What if, like the Portuguese, the Spanish Bourbons fled to Mexico when Napoleon invaded Spain and set up shop there? Was this possible and if so what impact would this have on Napoleon, his ambitions, and Latin America?
What if, like the Portuguese, the Spanish Bourbons fled to Mexico when Napoleon invaded Spain and set up shop there? Was this possible and if so what impact would this have on Napoleon, his ambitions, and Latin America?
The Iguala Plan called for a Spanish prince to become a constitutional monarch in Mexico, but none would accept. The Bourbons seemed to be more absolutist than the Braganzas, especially that idiot Ferdinand VII (who tried to go back to absolutism against the LOYALISTS in Latin America).
If they get a few more brain cells and go to Mexico (and hopefully Ferdinand VII suffers a bizarre gila monster-related accident in the process), then the monarchy could probably survive. This may stop some of the other independence movement. No Spanish monarch had ever gone to the New World before, so such a step would be a massive publicity boost for the Bourbons. Even after independence in OTL, there were still a lot of conservative monarchists. Iturbide took advantage of this to become emperor, but he was not a Spaniard, so he didn't last long. A Bourbon would have more legitimacy to the Mexicans than a creole upstart.
Or Ferdinand is caught by Nappy. And Carlos regains the throne
Please remember that as absolutist as Ferdinand was, his heir - Don Carlos - was even more so. In fact, D. Carlos was described as "more royal than the king, more Catholic than the pope". So, even if said gila monster/capture occurs, you'd be ending up with a Charles X of France-Miguel I of Portugal-type persona with foot-in-mouth disease in Mexico years earlier.
He meant Fernando's father Carlos IV. And really none of the Spanish Royals during the Napoleonic era were that impressive. None that I can think of that could act as Pedro I of Brazil.
WhoopsI was thinking D. Carlos 'V'
Or Ferdinand is caught by Nappy.
You mean like he was between 1808 and 1814?
Napoleon invaded Spain because Carlos and Ferdinand invited him in the first place.