This article is about the specific polity Kingdom of Spain and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
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Is a country that occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula. The country emerged in 1469, when the crowns of the Christian kingdoms of Castile and Aragon were united by the marriage of their monarchs. The two Kingdoms remained legally separated, but from this moment factually acted as one country. The two Kingdoms were legally merged by Philip V in 1715 (Nueva Planta decrees). The modern Kingdom of Spain succeeded the Spanish State, an autoritarian regime, in 1975.
Summary
The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 recognized the Bourbon dynasty's Philip V as King of Spain, establishing a new era in Spanish history. The Bourbon monarchs sought to centralize power and modernize the Spanish state, often at the expense of regional autonomy and traditional privileges.
Under the early Bourbon kings, Spain regained some of its former glory, with a resurgence of Spanish power and influence in Europe. Charles III, in particular, was a proponent of Enlightenment reforms and sought to improve Spain's economic and administrative efficiency. However, the late 18th and early 19th centuries were marked by political instability, with the Napoleonic invasion, the Carlist Wars, and the loss of Spain's American colonies.
The 19th century saw the rise of liberal and republican movements in Spain, culminating in the establishment of the First Spanish Republic in 1873. This was followed by the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy under Alfonso XII and later Alfonso XIII. The early 20th century was dominated by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), which resulted in the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
After Franco's death in 1975, Spain transitioned to a constitutional monarchy under King Juan Carlos I. The current monarch, King Felipe VI, has presided over a period of democratic consolidation and Spain's integration into the European Union. Despite ongoing challenges, such as the Catalan independence movement, the Kingdom of Spain has emerged as a prosperous, stable, and influential member of the European and global community.
Establishment
June 1715: Philip V united the crowns of Castile and Aragon into a single state.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was a war initiated by Spain to recover territories lost after the War of the Spanish Succession.
November 1719: A British fleet captured Vigo and marched inland to Pontevedra in October 1719.
Was a global conflict that involved most of the European great powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. At the end of the war the main winner was Great Britain, that obtained territories in North America, the Caribbean and India, becoming the most powerful maritime and colonial of the European powers.
2.1.Fantastic War
Was a war between Spain and Portugal during the Seven Years' War that took place in the Iberian Peninsula and in South America.
2.1.1.Peninsular action (main theatre of the Fantastic War)
Was the theatre of war in the Iberian Peninsula of the Fantastic war between Spain and Portugal.
August 1762: In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, General John Burgoyne led a force of 2,800 Anglo-Portuguese troops to attack and capture Valencia de Alcántara, which was under Spanish control. This military action was part of Portugal's involvement in the war on the side of Britain against Spain.
2.2.Treaty of Paris (1763)
Was a treaty signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement, after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the Seven Years' War.
February 1763: With the Treaty of Paris (1763) the Anglo-Portuguese army left the territories it had occupied in Spain.
Were a series of conflicts between France and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompass first the French Revolutionary Wars against the newly declared French Republic and from 1803 onwards the Napoleonic Wars against First Consul and later Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. They include the Coalition Wars as a subset: seven wars waged by various military alliances of great European powers, known as Coalitions, against Revolutionary France - later the First French Empire - and its allies.
3.1.War of the First Coalition
Were a series of wars between the Kingdom of France (later the French Republic) and several European Monarchies. The French Revolution had deteriorated the relations of France with the other European countries, that tried several times to invade France in order to crash the revolutionary government.
3.1.1.War of the Pyrenees
Was the Pyrenean front of the First Coalition's war against the First French Republic.
August 1793: In 1793, Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert, a French military leader, defeated a Spanish force led by Manuel la Peña at Puigcerdà in the Cerdagne region. This victory led to the territory of Puigcerdà and Bellver being occupied by France.
February 1794: In 1794, during the War of the Pyrenees, Jacques Lefranc, a French general, led 2,000 Republican troops to capture the strategic Izpegi Ridge in the Basque Country, which was under Spanish control at the time. This victory marked a significant military occupation by France in the region.
August 1794: Moncey, a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars, captured San Sebastián in 1794 without facing any opposition. This marked the beginning of French military occupation in the region.
September 1794: The fortress of Bellegarde fell on 17 September 1794 after the Spanish garrison, led by Captain General Alejandro O'Reilly, was starved out by the French forces under General Dugommier during the War of the Pyrenees. This marked a significant victory for France in their military occupation of the region.
October 1794: From 15 to 17 October, French marsha Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, launched a broad front offensive from the Baztan valley and the Roncevaux Pass to the south in the direction of Pamplona. The Battle of Orbaitzeta saw clashes at Mezkiritz (Mezquiriz), Orbaitzeta, Lekunberri, and Villanueva (Hiriberri).
