Based on a wide range of published and unpublished sources: memoirs, correspondence, diplomatic documentation, the article analyzes the nature of the relationship and political projects of Napoleon and his brother Joseph in relation to Spain. It is stated that adjustments to Napoleon’s plan, the goal of which was to join Spain to the federal system, were made by the growth of the popular movement, assistance to this movement from England, as well as the emperor’s disappointment in the political course of the Spanish king. Appeal to a number of synchronous sources allows us to conclude that a clear division of the brothers’ approaches along the line: reforms and forceful methods of governing the country is a trap. In a broad sense, Napoleon’s policy in Spain fit into the concept of “savior” he adopted in relation to Europe and France.