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How did Napoleon’s brother Joseph Bonaparte become king of Spain?

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Francisco Goya: Self-portrait — Francisco Goya Detail of *Self-portrait*, etching by Francisco Goya from the series *Los caprichos*, 1799.

Joseph Bonaparte became king of Spain as a result of Napoleon Bonaparte’s direct intervention in Spanish political instability during the spring of 1808.12

Following the Revolt of Aranjuez in March 1808, which forced the abdication of Charles IV in favor of his son Ferdinand VII, Napoleon took advantage of the factionalism within the Spanish royal family. He summoned both the former king and his son to Bayonne, France, under the guise of mediation.132

At Bayonne, Napoleon pressured both monarchs to abdicate their claims to the throne. Once the Spanish throne was vacant, Napoleon chose his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, to be the new ruler of Spain, promising that the country would remain independent and Roman Catholic under his leadership. This move triggered the Peninsular War, as the Spanish people rose up against the French occupation.1243