Napoleon had a very poor opinion of Spain. It King and his son were constantly bickering. The Emperor of the French had decided that Portugal needed to be invaded as a means to enforce the economic blockade of Britain. He had however come to the conclusion that he would not occupy Spain. It would be too great a mess and he needed to be able to move quickly should the Austrians and Russians attempt anything.
Despite protest from Spain he managed to get an army through Spain to invade Portugal with Spanish assistance. Reports from the Emperor's intelligence service clearly showed that the Spanish Army was going to need a lot of training and weapons to turn it into an effective weapon.
The invasion went forward and luck seemed to be on the side of the Franco-Spanish Alliance. The Portuguese government failed to call up the militia to help defend the country and delayed asking for help from Britain. Thus the British Army arrived too late to be effective in the defense of the country.
The British -allied army was unable to defeat the larger French-Spanish forces. Portugal's Royal family fled to it South American colony.
The Franco-Spanish Alliance then divided Portugal. The French created a puppet kingdom from their part.
Despite protest from Spain he managed to get an army through Spain to invade Portugal with Spanish assistance. Reports from the Emperor's intelligence service clearly showed that the Spanish Army was going to need a lot of training and weapons to turn it into an effective weapon.
The invasion went forward and luck seemed to be on the side of the Franco-Spanish Alliance. The Portuguese government failed to call up the militia to help defend the country and delayed asking for help from Britain. Thus the British Army arrived too late to be effective in the defense of the country.
The British -allied army was unable to defeat the larger French-Spanish forces. Portugal's Royal family fled to it South American colony.
The Franco-Spanish Alliance then divided Portugal. The French created a puppet kingdom from their part.