TREATY OF VALENÇAY: ANTECEDENTS, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2025

The Treaty of Valençay was the result of negotiations between the representatives of Napoleon Bonaparte and Ferdinand VII, deposed king of Spain, in the French town that gives it its name. It was signed on December 11, 1813. Through this agreement, the French allowed Fernando VII to return to Spain and regain the throne.

The War of Independence carried out by the Spanish against the occupying Napoleonic army meant that France did not have enough troops to face its European enemies. Some important defeats (such as the one in Russia) and the preparation of a coalition against her, convinced Bonaparte to end the conflict in Spain.

Ferdinand VII

Fernando VII wanted to return to the throne. In Spain, apart from the fight against the invaders, they faced liberals and absolutists, who were finally supported by the king after a few years of liberal government. Although the Spanish courts did not give the treaty carte blanche, Napoleon allowed Fernando VII to return to his country a year later.

Background

We must go back to another treaty signed between Napoleonic France and Spain to find the clearest antecedent of what happened in Valençay. It is the Treaty of Fontainebleau, by which the Spanish allowed the French troops to pass through their territory to reach Portugal.

However, the French ended up taking over the peninsula. Through various strategies, Napoleon achieved the abdication of Carlos IV and his son, Fernando VII, and placed José Bonaparte on the throne. This caused the uprising of the Spanish people, starting the War of Independence.

Napoleon and the war in Europe

After a few years of unstoppable advance, Napoleon's troops began to suffer defeats. By 1812 several of his enemies formed the Sixth Coalition, which defeated the French in Russia and Germany. Meanwhile, in Spain the conflict dragged on, which made it necessary to maintain an important troop presence.

As early as 1813 the war fronts were getting closer and closer to France itself. From Spain, the English fighting alongside the locals against the invasion were close to being able to attack Napoleon from the south.

All this forced the emperor to terminate his presence in Spain and to be able to use the battalions stationed there to present the final battle. For this he planned how to return the throne to Fernando VII, who was a prisoner in the Castle of Valençay along with his father.

Ferdinand VII

According to historians, Ferdinand VII was quite isolated in his confinement. Furthermore, the French never considered him too capable to rule a country.

Napoleon sent his mediators to speak to the king in November 1813. The main message was that France wanted to reestablish good relations with Spain, blaming the British for everything that happened.

In addition, he informed Fernando that a very important liberal current had become strong in the country. The previous year the Constitution of 1812 had been promulgated, one of the most advanced of the time and that had not liked the most conservative nor the Church.

In this way, the French offered the king help to regain the throne; In principle, Fernando VII pointed out that there was a regency in Spain, which was the one with the power to negotiate.

Given this response, Napoleon sent José Miguel de Carvajal, Duke of San Carlos, to the castle. Carvajal, known to the king, was in charge of convincing him to accept the offer.

The treaty

After a few weeks of dialogue, the document was closed on December 8 of that same 1813 and was signed on the 11th. Through it, Napoleon declared the hostilities in Spain ended, as well as the return of Fernando VII to the throne.

On the part of the king, there was a commitment to recover commercial relations between both countries, in addition to some economic aspects. Other articles obliged the French and British troops to leave Spanish territory at the same time.

The French government ratified the agreement without problems. However, neither the regency nor the Spanish courts approved it. Napoleon, who knew that the war in Spain had been lost, allowed Fernando VII to return anyway, which became effective in March 1814.

Causes

Spanish resistance

Despite the fact that the seizure of power in Spain had been easy for the Napoleonic troops, the popular resistance offered soon put the invading army in trouble. There were numerous urban uprisings and defeats as notorious as that of the Battle of Bailén.

Over time, the Spanish resistance was organized and the Central Supreme Board was formed, a kind of parallel government that recognized the sovereignty of Fernando VII.

Napoleon's attempt to end the resistance had a first successful moment. Soon, the troops sent took Madrid and Zaragoza, looking like the war would end with the French victory. Only Cádiz, with British help, resisted the Gallic push.

In that city the Constitution of 1812 was promulgated, with a clearly liberal character. This did not please either the French or the supporters of the absolutist monarchy.

On the military front, guerrilla warfare was surprisingly effective. His actions wore down the French and forced them to keep a high number of troops in Spain.

This ended up being one of the causes of the emperor's decision to sign the Treaty, since he needed men to face the battles that awaited him in the rest of Europe.

Napoleon's defeat in Russia and threat in Europe

The French defeat in Leipzig and the one suffered in Russia forced Napoleon to withdraw part of the troops stationed in Spain.

News of the creation of a new coalition against him made it compulsory for the French ruler to reorganize his army. At that time, trying to stop their enemies in the center of the continent was more important than what was happening in Spain.

Consequences

End of the war

One of the direct consequences of the treaty was the official end of the War of Independence in Spain. With this ended a conflict that had resulted in a great loss of human life, either due to fighting or disease.

It had also led to the exile of many Spaniards, curiously the so-called Frenchified. These, belonging to the most intellectual and enlightened layers of the country, suffered accusations of treason.

Trade with the colonies had been interrupted during the conflict. Despite the end of the war, Spain never reached the same level as before, especially with regard to some areas of America.

Return of Fernando VII

The Treaty of Valençay failed to pacify Spain. The French left the territory, but the struggle between liberals and absolutists continued for several years.

Fernando VII recovered the throne, although at first he was forced to swear to the Constitution promulgated by the liberal courts. However, part of the Spanish population (shouting "Long live the chains"), the Church and a large part of the nobility clearly advocated a return to the absolutist monarchy.

Thus, in May 1814 the king and his supporters put an end to the hopes of the liberals. Spain returned to the side of the absolutist powers and made itself available to whatever they decided in the Congress of Vienna on European restructuring after Napoleon's defeat.

References

1. Mendez, Pablo. Treaty of Valençay, the peace that restored the Bourbons. Obtained from planethistoria.com
2. Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. Absolutist restoration of Fernando VII. Obtained from pares.mcu.es
3. Otero, Nacho. The return to Spain of King Ferdinand VII, «El Deseado». Obtained from muyhistoria.es

4. Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman. A History of the Peninsular War, Volume VII: August 1813 to April 14, 1814. Recovered from books.google.es
5. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Peninsular War. Retrieved from britannica.com
6. Jackson, Andrew C. The Peninsular War. 1808 -1814. Retrieved from peninsularwar.org
7. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ferdinand VII. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com