10 Unversity of Calforni Publications i History

 NAPOLuON, FtDIEAND, AND THB WmAZmBtY
That Spanish diplomacy was ineffective in these years is far from
surprising in view of the interference of France. Godoy had won
a dubious honor by signing the Treaty of Basel in 1795, by which
Spain deserted the first anti-French coalition. In the next year a
treaty of alliance with the French government of the Directory
had been signed. And now Napoleon, since his accession to power,
had become oppressive. Following his defeat at Trafalgar, he sought
economic instead of navali aid from Spain; and after imposing
heavy tribute on the country, and obtaining her adhesion to the
Continental blockade, he forced her into a scheme to bring Portu-
gal into the same system. French troops were to march through
Spain, and, following the joint conquest, a tripartite division of
Portugal was to be efeted."
 Napoleon made this arrangement with Godoy, his chief hench-
 man in the Peninsula. He had been dealing also, treacherously,
 with Crown Prince Ferdinand, Godoy's bitter enemy. The new
 treaty concerning Portugal brought rebellion from Ferdinand,
 but in October, 1807, witl the discovery of a plot which had been
 hatched by the Crown Prince and some of the nobility, Ferdinand
 was again brought under the Emperor's thumb. French troops
 conquered Portugal, and were turned back on Spain itself to make
 French domination complete.
 Popular uprisings their began the movement which ultimately
 led to the downfall of NaIoleon. King Charles IV, caught between
 the French and his own subjects, abdicated on March 19, 1808. His
 son, supported by the populace who lauded his anti-French con-
 spiracy, reigned briefly as Ferdinand VII. But Napoleon's diplo-
 macy and troops soon caused the complete and abject yielding of
 the Spanish royal family. They were all forced to gather at Ba-
 yonne, in southern France, where on May 5 father and son re-
 nounced their rights to the crown, and remained virtual captives
 of Napoleon."
 The Emperor called aniassembly of Spanish notables in Bayonne
 to draw up a constitution for the country. And to be constitutional
 monarch, he chose his brother Joseph, who for the two years previ-
 ous had been king of Naples. Joseph set out for his new capital in
 July of 1808.