--- Title: The Central Junta. Draft for «Revolutionary Spain» (1854) Description: Marx's manuscript draft on the Spanish Central Junta of 1808-1810, its composition, its military failures and its distrust of the generals, written for the third article of the series «Revolutionary Spain». Author: Karl Marx Date: 1854-11 URL: https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/originales/1854%20The%20Central%20Junta.%20Draft%20for%20Revolutionary%20Spain --- *Transcription with doubtful readings: 59 of the 954 words of the text that remains after the deletions (6.2 %) are marked as uncertain ([?]) or illegible ([ilegible]), and each of them is explained in a note. Manuscript draft by Karl Marx, autumn 1854, kept at the IISG, Amsterdam (Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, inv. A 36, images 2-3; the inventory describes it as a fragmentary draft of «Revolutionary Spain. III», New-York Daily Tribune of 20 October 1854). Transcribed from the digital facsimile by the Escuela de marxismo, 2026 (double reading and collation with the image). The draft is very small and heavily corrected: long deletions that cannot be read are given as ~~[ilegible]~~ (one mark per word, estimated) and are not counted above; in the lower half of the first page and at the end of the second, where additions above the line and in the margin cross each other, the order in which we give them is uncertain. The text printed in the Tribune, which differs from this draft, is on our site: [Revolutionary Spain](https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/originales/1854%20Revolutionary%20Spain). Nothing has been completed from it or from other editions. Diplomatic transcription: spelling and punctuation of the manuscript; underlining in italics; deletions as ~~text~~; additions above the line or in the margin in their place, with a note; [?] after an uncertain reading, [ilegible] for a word that cannot be read. [Traducción al español](https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/1854%20La%20Junta%20Central%20%28borrador%29)* (January[?] 1809 Florida[?] Blanca[?] †)[^1] *A Centraljunta.* *26 Sept. 1808 (Aranjuez) — 29 Jan. 1810.* Madrid having been evacuated by the French, it was to be expected that Napoleon would soon re-appear at the head of his[?][^2] army. ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ were powerful[^3] Steady[?][^4] Measures ~~for~~ of[^5] common[?][^6] defence ~~[ilegible]~~ became thus[^7] inevitable and it was generally felt, that the Polygarchy of the Provincial Juntas, whose ~~discordancy~~ mutual[^8] ~~jealousy and~~ dissensions ~~[ilegible]~~ grew[^9] ~~became~~ even more clamorous after the victory at Baylen, ~~[ilegible]~~ must give way ~~[ilegible]~~ to some sort of Central Government. The Juntas [ilegible][^10], ~~jealous of [ilegible]~~ anxious to ~~[ilegible]~~ retain[^11] their hold upon ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ Power, ~~[ilegible]~~ once[?][^12] resolved, upon the proposal of the Junta of Sevilla, to select each from their own body two deputies ~~who~~ the union of whom was to constitute the Central government, while the Provincial Juntas remained invested with the internal government of their respective government. Thus a Central Junta, composed of 34 deputies ~~of~~ from[?][^13] the Provincial Juntas met on Sept. 26, 1808, at Aranjuez and remained at the head of affairs till Jan. 29, 1810. The Central Junta was driven by the ~~French~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ invader[?][^14] from Madrid to Sevilla and from Sevilla to Cadiz. While they waged a war of edicts from the Royal ~~[ilegible]~~ Palace of Aranjuez, the[^15] pass[?][^16] of Somosierra was forced ~~[ilegible]~~ by the French, and while they ~~[ilegible]~~ amused[?][^17] the people with vigorous[?] proclamations from Sevilla[^18] ~~with false hopes~~, the passes of the Sierra Morena were lost, ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ and Soult's army inundated Andalusia ++[^19] their reign of the Central Junta[^20], the Spanish armies disappeared from the soil[^21], ~~one disgraceful d[ilegible]~~ ignominious defeats[^22] ~~[ilegible]~~ succeeding each other,[^23] ~~[ilegible] disgraceful disaster following~~ disasters[?][^24] and the battle at Ocaña (Nov. 19, 1809) may ~~be said to have been~~ was[^25] the last pitched battle which the Spaniards fought, from that time confining themselves to a Guerrilla warfare. ~~When the~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~Junta~~ "His Majesty" — this was the title assumed by the Junta — fled from Sevilla, Cadiz offered the ~~[ilegible]~~ only asylum, and ~~unless~~ if[^26] the Duke of Albuquerque, ~~had followed their orders to proceed to Cordova~~, ~~Cordova~~ instead of marching ~~with~~ his corps upon Cadiz, had ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ obeyed[?][^27] their orders to proceed into[^28] ~~to~~ Cordova, his own army would have been cut off, Cadiz ~~was~~ must have surrendered to the French