At the beginning of the 19th century, the Napoleonic Invasion took place as a result of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, in which it was agreed that Napoleon would cross the peninsula to invade Portugal in return for his friendship with England. This favour was to be repaid to Spain with the cession of part of Portuguese territory, namely the Algarve. However, Napoleon proceeded to occupy the Spanish territory, transferring the rest of the royal family to France along with Charles IV and the future Ferdinand VII. Faced with this situation, after the events of the Second of May, guerrillas were organised throughout the peninsula, with headquarters in Cadiz, from where they proceeded to resist the onslaught of the Napoleonic armies. In this context, not the entire population aligned itself with the resistance. Some intellectuals, politicians, artists, etc., allied themselves with the new government of Joseph Bonaparte. Some of these French supporters joined the new Bonapartist administration, where they were confronted by French officers who were prone to abuse of the population. With the defeat of Napoleon’s armies in 1813, these Frenchmen had to go into exile in France, where they were housed in temporary camps on the border (the most important ones were treated better), in this case, the text reflects the position of Blas Aranza y Doyle, who until before the Napoleonic invasion had been an employee in the Spain of Charles IV, working as a quartermaster in the administration. On the entry of the Napoleonic troops, he offered himself to the new King Joseph Bonaparte, who placed him in the new administration of the country. The text may reflect the opinion against organised resistance in Cadiz, in this case through the testimony of a Frenchman who wanted the population to collaborate in preventing the ravages of the French army.

Collection: Texts

Chronology: XIX

Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University

Link: https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/109726/1/Revista-de-Historia-Moderna_38.pdf

Resource type: Historical source

Source: AHN, Estado, 3116, exp. 4

Language: Spanish

Date: 9/3/1810

Owner: Djebril Bouzidi (Modernalia)

Identifier: AHN, Estado, 3116, exp. 4

Abstract: Text written by Blas Aranza y Doyle accusing the resistance of Cadiz for the evils caused in Andalusia during the Napoleonic invasion

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