Editing Peninsular War (section)

===Spanish dilemma===
{{Further|History of Spain (1700–1810)}}

By 1800, Spain was in a state of social unrest. Townsfolk and peasants all over the country, who had been forced to bury family members in new municipal cemeteries rather than churches or other consecrated ground, took back their bodies at night and tried to restore them to their old resting-places. In [[Madrid]], the growing numbers of ''[[afrancesado|''afrancesados'']]'' (Francophiles) at court were opposed by the ''majos'': shopkeepers, artisans, tavern keepers, and laborers who dressed in traditional style, and took pleasure in picking fights with ''petimetres'', the young who styled themselves with French fashion and manners.{{sfn|Esdaile|2003|p=22}}

Spain was an ally of Napoleon's First French Empire; however, defeat in the naval [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in October 1805, which had decimated Spain's navy, had removed the reason for alliance with France. Manuel Godoy, the favorite of King [[Charles IV of Spain]], began to seek some form of escape. At the start of the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]], which pitted the Kingdom of Prussia against Napoleon, Godoy issued a proclamation that was obviously aimed at France, even though it did not specify an enemy. After Napoleon's decisive victory at the [[Battle of Jena–Auerstedt]], Godoy quickly withdrew the proclamation. However, it was too late to avert Napoleon's suspicions. Napoleon planned from that moment to deal with his inconstant ally at some future time. In the meantime, the Emperor forced Godoy and Charles IV into providing a division of Spanish troops to serve in northern Europe.{{sfn|Gates|2002|pp=6–7}} The [[Division of the North]] spent the winter of 1807–1808 in [[Swedish Pomerania]], [[Mecklenburg]], and towns of the old [[Hanseatic League]] and Spanish troops marched into [[Denmark]] in early 1808.{{sfn|Oman|1902|p=367}}

<gallery widths="175px" heights="200px">
File:Fernando VII, by López.jpg|alt=Portrait of Fernando VII de España.|''Prince [[Fernando VII of Spain]]'' by [[Vicente López Portaña]]
File:Carlos IV de rojo.jpg|alt=Portrait of Charles IV.|''[[Charles IV of Spain|King Charles IV of Spain]]'' by [[Francisco Goya]]
</gallery>