Afrancesado

Afrancesados ​​(Eng. about Französiserte, Francophiles, French minded, French or French friends compacts), also Josefinos (after Joseph Bonaparte ) was the name given to the partisans of the French in the Napoleonic Spain and occupied Portugal. The reasons ranged from fear over greed to hope for a thorough reform of the state. Many came from the nobility, and counted in the 1820s, 1830s and 1840s to the moderates or liberals later.

Afrancesados ​​in Spain

In the special case a Afrancesado was a person who had sworn to the Constitution of 1808, the King Joseph Bonaparte after the forced abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte by the Bourbons had proclaimed.

The number and power of the party was in early 1809 at its greatest. Regional their influence was significant especially in Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country and Madrid. After the overthrow of foreign rule wandered about 10,000 Afrancesados ​​to France. From Ferdinand VII declared forfeited by regulation the 30th May 1814 their dignities, offices and goods they received after the production of the Corte Constitutional permission to return (Decree of 8 March 1820). By resolution of the Cortes on 21 September of the same year they also their goods were transferred back.

In France, the Spanish Afrancesados ​​developed a specific culture in exile. Example of a partisan of the French was the poet and playwright Leandro Fernández de Moratín. Also, the former Viceroy of New Spain (1800-1803), Miguel José de Azanza, the banker Miguel José de Azanza ( Joseph Bonaparte was Finance Minister ), Godoy's former Foreign Minister Mariano Luis de Urquijo and Francisco Javier de Burgos were Spanish Afrancesados ​​in exile in France.

Afrancesados ​​in Portugal

In Portugal, the term has been used Afrancesados ​​end of the 18th century for those elite who had received their education in France and had thereby acquired ideas of the Enlightenment. In Portugal, the French in 1807 were therefore first of French friends whose followers came from especially the liberal bourgeoisie of Porto welcomed. These Portuguese Afrancesados ​​, however, were predominantly republican revolutionary- minded as Jacobins, the Imperial French or Royal Spanish occupiers distrusted them and therefore did not promote their reform plans. The French occupation policy therefore discredited the Afrancesados ​​quickly. Nevertheless, the French occupation, and especially their expulsion by a reactionary British occupying forces to promote a pro-French form of liberalism.

" ... When, after the expulsion of the French, the Beresford Administration ruled the country, which was " English group " marginalized, since the British were now as the new occupiers considered; the Jacobins were able to prevail ... "