Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
T
HE
A
GE
OF
R
EVOLUTION
IN
S
PA I N
AND
P
ORTUGAL
Within a year of his accession, Charles IV of Spain was confronted by
the outbreak of the French Revolution. The ministers whom he had
inherited from his father, notably Aranda, strove to keep what they
perceived as a dangerous infestation from spreading across the Pyre-
nees. Even commentaries hostile to the direction of developments in
France were banned from Spain lest the mere knowledge that a revolu-
tion was in progress might stir up evil thoughts. By 1792, however, the
inept king had been persuaded to dismiss his competent ministers in
favor of the upstart officer Godoy. This paramour of Queen María Luisa
was accepted by the naive monarch as a good friend to the dynasty and
a shrewd statesman. Profoundly corrupt and skilled at nothing but
intrigue, he led Spain from its initial armed opposition to the French
Republic into an alliance that by 1797 had led to a major naval defeat.
Scarcely had this humiliation been sustained than the Bonaparte dicta-
torship compelled Spain to hand over Louisiana (soon sold by Napoléon
to the United States). In 1805 another joint naval venture with the
French led to the destruction of the Spanish fleet at Trafalgar. In addi-
tion to these dismal results of Godoy's diplomacy, his master had been
obliged to yield the strategically positioned island of Trinidad to Britain
in order to regain Minorca.
Stronger than ever in his allegiance to France and in the acquies-
cence of Charles IV to his ruinous policies, Godoy schemed with
Napoléon to stage a joint invasion of Portugal in 1807, the aim being to
exclude Britain once and for all from any access to that stretch of con-
tinental coastline. The victim was to be divided into three parts, with a
“Kingdom of Northern Lusitania” in the north going to a Bourbon
prince and a personal realm in the south for Godoy, while central
33
Search WWH ::
Custom Search