and there would have been an end of ~~all~~ any[^29] Central Power in Spain. ++ ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ resistance originally[^30] ~~[ilegible]~~ [ilegible] [ilegible][^31] by the regular army, in the open field, but by ~~[ilegible]~~ the part of ~~particular~~ besieged towns as at Saragossa and Gerona ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ The expulsion of the These few reminiscences from the Spanish war of Independence suffice to characterize the Central Junta. ~~Resistance [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ French army from the Spanish soil[^32] was the great object of their installation and in that object they signally failed. ~~The revolution and [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ and its[?] revolutionary[^33] [ilegible][^34] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ still[^35] were than[?][^36] under ordinary circumstances the[^37] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~of [ilegible] government [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ of the Central ~~[ilegible]~~ Government. The mere fact of the abandonment of ~~the~~ regular ~~[ilegible]~~ warfare[^38] for Guerrilla exploits proves the ~~central power~~ ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ natural[^39] centre before the local centres of resistance where the failure of the ~~National~~ ~~Central~~ national[^40] Government? The very composition of the Central Junta certainly not suited that task imposed upon them Being[^41] contradictory powers ~~they were~~ too many and too fortuitously mixed together. They were to[?][^42] few to pretend to the authority of a National Convention. The mere fact of their[?][^43] ~~[ilegible]~~ powers being delegated from the ~~1~~ Provincial Juntas, also[^44] incapacitated them for overcoming[?][^45] the ~~jealousy~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ self-[ilegible][^46] propensities, the bad will, and the capricious egotism of those Juntas. The two most noting[?][^47] members ~~[ilegible]~~ of the Central Junta[^48] ~~their members~~, Floridablanca — the octogenarian minister of ~~the~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~reign of Charles III~~ the enlightened despotism of Charles III — and Jovellanos, a ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ well-intentioned[^49] ~~[ilegible]~~ reformer who from over-circumspection[?][^50] ~~[ilegible]~~ was certainly not ~~[ilegible]~~ a match for the terrible ~~[ilegible]~~ that country was plunged[?][^51] in. The same[^52] scruples as to the means never ~~[ilegible]~~ dared to ~~[ilegible]~~ accomplish[^53] too[^54] ~~[ilegible]~~ and ~~[ilegible]~~ unreliable[?][^55] sense of their power with respect to the people, ~~[ilegible]~~ kept them in constant fear and suspicion of the ~~military [ilegible]~~ Generals[^56] as they[^57] of their own ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~with respect to~~ and ~~the~~ the[^58] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ of the Central Junta. ~~[ilegible]~~ went over to the Bonapartist camp, after he had surrendered[?][^59] Madrid[?][^60] to Napoleon. Cuesta[?][^61], + had had ~~[ilegible]~~ were obliged to ~~[ilegible]~~ the[^62] military[?][^63] submit[?][^64] ~~[ilegible]~~ General Morla[?][^65], himself a member of the Central Junta and ~~[ilegible]~~ forging plans for the restoration of the old[^66] authority of the old[^67] Captains General and the was[^68] ~~[ilegible]~~ with[^69] ~~[ilegible]~~ among the ~~[ilegible]~~ Deputies to the Central Junta ~~[ilegible]~~ also afterwards[^70] seemed[^71] the same[?][^72] a[^73] won[?][^74] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~at~~ the ~~[ilegible]~~ confidence of the Government ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ proved[?] founded[^75] by[^76] battle lost the battles of the country ~~[ilegible]~~ Regent[?][^77] distrusted[?][^78] (Generals La Romana Royal Audiencia[?][^79] ~~[ilegible]~~ and Castaños, ~~[ilegible]~~ the victor of Baylen, ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ the ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ afterwards[^80] named[?] by[^81] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~by the [ilegible] address~~ the former shown[?][^82] his address to the nation ~~[ilegible]~~ in[^83] ~~[ilegible]~~ their[^84] vacillating[?][^85] ~~at~~ of[^86] them in ~~[ilegible]~~ Sevilla, on October 4, 1809, and the ~~[ilegible]~~ Albuquerque[^87] by his ~~+ [ilegible]~~ otherwise[?][^88] later[?][^89] conduct ~~in the Regency~~. ~~[ilegible]~~ while[^90] ~~a member of~~ towards[^91] the Regency[^92] became a member of the Regency. The Duke of Albuquerque, ~~the only man of [ilegible] who alone~~ signally gifted with[^93] ~~[ilegible]~~ dignity[?][^94] all[^95] of the Spanish generals of that epoch ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ was perhaps[?][^96] the only man to conduct a great war, seemed ~~the~~ to ~~be made~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~of