Resistance on the Iberian Peninsula
Resistance on the Iberian Peninsula
“Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity),”
Scream French revolutionaries1 as they guillotine monarchists’ heads
And then crown Napoleon Bonaparte2 emperor of France,
Who commands the French forces in wars waged across Europe.
The Grande Armée3 has defeated the “Fourth Coalition,”4
And in 1807, horses stomp, pulling supplies and cannons,
With allied French and Spanish battalions5 marching
To punish Portugal for not enforcing the Continental System6
Trade blockade put into effect to paralyze Great Britain.
The invasion completed, Napoleon seizes the moment
And occupies Spain7 to control the Iberian Peninsula.8
The Spanish are incensed, and there are popular uprisings:
“Id a casa, franceses, y dejadnos solos."
("Go home, Frenchmen, and leave us alone.")
On the third of May, 1808, the French retaliate
In answer to the Spanish patriots’ rebellious mêlée
Against Napoleon’s Egyptian mercenary brigade,
The Mamelukes,9 the day before in Madrid, Spain.
“Vive la France!” Scream Frenchmen in a foreign land.
Then they round up Madrilène citizens, rebel or not
And herd them to la Montaña del Príncipe Pío
(Prince Pius Mountain) outside the Spanish capital
To be executed without trial; no mercy is given.
Predictably, a martyr steps forward sacrificially;
Death is imminent, and so steals most of the glory.
“¡Dispárenme desarmado! ¡Larga vida a la España libre!”
(“Shoot me unarmed! Long live free Spain!”),
Who no more wants to die than those in the firing squad.
In line stand soldiers of the French unit
With Charleville muskets cocked and bayoneted,
Awaiting orders to squeeze the triggers
To shoot the Spanish resistance fighters.
Already, a heap of bodies lies on the ground
Where blood flows and is splattered on the mound
Fellow countrymen watch, cry, and pray
For their brothers-in-arms who wait to be slain.
In times of war, there is a weariness of slaughter.
Orders are given and horrors enacted,
And by night lantern, a volley of shots breaks the silence.
As if God above will not see the atrocities committed.
***
Notes:
1 French Revolution: The “French Revolution” occurred from 1789 to 1799, wherein French revolutionaries overthrew the monarchical rule of King Louis XVI (1754–1793), and established a republic, and subsequently crowned the Corsican Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor and Dictator of France.
The island of Corsica had been previously purchased by the French from the Genoese in 1767 and was formally annexed by the Kingdom of France in 1769 through the use of French military force.
2 Napoleon Bonaparte (1768–1821): Napoleon Bonaparte (a Corsican by birth) worked his way through the French military ranks to become a military and political leader of the First French Republic and served as First Consul from 1799 to 1804. In 1804, he was crowned the Emperor of France (Napoleon I) and reigned until 1814 and again in 1815.
3 La Grande Armée (The Great Army): The “Grande Armée” was the field army of the French Imperial Army deployed and commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars.
4 Coalitions: “Coalitions” were names given to the allies of Europe who fought against the French during the Napoleonic Wars. In all, there were seven coalitions formed during the Napoleonic Wars, which lasted from 1803 to 1815.
The Fourth Coalition consisted of Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and Great Britain allied in war against France (1806 to 1807), in which the French were victorious.
5 “The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso: “The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso” was signed on August 19, 1796, between the First Republic of France and Spain, thus becoming allies and combining their forces to fight against the British Empire.
6 Continental System: The “Continental System” was a Napoleonic policy instituted after the defeat of the Fourth Coalition that consisted of a blockade in which France, neutrals, and French allies were not allowed to trade with the British.
Portugal continued to trade with Great Britain after the Continental System proclamation and thus provoked the allied French and Spanish troops to invade the Kingdom of Portugal (November 19 to 30, 1807).
7 Bonapartist Spain: Due to Spain’s declining economy and unstable political situation, its value as an ally was questionable. Napoleon ordered more troops into Spain, which was very unpopular with the Spanish people, resulting in the abdication of the Spanish King, Charles IV, in March 1808. Instead of assisting another Spanish successor to the throne, Napoleon appointed his younger brother, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain during the French occupation of Spain. This sparked riots in Madrid and revolt against French rule.
8 Iberian Peninsula: The “Iberian Peninsula” is the second-largest peninsula in Europe after the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is known as Iberia and includes Spain and Portugal, along with a small part of France, Gibraltar, and Andorra.
9 Mamelukes: The “Mamelukes” were originally Muslim slave soldiers and Muslim rulers of slave origins. During the French Campaign in Egypt (1798 to 1801), Napoleon formed his own Mamluk corps and brought them back with him to France in 1799. Upon leaving Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte wrote to his successor that he had purchased 2,000 Mamelukes from Syrian merchants, with whom he would form a special detachment, which he did: a cavalry squadron in Napoleon’s Imperial Guard.
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment