[Resumen extraído de la fuente original]

The wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon obliterated century-old boundaries. In the tedious reformation of European borders, nations quarreled so violently at times -such as over Poland and Saxony- that it seemed as if new wars would inmediately engulf Europe. This study explores a major Iberian storm center, which existed on the eastern Portuguese border and Olivenza. Repercussions of this conflict between Spain and Portugal extended from Moscow to Montevideo- and resulted in the formation of a new nation, Uruguay. 

In 1801, while Spain was an ally of France, the Portuguese town and environs of Olivenza were forcefully severed from Portugal and ceded to Spain. Spain, then riding the crest of the Napoleonic wave, optimistically became increasingly evident that Spain had gambled and lost. Louisiana had been sold to the United States, Italy was being placed under the dominance of Austria, the Spanish colonies were beginning to declare independence from the motherland, and Portugal was demanding the return of Olivenza. The years had been unkind to Spain. Her new King Ferdinand VII blamed his father, Charles IV, and former minister Manuel de Godoy for collaborating with the now discredited and chastised France. But Spain was painfully and fearfully aware of the responsability and consequences of her actions under the leadership of her former king. Portugal was an adamant about Olivenza being returned to her as Spain was in keeping it. In addition, Portugal wanted to readjust the borders in South America where, in 1801, France had expanded French Guiana at the expense of the Portuguese colony of Brazil. Portugal simply wanted her old borders of 1792.