Joseph Bonaparte’s Administration in Spain and the…
April 1810 CE
Joseph Bonaparte’s Administration in Spain and the Divided Spanish Society (1809–1810)
While the French occupation of Spain (1808–1814) met with widespread resistance, King Joseph Bonaparte attempted to govern through the existing Spanish administration, implementing French-style reforms while relying on the support of Spanish liberals, known as afrancesados.
Joseph Bonaparte’s Administrative Reforms
- Initially, Joseph maintained much of the old regime’s structure, relying on existing Spanish institutions while placing royal commissioners in charge of provincial administration.
- After significant debate, on July 2, 1809, Spain was redivided into 38 new provinces, each governed by an Intendent appointed by Joseph Bonaparte.
- On April 17, 1810, these provinces were further reorganized into French-style prefectures and sub-prefectures, mirroring the Napoleonic administrative model in France.
While these measures granted the French greater administrative control, they did not ensure lasting loyalty among the Spanish people.
The Role of the Afrancesados – Supporters of French Rule
- Many liberal, republican, and radical Spaniards and Portuguese initially saw French rule as an opportunity to modernize and secularize Spain.
- Afrancesados ("turned French") supported the Enlightenment, secular governance, and the end of feudal and clerical privileges.
- Napoleon relied on these afrancesados to run the administration and support French policies.
However, their position was precarious:
- While afrancesados believed in modernization, many soon turned against the French occupation due to the brutality and violence of the war.
- After Napoleon’s defeat, many afrancesados were persecuted, exiled, or marginalized by Spanish nationalists.
Resistance and the Disasters of War
- Despite Joseph’s attempts at governance, French occupation remained violent and unpopular.
- The guerrilla war and French reprisals against Spanish civilians created a climate of terror and resentment.
- Francisco de Goya, who remained in Madrid during the occupation, captured the horrors of the war in his series of 82 prints, Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War).
- Goya also painted a portrait of Joseph Bonaparte, reflecting the complexity of the era, where some Spaniards cooperated with and others resisted the French regime.
The Reality for French Officers in Spain
- For many French imperial officers, life in Spain was comfortable, as long as they remained in major cities like Madrid where French control was stronger.
- However, in the countryside, French troops were constantly under threat, facing ambushes, assassinations, and sabotage by Spanish guerrillas.
Conclusion – A Divided Spain Under Joseph Bonaparte
- While Joseph Bonaparte attempted to rule through a mix of administrative reform and cooperation with Spanish liberals, he never gained widespread legitimacy.
- The French occupation brought modernization but also violence, leading many former supporters of Napoleon to turn against the regime.
- The Peninsular War was not just a struggle between armies—it was a civil conflict within Spain itself, where loyalists, afrancesados, and guerrillas all fought for the country’s future.
Though Napoleon relied on the afrancesados to govern Spain, his military policies ensured that opposition to French rule only grew stronger, making Joseph’s rule increasingly untenable.
Images
François Gérard: Joseph Bonaparte as King of Spain (circa 1808); oil on canvas; 162 × 247 cm (63.7 × 97.2 in.); Musée national du Château de Fontainebleau
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