The Quadruple Alliance (Britain, France, the Netherlands and Austria) at the Congress of Verona in October 1822 had given France a mandate to intervene and restore the Spanish monarchy.

French troops, (the 100,000 Sons of Saint Louis) under the King's nephew Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême , invade Spain, capture Madrid, and drive the revolutionaries south to Cádiz and Seville.On August 31, 1823, rebel forces are routed in the Battle of Trocadero near Cádiz.

Soon after, the French free Ferdinand, who had been taken from Madrid as a captive, and place him on the throne.

Unexpectedly, he takes ruthless revenge on his opponents, revokes the 1812 constitution and restores absolute monarchy to Spain.