This was particularly evident in Spain, when Napoleon, his appetite whetted by the prospect of another kingdom, decided against Ferdinand and ordered his reluctant brother, Joseph, from Naples to take over the Spanish throne in 1808. Ferdinand's popularity meant that this measure would not go unnoticed, and as insurrection began in Madrid. It was muted by Murat, but the shape of things to come became clear, Napoleon would not silence the Iberian Peninsula easily.
To appoint Ferdinand may have ensured Spanish co-operation, but the "decision to enthrone Joseph had the opposite effect" . Napoleon was now met with a kingdom in revolt, and an impending rebellion. The tide of European dominance was turning, with the creation of a new enemy in Spain. The ensuing war would damage Napoleons empire to a huge extent, playing a vital role in his downfall.
As well as creating a new enemy, Napoleon had the misfortune of handing Britain a new ally. Britain sent an expeditionary force under the command of Arthur Wellesey in August 1808. The French Grand Army was defeated by Wellesey's forces at Vimeiro. The war escalated in 1809, .
Napoleon himself leading an army at La Coruna, although briefly. It was, however, the spontaneous national uprisings" , that damaged the French most. This type of bloody guerrilla warfare was significant in the French defeat, where small numbers of rebellious Spaniards would attack, before retreating into the landscape. A further battle was lost at Porto in May 1809, and Wellesey crossed the border into Spain, joining forces with Cuesta, the Spanish General. There was another defeat to follow at Talavera in July. However, the victory has been costly and Wellesey was forced to fall back. Later on in 1809, France crushed Spanish armies at Ocana and Alba de Tormes. Wellesey had begun building a defensive system to protect Lisbon, the war mainly being about consolidation in the.
