The El Escorial Conspiracy ( Spanish: ''Conspiración-proceso de El Escorial'') was an attempted

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

led by the Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias that took place in 1807, but was quickly discovered and led to an investigation known as the Process of El Escorial.

Historical context

In the early nineteenth century, Spain was trapped politically by the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

and the ambitious expansion plans of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

. In 1801 Charles IV of Spain named Manuel Godoy as first

secretary A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, program evalu ...

, in place of Pedro Cevallos, who distrusted and opposed the French. In 1805, Spain signed a mutual assistance treaty with the newly crowned French Emperor. The treaty led to Spain's involvement in the

War of the Third Coalition The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...

, with Spanish and French forces against the Portuguese and English, culminating in the English naval victory at the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

. This defeat made many enemies at court for Godoy, among them the son of Charles IV, Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias (later King Ferdinand VII).

The Conspiracy

Having been kept out of government, Ferdinand joined with other plotters to reach out to Napoleon for assistance in his struggles against his father and Godoy. In October 1807, Ferdinand was arrested. He revealed his allies in the conspiracy and was pardoned. Ferdinand's allies were all tried in court and acquitted.

Aftermath

The pardon and acquittals of 1807 were granted because there was significant public support for the conspirators against Godoy, as demonstrated in the Tumult of Aranjuez a few months later, in which Godoy's palace was attacked, the king deposed and Ferdinand granted the throne by the Royal Council the next day.

References

{{Authority control Pretenders to the Spanish throne 19th century in Spain Peninsular War Abdication Charles IV of Spain

Historical context

The Conspiracy

Aftermath

See also

References