November 1794: Figueres and its Sant Ferran Fortress fell to the French with 9,000 prisoners.
February 1795: Pierre François Sauret was a French general who led the successful Siege of Roses in 1795. The Siege of Roses was a military operation during the War of the Pyrenees, where French forces occupied the town of Roses in Catalonia, Spain.
July 1795: Vitoria, a city in northern Spain, fell to the French forces led by General Jean-Charles de Bailleul on 17 July 1795 during the War of the Pyrenees.
July 1795: Bilbao conquered by france.
July 1795: Spanish general Cuesta recaptured Puigcerdà and Bellver from the French on 26 and 27 July.
3.2.War of the Second Coalition
Was the second war that saw revolutionary France against most of the European monarchies, led by Britain, Austria, and Russia, and including the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Naples, and various German monarchies. Prussia did not join this coalition, and Spain supported France.
3.2.1.War of the Oranges
Was a brief conflict in 1801 in which Spanish forces, instigated by the government of France, and ultimately supported by the French military, invaded Portugal.
June 1801: The Treaty of Badajoz was signed by Spain and Portugal on 6 June 1801. Portugal ceded the border town of Olivença and Almeda to Spain and closed its ports to British military and commercial shipping.
3.2.2.Treaty of Amiens
Was a treaty between France and Great Britain that ended the War of the Second Coalition.
March 1802: In 1802, Britain and France signed the Treaty of Amiens, ending the war of the War of the Second Coalition. Britain returned the Island of Menorca to Spain.
3.3.Anglo-Spanish War (1796-1808)
Was a war between Spain and Great Britain fought intermittently during the Coalition Wars.
November 1798: A British expedition captured the island of Menorca (historically called "Minorca" by the British) from Spain.
November 1798: In 1798, during the French Revolutionary Wars, a British expedition led by Admiral John Duckworth captured the island of Menorca from Spain. The British occupation of Minorca lasted until 1802 when it was returned to Spain under the Treaty of Amiens.
3.4.Peninsular War
Was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars.
March 1814: French retreat t Tarbes. End of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Spain.
3.4.1.French Campaigns in Spain and Portugal (1807-1812)
Were a series of military campaigns by the French army in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War.
February 1808: Between 9 and 12 February, the French divisions of the eastern and western Pyrenees crossed the border and occupied Navarre and Catalonia, including the citadels of Pamplona and Barcelona.
March 1808: In early March 1808, Marshal Joachim Murat, a French military leader and brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte, established his headquarters in Vitoria, Spain. This marked the beginning of the French military occupation of the territory during the Napoleonic Wars.
March 1808: On 23 March 1808, French Marshal Joachim Murat entered Madrid.
May 1808: In 1808, under French pressure, King Charles IV and his son, Ferdinand VII, both abdicated their claims to Napoleon. This led to the establishment of the Kingdom of Spain under Napoleonic rule.
December 1808: Madrid surrendered on 1 December 1808 to French forces.
December 1808: Napoleon struck with overwhelming strength and the Spanish defense evaporated at Burgos, Tudela, Espinosa and Somosierra.
December 1808: Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr's 17,000-strong VII Corps besieged and captured Roses from an Anglo-Spanish garrison.
December 1808: In 1808, during the Peninsular War, French Marshal Soult captured the city of León in Spain as part of Napoleon's invasion. This event was significant in the struggle for control of the Iberian Peninsula between the French forces and the Spanish resistance.
January 1809: The British troops escaped to the sea after fending off a strong French attack at Corunna. The French occupied the most populated region in Spain, including the important towns of Lugo and La Corunna.
February 1809: French forces captured the city of Zaragoza.
March 1809: A French army led by Victor invaded southern Spain and routed Gregorio de la Cuesta's army at Medellín.
August 1809: The French withdrew for the last time from Galicia in July 1809.
August 1809: Allied forces withdrew from Talavera, Spain, on 4 August.
December 1809: The city of Girona fell on 12 December 1809 during the Peninsular War, when French forces captured the city from the Spanish defenders.
January 1810: Ellermann marched on Del Parque's position at Salamanca, who promptly abandoned it and retreated south.
January 1810: The Junta Central decided to flee to the safety of Cádiz.
January 1811: General Suchet, a French military leader under Napoleon Bonaparte, captured the town of Tortosa from the Spanish in Catalonia during the Napoleonic Wars in 1811. This victory was part of the French conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.
June 1811: Catalonia fell to a surprise attack on 29 June.
October 1811: The Spanish defenders of Sagunto capitulated on 25 October.
