Biography

Ferdinand, through a coup, took control of the crown from his father Charles IV in 1808- However, upon Napoleon's invasion of Spain shortly after, he was forced to give the crown back to Charles, who abdicated in favor of Napoleon. The Spanish populace rose against the French and created the Constitution of Cádiz (1812)- However, in 1813, Napoleon released Ferdinand from imprisonment in order to shut it down, which he did. However, he no longer held the political power he once did, and in 1820, Ferdinand accepted the restoration of the 1812 Cortes. In 1823, Ferdinand and Louis XVIII of France drove out the radical ministries in Spain.