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Joseph's Kingdom ofl Spaiii
Having sketchily extended his authority over most of Spain in 1808, Napoleon promoted his
older brother, Joseph, from King of Naples to King of Spain. lt was removing Josephone of theearlier practitioners of "Make love, not war"-from the warming pan to the furnace.
Joseph was supposed to form his own army, which on paper look the strength of a large
Royal Guard (mostly French), 9 regiments (2 "foreign") of line infantry, 2 of light infantry, 6 of
cavalry, and 2 battalions of artillery and one of engii-ieers-plus the assortment of paramilitary
units always needed by Spanish rulers.
Only a part of these units ever were fully organized; only a few were actually reliable.
Joseph's insistence on recruiting deserters and prisoners of war from hostile Spanish sources
resulted only in large numbers of them departing-with their new weapons and equipment-to
rejoin their former units.*
Also see Vol. 11, Foreign Troops, Plates 138-144.
Index
Plate 1. 3rd Line Infantry Regiment (Seville), Officer, Field Uniform, 1811
Plate 2. 4th Line Infantry Regiment (Soria), Grenadier, 1811
Plate 3. Royal Irish Regiment, Fusilier, 1809
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