the very [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ all the qualities of a military dictator[?][^97] ~~[ilegible]~~ [ilegible][^98] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~and they stood~~, a ~~[ilegible]~~ reason ~~[ilegible]~~ sufficient to[^99] remove him from all[^100] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ this important command. We may then[?][^101] give full credit to the Duke of Wellington[?][^102] writing to his brother, the Marquis of Wellesley, on Sept. 1, 1809: "I am much afraid, from what I have seen of the proceedings of the Central Junta, that in the distribution of their forces they did not consider military defence, and military operations, so much as they do political intrigue, and the attainment of trifling political objects." The first ~~[ilegible]~~ popular government of Spain ~~[ilegible]~~ reigned[?][^103] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ overawed[^104] by ~~[ilegible]~~ (a resentment of the ~~great~~ prominent[?][^105] part military men were destined to act in that ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ internal convulsions[^106] and as not less[?][^107] could the[^108] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ alarm[?][^109] ~~[ilegible]~~ revolutionary force by their very composition the Central Junta ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ petty[^110] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~On the other hand~~ originally[^111] the [ilegible][^112] upon[^113] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ petty intrigues in order to check[^114] ~~[ilegible]~~ their[^115] own generals ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ On the other[?][^116] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ while ~~[ilegible] [ilegible]~~ ~~important [ilegible]~~ success could only be expected from[^117] ~~[ilegible]~~ and[^118] ~~[ilegible]~~ ~~[ilegible]~~ incapable to resist the[^119] in[^120] presence[?][^121] of popular ~~[ilegible]~~ clamours[?][^122]. They often[^123] forced the generals into precipitate action where only the most cautious and ~~[ilegible]~~ the[^124] ~~[ilegible] [ilegible] [ilegible]~~ defensive. [^1]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: «J…uary»; the second reading also has «January». Uncertain: «Flor…» or «Flo…da»; the second reading has «Belmont». The last word ends in «-ca» or «-nt» and is followed by a cross (†). Added in the top right corner, in a smaller hand. [^2]: «his» seems to be struck through with a hook; the second reading keeps it. [^3]: «were powerful» is written above «army. Steady», after two struck words; where it belongs is not clear. [^4]: S-t-e-d-y; the second reading has «Stronger». [^5]: “of”: added above the line or in the margin. [^6]: Abbreviated stroke «c…m…n»; the second reading has «union or». [^7]: “became thus”: added above the line or in the margin. [^8]: “mutual”: added above the line or in the margin. [^9]: “grew”: added above the line or in the margin. [^10]: An underlined word above «Juntas»: «themselves» in the first reading, «founded» in the second. [^11]: “retain”: added above the line or in the margin. [^12]: A short word after the struck one, perhaps not struck itself. [^13]: Written above «of»: «born» in the first reading, «been» in the second; «from» fits the shape and the struck «of». [^14]: The second reading only made out «…er». [^15]: “the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^16]: «pass» or «passes»; the verb is «was». [^17]: «amused» or «aroused». [^18]: Added above the line or in the margin. «vigorous» or «ingenious» (second reading). [^19]: “and Soult's army inundated Andalusia ++”: added above the line or in the margin. [^20]: “of the Central Junta”: added above the line or in the margin. [^21]: “from the soil”: added above the line or in the margin. [^22]: “ignominious defeats”: added above the line or in the margin. [^23]: “succeeding each other,”: added above the line or in the margin. [^24]: Above the line; the second reading has «disastrous». [^25]: «may» was left unstruck. [^26]: “if”: added above the line or in the margin. [^27]: The word seems crossed by a hooked stroke, with an illegible word above. [^28]: “into”: added above the line or in the margin. [^29]: “any”: added above the line or in the margin. [^30]: “originally”: added above the line or in the margin. [^31]: Two short words under «originally»: «in short» (first reading) or «in that» (second reading). [^32]: “from the Spanish soil”: added above the line or in the margin. [^33]: Added above the line or in the margin. «its» or «of». [^34]: An illegible word added above the line. [^35]: “still”: added above the line or in the margin. [^36]: «then» or «than». [^37]: “the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^38]: “warfare”: added above the line or in the margin. [^39]: “natural”: added above the line or in the margin. [^40]: “national”: added above the line or in the margin. [^41]: “Being”: