Napoleon puts his brother on Spain's throne
1808 · Event
Napoleon lures the Spanish royal family across the border, forces both king and heir to abdicate, and crowns his brother Joseph — and an empire of four centuries loses its head overnight. From Mexico to Buenos Aires, colonial elites face the same question: loyal to a captive king, a French usurper, or themselves?
On these timelines: The Liberation of South America, Spain, Latin America, Napoleonic Wars, France
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