May Revolution
The May Revolution was a direct reaction to Spain's Peninsular War. In 1808, King Ferdinand VII of Spain abdicated in favor of Napoleon, who granted the throne to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte. A Supreme Central Junta led resistance to Joseph's government and the French occupation of Spain, but eventually suffered a series of reversals that resulted in the Spanish loss of the northern half of the country. On February 1, 1810, French troops took Seville and gained control of most of Andalusia. The Supreme Junta retreated to Cadiz and dissolved itself, and the Council of Regency of Spain and the Indies replaced it. News of these events arrived in Buenos Aires on May 18, brought by British ships.
Domingo French
During the week preceding the May Revolution, he supported the movement with enthusiasm. On May 21, the "Plaza de la Victoria" ("Victory Square", known today as Plaza de Mayo) was occupied by some 600 armed men, headed by Domingo French and Antonio Luis Beruti, under a group known as the ""chisperos"", who shouted requests for the forming of an open Cabildo and the deposement of Viceroy Cisneros. Alarmed by the commotion on the square, the viceroy agreed to a meeting for the following day and called Cornelio Saavedra, commander of the Patricios Regiment, to calm the citizenry at the square. Saavedra communicated to the ""chisperos"" that there would be an open cabildo on May 22 and asked them to stand down.