Godoy, Manuel de

Godoy, Manuel de
born May 12, 1767, Castuera, Spain
died Oct. 4, 1851, Paris, France

Spanish politician.

He entered the royal bodyguard in 1784 and soon became the lover of Maria Luisa, wife of the future Charles IV. On Charles's accession (1788) Godoy continued as a royal favourite and was made duke de Alcudia and prime minister (1792–98, 1801–08). In 1795 Godoy negotiated a favourable peace after Spain's defeat by France and was awarded the title Prince of the Peace. He allied Spain with France against England, which brought a Spanish naval defeat at Cape St. Vincent (1797) and the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1808, when it was learned that Napoleon planned to seize parts of Spain in the Peninsular Wars, the Spanish court tried to flee. Charles was forced to abdicate, and Godoy accompanied him into exile.

* * *

▪ prime minister of Spain
in full  Manuel de Godoy Álvarez de Faria Ríos Sánchez Zarzosa, príncipe de la Paz y de Basano, duque de Alcudia y de Succa 
born May 12, 1767, Castuera, Spain
died October 4, 1851, Paris, France
 Spanish royal favourite and twice prime minister, whose disastrous foreign policy contributed to a series of misfortunes and defeats that culminated in the abdication of King Charles IV and the occupation of Spain by the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I).

      Born into an old but poor noble family, Godoy followed his brother to Madrid in 1784 and, like him, entered the royal bodyguard. He attracted the attention of Maria Luisa of Parma, wife of the heir to the throne, and soon became her lover. When her husband ascended the throne in 1788 as Charles IV, the domineering Maria Luisa persuaded Charles to advance Godoy in rank and power, and by 1792 he became field marshal, first secretary of state, and duque de Alcudia. From then on Godoy's hold over the royal family, buttressed by his pliability, guile, and ingratiating nature, rarely, if ever, weakened.

      When Godoy was named prime minister in 1792, his first undertaking was to try to save the French king Louis XVI from the guillotine. When that failed, war broke out between France and Spain (1793). Initial Spanish successes were followed by losses, and Godoy negotiated the Peace of Basel (1795), for which he was given the title príncipe de la Paz (prince of the Peace) by his grateful sovereign.

      To strengthen ties with France, Godoy negotiated an alliance against England in the Treaty of San Ildefonso (1796). War was soon declared, and Spain suffered a major naval defeat off Cape St. Vincent. France proved an unfaithful ally and showed little scruple in betraying Spanish interests. In 1798 Godoy was removed from office, though in temporary retirement he continued to enjoy royal favour and wield great influence. When Godoy was reinstated in 1801, the war with England still raged and Napoleon was dictator of France. Godoy yielded to French pressure and collaborated in an invasion of Portugal, England's ally, commanding Spanish forces in the three-week War of the Oranges (Oranges, War of the). After Portuguese capitulation, Napoleon sacrificed Spanish interests in the Treaty of Amiens, signed with England in 1802. An opposition party then began to form against Godoy around the heir apparent, Ferdinand (later Ferdinand VII), spurred by growing discontent over the conduct of national affairs.

      When war between France and England flared anew in 1803, Godoy managed to maintain neutrality until December 1804, when he guided Spain into joining France once again in declaring war on England. Ten months later Spanish naval power was utterly destroyed in the Battle of Trafalgar (Trafalgar, Battle of). Relations with Napoleon gradually improved, and in the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807), in which Spain and France agreed to the partition of Portugal, Godoy was offered the kingdom of Algarve, in southern Portugal. Several months later, however, Spain learned that France planned to seize certain of its northern provinces. The court, seeking to establish a government in exile, attempted to flee the country, but at Aranjuez a mob, loyal to Ferdinand, nearly killed Godoy and forced Charles IV to abdicate in his son's behalf. Godoy was then arrested by Ferdinand, and in May 1808 all three—Godoy, Ferdinand, and Charles—were enticed across the border into France, where they became prisoners of Napoleon. Godoy stayed with Charles in Rome until the former king's death in 1819. He then lived in obscurity in Paris on a modest French royal pension until 1847, when Isabella II of Spain restored his titles and returned some of his confiscated estates.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Godoy, Manuel — (12 may. 1767, Castuera, España–4 oct. 1851, París, Francia). Político español. Ingresó a la guardia real en 1784 y pronto se convirtió en el amante de María Luisa, esposa del futuro rey Carlos IV. Al ascender este al trono (1788), continuó como… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • GODOY, MANUEL DE —    minister of Charles IV. of Spain, born at Badajoz; played a conspicuous part in the affairs of Spain during the French Revolution and the Empire; received the title of Prince of Peace for an offensive and defensive treaty he concluded with… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Manuel Godoy y Alvarez de Faria — Manuel Godoy Pour les articles homonymes, voir Godoy. Manuel Godoy …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Manuel de Godoy — Manuel Godoy Pour les articles homonymes, voir Godoy. Manuel Godoy …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Manuel de Godoy Álvarez de Faria — Manuel Godoy Pour les articles homonymes, voir Godoy. Manuel Godoy …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Manuel de Godoy Álvarez de Faria Ríos Sánchez Zarzosa — Manuel Godoy Pour les articles homonymes, voir Godoy. Manuel Godoy …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Manuel de Godoy, Prince of the Peace — Manuel de Godoy, Príncipe de la Paz, portrait by Goya. Don Manuel Francisco Domingo de Godoy (di Bassano) y Álvarez de Faria, de los Ríos y Sánchez Zarzosa, also Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria de los Ríos Sánchez Zarzosa[1] (May 12, 1767 –… …   Wikipedia

  • GODOY (M.) — GODOY MANUEL (1767 1851) Né à Badajoz en Estrémadure, Manuel Godoy appartient à une famille de petite noblesse peu fortunée. Il quitte sa ville natale pour Madrid en 1781 et entre dans la Compagnie royale des gardes du corps. C’est alors que la… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Manuel — Manuel, a 1 n. p. Nombre propio de persona. ⇒ Manolo, a. 2 (con minúsc.) f. *Coche de alquiler tirado por un caballo, corriente en Madrid a principios del siglo XX. * * * (heb. Ímmānū´ēl) ► Nombre propio de varón, aféresis de Emmanuel, «Dios con… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Godoy — Godōy, Manuel, Herzog von Alcudia, span. Staatsmann, geb. 12. Mai 1767 zu Badajoz, stieg als Geliebter der Königin Maria Luise (s.d.) und Günstling des Königs Karl IV. bald zu den höchsten Ämtern, wurde 1793 erster Minister (bis 1798), 1795 wegen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”