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From Gallaecia to the Euro-Region
with Napoleon who, benefitting from the confrontations and the power vacuum,
made them give up in his favour and entrusted the throne to his brother, José I
Bonaparte. All these happenings ended up provoking the Independence War,
a conflict extended between 1808 and 1814, where those in favour of the
Old Regime –patriots- faced the pro-French, defenders of the new times.
• The Napoleonic wars in Portugal
Galicia and the North of Portugal
ended up playing a more important
role than the emperor had previously
believed. The Regent prince Don Juan
found out about the Spanish rebellion
and, from Brazil, formally declared
war against the French on the 9th May.
The first centre to rise up was Porto,
where General Bellesta imprisoned his
French counterpart, Quesnel. The news
of this revolt quickly spread towards the
north. First, it arrived at Trás-os-Montes,
where the former arms governor of the
province, Manuel Jorge Gomes de
Sepúlveda, leaded the movement that
won in Chaves, Miranda do Douro,
Torre de Moncorvo and Vila Real,
and from here, it was spread through
the whole region. This brought the
organization of militias in places like
Bragança and, later, in Viana do
Castelo, Guimarães, Caminha, etc.
On the 18th June, the people rioted
in Porto and, leaded by Captain João
Manuel de Mariz, they achieved the
victory and established a Provisional
Board of the Supreme Government of
the Kingdom, which was led by the
bishop D. António de S. José e Castro.
British help was added to the popular
riots, and this was decisive throughout
the conflict. Portugal was a valuable
ally and because of that, a landing
lead by Arthur Wellesley near Figueira
de Foz sentenced the French control.
Junot, the highest authority designed by
Napeoleon, had no other option than
to sign an armistice by which he left the
country in English vessels.
• The Napoleonic wars in Galicia
The presence of the French troops did not last much in the Galician territory, but
it was even shorter in Vigo where, on the 28th March 1809, a revolt organized
by Captain Cachamuíña ended up with the expulsion of the French. The
reconquest of Vigo marked the beginning of the uprising in the Galician
territory, up to the point that Fernando VII recognized years later this initiative
with the title of loyal and brave. Shortly after, after the battle of Pontesampaio
in Pontevedra, on the 9th June 1809 the French left the country for good.
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