 20, Ferdinand VII arrived in Bayonne having spent the night in Irún. He dined with Napoleon at the Château de Marracq where the Emperor never used the titles Majesty or Royal Highness. Napoleon later wrote to Talleyrand that Ferdinand said nothing, ate four times daily, and had no ideas about anything. General Savary visited the intendancy building to inform Ferdinand that the Bourbon dynasty would not reign in Spain. Secretary of State Cevallos reported that Napoleon acted with threats in an unprecedented tone. On May 4, Charles IV issued a decree appointing Murat as Lieutenant General of the Kingdom. That same day, Napoleon learned of the anti-French uprising in Madrid which killed two hundred French soldiers. He rushed to Charles IV's quarters saying he could not explain what he had received from Madrid. Charles IV summoned his sons Ferdinand and Carlos for a scene described by Thierry Lentz as even more astonishing than previous ones. There were harsh reproaches especially from the Queen to Ferdinand while Infante Carlos embraced his brother like a farewell. Napoleon intervened stating the massacre was work of a party Ferdinand could not disavow. He issued an ultimatum: if Ferdinand did not recognize his father by midnight, he would be treated as a rebel. Immediately after Ferdinand left, Marshal Gérard Duroc and Manuel Godoy began drafting a treaty. Charles IV ceded his rights to Napoleon with conditions maintaining territorial integrity and preserving Catholicism. The treaty committed Napoleon to host the royal family in France paying them thirty million reales monthly. Before midnight on May 5, Ferdinand VII delivered a letter renouncing the crown in favor of his father. Like his father, Ferdinand signed a treaty receiving a pension of five hundred thousand francs plus six hundred thousand income.
On May 10, Napoleon wrote to Joseph Bonaparte informing him that he would transfer Spanish Crown rights just received from Charles IV and Ferdinand VII. News reached Spain in mid-May 1808 triggering an anti-French rebellion across the country. Joseph I did not arrive in Madrid until late July creating what historian Miguel Artola called Napoleon's first mistake. During this interregnum, supreme authority rested with Murat who was ill and unable to govern effectively. The people found themselves facing a strange two-month period without their kings or new monarch. Count de Laforêt sent increasingly frequent dispatches urging Napoleon to expedite the process but these had no effect. On June 4, the Emperor issued a decree appointing Joseph as King of Spain. A congress convened by Napoleon with ninety-one of one hundred fifty intended notables debated the draft Constitution. They approved the Bayonne Statute between June 15 and 30, 1808. King Joseph swore the oath on July 7 and entered Spain on July 9. He arrived in Madrid on July 20 but stayed only eleven days before being forced to leave due to the Battle of Bailén victory. Days later on August 11, the Council of Castile invalidated the Bayonne abdications. On August 24, Ferdinand VII was proclaimed king in absentia in Madrid. Subsequently, on the 14th of January 1809, the United Kingdom recognized Ferdinand VII as King of Spain in a treaty.
The abdications were widely regarded as coerced though some historians noted neither Charles IV nor Ferdinand VII could adequately resist Napoleon's pressures. François-Xavier Guerra stated that rejection of Joseph I and loyalty to captive Ferdinand VII spread across all parts of the monarchy. Some Spaniards among the enlightened elite supported Joseph I initially called traitors or sworn ones then josefinos or afrancesados. Spanish patriots referred to Joseph I as the intruder king. Days after Joseph hurriedly left Madrid on July 31 following French defeat at the Battle of Bailén, the Council of Castile declared the Bayonne abdications null. The Spanish War of Independence also had elements of civil war since some Spaniards supported him. Napoleon eventually regained the throne which he held until June 1813 with direct intervention of the Grande Armée led personally by himself. The result of the abdications was further resistance to French presence resulting in the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1814. This conflict became a contributing factor to Napoleon's final defeat. On the 12th of November 1813, Napoleon reinstalled Ferdinand VII as King of Spain through the Treaty of Valençay.
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Common questions
What were the dates of the Abdications of Bayonne?
The abdications occurred between May 5 and the 10th of May 1808. Charles IV ceded his rights to Napoleon on May 5 while Ferdinand VII renounced the crown before midnight that same day.
Who signed the treaty at Bayonne in 1808?
Charles IV and Ferdinand VII both signed treaties transferring Spanish Crown rights to Napoleon Bonaparte. The French Emperor received these rights from the Bourbon monarchs during their stay in Bayonne.
When did Joseph I enter Madrid after becoming King of Spain?
Joseph I entered Spain on the 9th of July 1808 and arrived in Madrid on July 20. He stayed only eleven days before being forced to leave due to the Battle of Bailén victory.
Why did Napoleon intervene in the Spanish royal family dispute?
Napoleon intervened because he viewed leaving Spain as a potential enemy no longer an option following internal instability. He believed it necessary to bind Spain to his system whether willingly or through force.
How long was the interregnum period without kings in Spain?
Spain experienced a two-month period without kings or new monarch between mid-May 1808 and late July 1808. Supreme authority rested with Marshal Murat who was ill and unable to govern effectively during this time.