added above the line or in the margin. [^42]: Added above the line or in the margin. Added in lighter ink at the end of the line; «to» may be «too». [^43]: «their» or «this». [^44]: “also”: added above the line or in the margin. [^45]: Reading by the shape «over…ing»; the second reading has «to overcome». [^46]: The second half of the compound cannot be read. [^47]: «noting» (first reading) or «marking» (second). [^48]: “of the Central Junta”: added above the line or in the margin. [^49]: “well-intentioned”: added above the line or in the margin. [^50]: «over-circum…»; the second reading has «over caution». [^51]: «plunged» or «planted». [^52]: “The same”: added above the line or in the margin. [^53]: “accomplish”: added above the line or in the margin. [^54]: “too”: added above the line or in the margin. [^55]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^56]: “Generals”: added above the line or in the margin. [^57]: “as they”: added above the line or in the margin. [^58]: “the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^59]: «surr…d»; the second reading leaves it illegible. [^60]: Capital M and «-adrid»; not in the second reading. [^61]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^62]: “the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^63]: Added above the line or in the margin. Interlinear, partly covered by other additions. [^64]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^65]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^66]: “old”: added above the line or in the margin. [^67]: “old”: added above the line or in the margin. [^68]: “was”: added above the line or in the margin. [^69]: “with”: added above the line or in the margin. [^70]: “also afterwards”: added above the line or in the margin. [^71]: “seemed”: added above the line or in the margin. [^72]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^73]: “a”: added above the line or in the margin. [^74]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^75]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^76]: “by”: added above the line or in the margin. [^77]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^78]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^79]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^80]: “afterwards”: added above the line or in the margin. [^81]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^82]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^83]: “in”: added above the line or in the margin. [^84]: “their”: added above the line or in the margin. [^85]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^86]: “of”: added above the line or in the margin. [^87]: “Albuquerque”: added above the line or in the margin. [^88]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^89]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^90]: “while”: added above the line or in the margin. [^91]: “towards”: added above the line or in the margin. [^92]: “the Regency”: added above the line or in the margin. [^93]: “signally gifted with”: added above the line or in the margin. [^94]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^95]: “all”: added above the line or in the margin. [^96]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^97]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^98]: A short interlinear addition at the end of the line, illegible. [^99]: “sufficient to”: added above the line or in the margin. [^100]: “remove him from all”: added above the line or in the margin. [^101]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^102]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^103]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^104]: “overawed”: added above the line or in the margin. [^105]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^106]: “internal convulsions”: added above the line or in the margin. [^107]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^108]: “could the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^109]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^110]: “petty”: added above the line or in the margin. [^111]: “originally”: added above the line or in the margin. [^112]: Added above the line or in the margin. An illegible word in an interlinear addition. [^113]: “upon”: added above the line or in the margin. [^114]: “petty intrigues in order to check”: added above the line or in the margin. [^115]: “their”: added above the line or in the margin. [^116]: Added above the line or in the margin. Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^117]: “success could only be expected from”: added above the line or in the margin. [^118]: “and”: added above the line or in the margin. [^119]: “incapable to resist the”: added above the line or in the margin. [^120]: “in”: added above the line or in the margin. [^121]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^122]: Uncertain: the second reading differs here. [^123]: “often”: added above the line or in the margin. [^124]: “the”: added above the line or in the margin.