The Gazeta "afrancesada" de Madrid (1808-1813)

Abstract

This article studies the different phases through which the Gazetta de Madrid evolved under the French rule during the War of Independance: I (riots of Aranjuez - 3rd of May, 1808), a control of the Gazette that was more difficult than forecast by Murat; II (4th of May - 1st of August, 1808), its transformation in a French Gazette, serving the Duke of Berg and then Jose I; III (6th of December, 1808-21st of january, 1809, with the takeover of Madrid by Napoleon), its conversion in an Imperial Gazette, as the frame for
the Daily of the French Army in Spain (Diarios del ejército francés en España) and the publishing of intercepted letters, and the obvious opposition between the editor of the Gazette, Earl of La Forest and Jose I during the «Military Trip of the Emperor»; IV during the stay of Jose I in Madrid (21st of January, 1809 - 10th of August, 1812), with the changes in its editorial line, concerning the presentation of the newspaper as well as the kind of articles, that range from publishing of the decrees signed by the Intruder king until, at the end, that of extracts of the Cadiz newspapers, including articles received about very different themes, publishing of intercepted letters, necrologies and burlesque political satires, all of that in an unsuccessfull attempt to seduce and convince readers; V, in the ultimate period (4th of November, 1812-27th of May, 1813), with the agony of the josefine regime and of the pro-French Gazetta de Madrid, that ended publishing nearly
only extracts of the newspapers of Cadiz. This reconstruction of the evolution of the pro-French Gazetta de Madrid gives particular attention to its writers and the scarce gratitude they received from the josefine regime, and to its punctual collaborators who, in most cases, signed only with their initials.