Peninsular Wars Flashcards
Battle of Vimiero
• 1808
• Wellington in command as Burrard remained at sea
• Wellington used reverse slope tactic - British troops on high ground whilst French were attacked by unseen musket fire
• French forced to retreat, Wellington wanted to pursue but Burrard said no
Battle of Talavera 1809
• slim victory due to the weakness of the Spanish - fled at the sound of their own guns
• Wellington positioned his troops on high ground in line formation - disciplined troops held their position and bombarded the unorganised French
• French forced to retreat despite outnumbering the allies 46,000 to 36,000
• Wellington knew not to pursue due to logistical issues and need to care for his wounded and supplies
How did Wellington weaken the French when retreating to lead them to the lines of Torres Vedras 1809-1810?
• Wellington used the scorched earth policy: burning crops, livestock, towns and infrastructure as a part of a broader strategy of attrition
• demoralised French troops
• Allowed Wellington more time to prepare for the offensive whilst the French foraged
The lines of Torres Vedras winter 1809-1810
• a defensive line ordered by Wellington to prevent French advancement to Lisbon without the French knowing
• over 30 miles long with 150 strongpoints
• Massena forced to lay siege, however had to retreat in 1811 dud to starvation and disease
• marked turn of war to favour British coalition
Battle of Salamanca 1812
• Wellington took advantage of French weaknesses: French extended their lines too thin and separated their forces
• Wellington therefore used a flanking manoeuvre(attacked from multiple sides) and split the French ranks, causing them to retreat
• Opened up Madrid, step closer to removing French influence from Spain, Wellington praised as a hero
Battle of Vitoria 1813
• last battle of Peninsular Wars in Spain - French influence mostly removed from Spain, King Joseph Bonaparte flees Madrid
• Wellington encircled the French, used his high numbers to his advantage (70,000 to 58,000 French)
• French army struggled also due to coordination and disruption of their supply lines
What happened after Vitoria and before Waterloo
• Wellington took France, invaded Paris
• Napoleon exiled, but then returned to Paris in March 1815 and the war restarted
Battle of Waterloo forces
• Napoleon had 73,000 troops
• Wellington had 18,000 British combined with 50,000 Prussians under Blücher
Role of the Prussians during the battle of Waterloo
• 50,000 troops under Blücher
• Arrived later in the battle, attacking the French right flank and forcing Napoleon to fight on two fronts
• French troops began to collapse, by evening Napoleon’s army was in full retreat
Wellington tactics during Battle of Waterloo
• reverse slope - positioned his army in a ridge, making it difficult for the French to break through lines and protected his troops from French artillery
• Wellington expected Napoleon to use aggressive cavalry, and made plans to neutralise this threat by using infantry squares
Wellington composure during Battle of Waterloo
• In the last part of the battle, Wellington’s troops waited hidden in the long grass until Napoleon’s troops were almost on top of them: then fired at point blank range
• Wellington resisted using his cavalry and let the engagement continue as he planned
Discipline of British Army battle of Waterloo
Despite Wellington’s forces being made up of British, Dutch, Belgian and German soldiers from different backgrounds and training, Wellington’s troops maintained tight formations and resilience against French cavalry charges and infantry assaults
Wellington upholding morale Waterloo
• Wellington was involved in the battlefield, making quick decisions and keeping the Allied forces unified + focused on their objectives
Wellington previous experience
•At age 25 Wellington fought in the 1794 Flanders campaign during the French Revolutionary war - was appalled by British strategy
• Wellington’s experience of defeat inspired him to study the art of war
Wellington respect
more than 1.5 million people lined the streets to pay their respects as Wellington’s coffin was carried to St Paul’s
Importance of Portuguese army during peninsular war
• British officers helped to modernise the Portuguese military using British funds, supplies and tactical guidance
• Around 35,000 strong
• Portuguese helped to build the lines of Torres Vedras
British Navy’s role in the peninsular wars
• Transported supplies to the Iberian peninsula using convoys
• British utilised their naval superiority to blockade French ports and disrupt their supply lines
• Naval raids against French held costal areas
• transported reinforcements of troops
• controlled key ports like Lisbon and Cadiz. Ensuring British had safe harbours
French weaknesses during the peninsular wars
• Napoleon’s over-extension during the Peninsular Wars - led the Russia campaign in 1812 despite having a significant portion of his forces in the Iberian peninsula
• Joseph Bonaparte’s rule was viewed as illegitimate, fuelling Spanish resistance and political instability
• French also massacred civilians, imposed French laws and tactics in Spain, pillaged, which fuelled Spanish Resistance
• Key French commanders had a lack of cohesive strategies e.g Marshal Junot, Marshal Soult and Marshal Massena (compared to Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo)
French struggle with supplies
• French ports especially in the Atlantic blockaded by the British
• French struggled to supply due to the continental system implemented in 1805, damaged French economy
• Supply chain damaged by Spanish and Portuguese guerillas, mostly had to forage for food
