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Manuel Godoy allowed the French leader, Napoleón Bonaparte, to enter Spain.
Napoleon deposed Carlos IV and named his brother, José Bonaparte, King of Spain. This caused a popular uprising in Madrid and meant the beginning of the Spanish War of Independence.
All over Spain, people formed guerrilla groups and fought the French.
Great Britain and Portugal helped Spain.
Jose Bonaparte finally left Spain in 1813. -
During the war, the governing assembly of Spain was in Cádiz, where the first Spanish constitution was written.
It proposed a goverment chosen by vote and a monarchy controlled by parliament. -
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He did not accept the Constitution of 1812.
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Colonel Riego led a military revolt which forced Fernando VII to become a constitutional king.
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During this period, many American colonies became independent countries because of the weak monarchy.
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Fernando VII revoked the Salic Law, so his daughter Isabel II could reign.
Two groups of liberals supported Isabel: the moderates, who wanted more power for the monarch, and the progressives, who wanted more power for elected deputies in parliament.
Her goverment was very unpopular and in 1868 se had to abdicate because of a military revolution, known as La Gloriosa. -
Fernando VII's brother, Carlos, and his supporters were against Isabel II's reign.
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Spain was governed by a group of soldiers who wanted universal male suffrage and a monarch controlled by a constitution.
In 1870, the assembly lead by General Prim, chose Amadeo Saboya to be the King of Spain.
Amadeo abdicated in 1873. -
The Cantonal Revolution wanted the complete independence for some cities and towns.
A third Carlist War started in the north of Spain in favour of the monarchy.
Another military coup finally restored the monarchy. -
Alfonso XII died before the birth of his son, so his wife María Cristina became regent.
In 1890s the United States helped Cuba's Independence movement and won the war against Spain. -
Spanish colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines became independent.