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Dos de Mayo Uprising

The Dos de Mayo or Second of May Uprising took place in Madrid, Spain, on 2–3 May 1808. The rebellion, mainly by civilians, with some isolated military action[4] by junior officers, was against the occupation of the city by French troops, and was violently repressed by the French Imperial forces,[5] with hundreds of public executions.

"Dos de Mayo" redirects here. For the town in Argentina, see Dos de Mayo, Misiones. For the province in Peru, see Dos de Mayo Province.

Beginning of the uprising[edit]

On 2 May a crowd began to gather in front of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Those gathered entered the palace grounds in an attempt to prevent the removal of Francisco de Paula. Marshal Murat sent a battalion of grenadiers from the Imperial Guard to the palace along with artillery detachments. The latter opened fire on the assembled crowd, and the rebellion began to spread to other parts of the city.[3]


What followed was street fighting in different areas of Madrid as the poorly armed population confronted the French troops. Murat had quickly moved the majority of his troops into the city and there was heavy fighting around the Puerta del Sol and the Puerta de Toledo. Marshal Murat imposed martial law in the city and assumed full control of the administration. Little by little the French regained control of the city, and many hundreds of people died in the fighting. The painting by the Spanish artist Goya, The Charge of the Mamelukes, portrays the street fighting that took place.[3] The Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard fighting residents of Madrid in the Puerta del Sol, wearing turbans and using curved scimitars, provoked memories of the Muslim Spain.[9]


There were Spanish troops stationed in the city, but they remained confined to barracks. The only Spanish troops to disobey orders were from the artillery units at the barracks of Monteleón, who joined the uprising. Two officers of these troops, Luis Daoíz de Torres and Pedro Velarde y Santillán are still commemorated as heroes of the rebellion. Both died during the French assault of the barracks, as the rebels were reduced by vastly superior numbers.[3]

Analysis[edit]

The Dos de Mayo uprising, together with the subsequent proclamation as king of Napoleon's brother Joseph resulted in a rebellion against French rule. While the French occupiers hoped that their rapid suppression of the uprising would demonstrate their control of Spain, the rebellion actually gave considerable impetus to the resistance.[12]

Aftermath[edit]

The Dos de Mayo uprising put Iberia in revolt against French rule starting with the Action of Valdepeñas.


The Invasion of Portugal had started with the occupation of Lisbon in 1807. But the Dos de Mayo uprising started a rebellion in Portugal with the Combat of Padrões de Teixeira.


The British intervention started with the Battle of Roliça led by Wellington.


The Spanish conventional warfare started with the Battles of El Bruch.


Napoleon started his invasion of Spain with the Battle of Zornoza.

In popular culture[edit]

The Second of May is now a public holiday in the Community of Madrid. The place where the artillery barracks of Monteleón was located is now a square called the Plaza del Dos de Mayo, and the district surrounding the square is known as Malasaña in memory of one of the heroines of the revolt, the teenager Manuela Malasaña, who was executed by French troops in the aftermath of the revolt.[3]


Several memorials to the heroes of 2 May are located over the city, including the Monumento a los Caídos por España (Monument to those who fell to their deaths for Spain).

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