January 1812: During the Peninsular War, French Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet trapped Spanish General Joaquin Blake's army in Valencia, forcing its surrender in January 1812. This victory was part of Napoleon's efforts to control Spain during the Napoleonic Wars.
3.4.2.Iberia in revolt
Were a series of uprisings against the French rule in the Iberian Peninsula.
May 1808: In 1808, the first wave of uprisings against French occupation of Spain occurred in Cartagena and Valencia.
May 1808: Zaragoza and Murcia conquered by Kingdom of Spain.
May 1808: The province of Asturias cast out its French governor on 25 May and declared war on Napoleon.
June 1808: By 1 June the main French army of 80,000 held a narrow strip of central Spain from Pamplona and San Sebastián in the north to Madrid and Toledo in the centre.
July 1808: At the Battle of Medina de Rioseco on 14 July, Bessières defeated Cuesta and Old Castile returned to French control.
August 1808: Joseph Bonaparte evacuated the capital for Old Castile, while ordering Verdier to abandon the siege of Zaragoza and Bessières to retire from Leon.
3.4.3.Coalition campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula
Ware a series of military campaigns by Great Britain, Spain and Portugal against the French forces in the Iberian Peninsula. The French were finally expelled.
January 1812: The border fortress town of Ciudad Rodrigo was captured with an assault led by the Duke of Wellington and his British and Portuguese forces during the Peninsular War in 1812. The territory was then returned to the Kingdom of Spain.
April 1812: The town of Badajoz was stormed on 6 April 1812 during the Peninsular War. The assault was led by British General Arthur Wellesley, also known as the Duke of Wellington, and resulted in a bloody battle with heavy casualties on both sides. The town ultimately fell to the British and Portuguese forces, marking a significant victory in the war against the French.
June 1812: The allied army took Salamanca.
June 1813: In 1813, during the Peninsular War, Burgos was seized by the French forces.
June 1813: At the Battle of Vitoria, Joseph Bonaparte's 65,000-man army were defeated decisively.
July 1813: In 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars, Marshal Soult of the Kingdom of Spain launched a counter-offensive against the Allies in the Battle of the Pyrenees. The Allies were defeated at the Battle of Maya, marking a significant victory for the Kingdom of Spain.
July 1813: Battle of Roncesvalles.
August 1813: The Allies chased the retreating French, reaching the Pyrenees in early July, and began operations against San Sebastian and Pamplona.
August 1813: The French forces of Suchet, after the Battle of Vitoria, evacuated Tarragona.
September 1813: The Citadel of San Sebastián surrendered to Spanish forces on 9 September.
April 1814: French General Pierre-Joseph Habert surrendered Barcelona to Spanish forces on 25 April 1814.
3.4.4.French Autumn counterattack
Was a French counterattack against the military campaign by the Coalition in the Iberian Peninsula.
July 1812: As a consequence of the Salamanca campaign, the French were forced to evacuate the provinces of Andalusia and Asturias.
Was a military expedition by the Bourbon King of France, Louis XVIII, to help the Spanish Royalists restore King Ferdinand VII of Spain to the absolute power of which he had been deprived during the Liberal Triennium.
July 1823: To the east and the southeast, Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor pushed back General Francisco Ballesteros into Aragon, pursuing him as far as Murcia and Granada, winning an engagement at Campillo de Arenas on 28 July.
August 1823: The city of Coruna surrendered to French forces on 21 August.
August 1823: The city of Coruna surrendered on 21 August.
September 1823: Pamplona conquered by france.
September 1823: San Sebastián conquered by france.
September 1823: Cádiz surrendered to the French.
November 1823: After a 14-month siege, Barcelona surrendered to French forces, leaving Catalonia under French control.
November 1823: Alicante fell to the French forces.
January 1829: The gradual evacuation of French forces from Spain was not completed until 1828.
The 1864 Treaty of Lisbon partitioned the territory of Couto Misto, an independent microstate, between Spain and Portugal.
September 1864: Couto Misto operated as a sovereign state in its own right until the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon partitioned the territory with Spain (which annexed most of the land including the three villages).
January 1848: Chafarinas islands belonged to Spain from 6 of January of 1848.
February 1873: Spain. The Republic's founding started with the abdication as King on 10 February 1873 of Amadeo I.
December 1874: General Arsenio Martínez Campos's pronunciamiento marked the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain.
April 1931: The Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed after the deposition of Alfonso XIII.
November 1975: Proclamation of Juan Carlos I of Bourbon as King of Spain. Juan Carlos I introduced reforms to dismantle the Francoist regime and to begin the Spanish transition to democracy.
Selected Sources
Smith, D. (1998): The Napoleonic Wars Data Book, London: Greenhill, p. 104
Kingdom of Spain
