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| Tumult of Aranjuez | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theprelude to the Peninsular War | |||||||
 Fall and Imprisonment of the Prince of Peace, Manuel Godoy | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Supporters of Godoy | Mutineers, citizens, supporters of Ferdinand | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Manuel Godoy  | |||||||
  Tumult of Aranjuez (Spain) Show map of Spain | |||||||
TheTumult of Aranjuez (Spanish:Motín de Aranjuez), also known as theMutiny of Aranjuez, was an uprising against Prime MinisterManuel Godoy andCharles IV of Spain that took place in the town ofAranjuez on 17–19 March 1808. It was instigated by disgruntled citizens and Ferdinand's supporters.[1] Celebrated annually in the first week of September, the event led to the fall of Godoy and abdication of Charles IV and the subsequent accession of his sonFerdinand VII.[2] It is celebrated in September rather than in March as the revived celebrations in Aranjuez that began in 1988 were added on top of pre-existing September festivals.[3]
Before the mutiny,Charles IV of Spain'svalido, or prime minister,Manuel Godoy, a former member of the Royal Guard, had become unpopular among both thenobles and the Spanish people.
The nobility resented how Godoy had attained power even though he was born in poverty and obscurity. Most notable among them was the King's own sonCrown Prince Ferdinand, who had led theEl Escorial Conspiracy a few months earlier. The people were upset about Godoy's ambitious nature, his flirting with many women of the court and his willingness to have Catholic Spain make treaties withatheist France against Christian (thoughAnglican) Britain.
Another important factor was theeconomic crisis affecting the country, which was heightened after Spain lost much of theSpanish Navy during its war with Britain. This had impaired trade with the United States, causing food shortages and affecting industrial production. In addition, under the terms of theTreaty of Fontainebleau, the King and Godoy had allowed French EmperorNapoleon's troops to cross Spain to attack Portugal. This move was extremely unpopular with the Spanish people, who saw the entry as a humiliating invasion, which it soon became. French troops rapidly occupied the important cities ofSan Sebastián,Pamplona, and Barcelona, fuelling Spanish resentment towards Godoy.
The uprising took place on 17 March 1808 in Aranjuez, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) south of Madrid, where the royal family and the government were staying while on their way south, anticipating a French invasion from the north. Soldiers, peasants, and members of the general public assaulted Godoy's quarters and captured him. The mutineers made King Charles dismiss Godoy, and, two days later, the court forced the King himself to abdicate in favor of his son and rival, who became Ferdinand VII.[4]
In 1808 Napoleon, under the false pretense of resolving the conflict, invited both Charles IV and Ferdinand VII toBayonne, France. Both were afraid of the French ruler's power and thought it appropriate to accept the invitation. However, once in Bayonne, Napoleon forced them both to renounce the throne and grant it to himself. The Emperor then named his brotherJoseph Bonaparte king of Spain. This episode is known as theAbdications of Bayonne, orAbdicaciones de Bayona in Spanish.
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