Ferdinand VII, king of Spain

Ferdinand VII, 1784–1833, king of Spain (1808–33), son of Charles IV Charles IV, 1748–1819, king of Spain (1788–1808), second son of Charles III, whom he succeeded in place of his imbecile older brother. Unlike his father, Charles IV was an ineffective ruler and in 1792 virtually surrendered the government to Godoy , his
..... Click the link for more information. and María Luisa María Luisa (märē`ä l
..... Click the link for more information. . Excluded from a role in the government, he became the center of intrigues against the chief minister Godoy Godoy, Manuel de (mänwĕl` dā gōthoi`), 1767–1851, Spanish statesman.
..... Click the link for more information. and attempted to win the support of Napoleon I. In 1807 he was arrested by his father, who accused him of plotting his overthrow and the murder of his mother and Godoy. He was soon forgiven, but the prestige of the family was shaken, and this facilitated Napoleon's invasion of Spain (see Peninsular War Peninsular War, 1808–14, fought by France against Great Britain, Portugal, Spanish regulars, and Spanish guerrillas in the Iberian Peninsula.

Origin and Occupation

..... Click the link for more information. ). A palace revolution at Aranjuez (Mar., 1808) caused the dismissal of Godoy and the abdication of Charles in favor of Ferdinand, who was enthusiastically acclaimed by the people. Ferdinand was soon persuaded to cross the French border and meet Napoleon at Bayonne. There he was forced to renounce his throne in favor of Charles IV, who in turn resigned his rights to Napoleon. The emperor gave the Spanish throne to Joseph Bonaparte. During the Peninsular War (1808–14) Ferdinand was imprisoned in France. In his name the nationalist and liberal elements of Spain resisted the French invaders, and a liberal constitution was proclaimed (1812) by the Cortes at Cádiz. Throughout the Spanish Empire his name was the rallying cry of revolutionary elements. When Ferdinand was restored (1814) to his throne, however, he promptly abolished the liberal constitution and revealed himself a thorough reactionary. After several unsuccessful uprisings, the Spanish liberals (who had organized in secret societies, e.g., the Carbonari Carbonari (kärbōnä`rē) [Ital.
..... Click the link for more information. ) staged a successful revolution in 1820 and forced the king to reinstate the constitution of 1812. The Holy Alliance became alarmed, and the Congress of Troppau Troppau, Congress of (trôp`ou)
..... Click the link for more information. was summoned to deal with the Spanish situation. The powers reached no decision, but in 1822 at Verona (see Verona, Congress of Verona, Congress of, 1822, at Verona, Italy, the last European conference held under the provisions of the Quadruple Alliance of 1814. The main problem discussed was the revolution in Spain against Ferdinand VII , and the congress decided that a French army, under
..... Click the link for more information. ), France was delegated by the Holy Alliance to undertake military intervention in Spain and to restore Ferdinand to absolute power. Ferdinand, backed by French arms, revoked the constitution in 1823, and ruthless repression followed. Ferdinand's death caused no less trouble than his reign. His fourth wife, Maria Christina Maria Christina (märē`ä krēstē`nä), 1806–78, queen of Spain, daughter of Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
..... Click the link for more information. (1806–78), had persuaded him to set aside the Salic law Salic law (sā`lĭk), rule of succession in certain royal and noble families of Europe, forbidding females and those descended in the
..... Click the link for more information. so that their only child, Isabella, might succeed to the throne, thus excluding Ferdinand's brother, Don Carlos Carlos (Carlos María Isidro de Borbón), 1788–1855, second son of Charles IV of Spain. He was the first Carlist pretender. After his father's abdication (1808) he was, with the rest of his family, held a prisoner in France until 1814.
..... Click the link for more information. (1788–1855), from the succession. When Ferdinand died, the liberals supported Isabella II Isabella II, 1830–1904, queen of Spain (1833–68), daughter of Ferdinand VII and of Maria Christina . Her uncle, Don Carlos , contested her succession under the Salic law , and thus the Carlist Wars began (see Carlists ).
..... Click the link for more information. , while the reactionaries rallied around Don Carlos. The Carlist Wars ensued. During Ferdinand's reign, the Spanish colonies on the mainland of North and South America were lost through the very rebellions that had begun as risings in his favor and against Napoleon.

Ferdinand VII

Spanish Fernando

(born Oct. 14, 1784, El Escorial, Spain—died Sept. 29, 1833, Madrid) King of Spain (1808, 1813–33). He became king briefly in 1808 after the French invasion of Spain forced the abdication of his father, Charles IV. Napoleon soon replaced him as king with Joseph Bonaparte and held Ferdinand in France (1808–13). The Spanish populace rose against the French invaders in the name of Ferdinand, who became known as “the Desired.” In 1812 independent Spaniards adopted a liberal constitution, which Ferdinand overthrew on his return as king in 1813 to rule in an absolutist style. His reign saw the loss of most of Spain's possessions in the Americas. He abolished the Salic Law of Succession to allow his daughter (the future Isabella II) instead of his brother (Don Carlos [1788–1855]) to succeed him, which triggered the opposition movement, Carlism.

Ferdinand VII

1784--1833, king of Spain (1808; 1814--33). He precipitated the Carlist Wars by excluding his brother Don Carlos as his successor