The Peninsular Wars (1)

Question 1

What started the Peninsular Wars?

Answer 1

• Napoleon wanted to bring Britain down through the Continental System
• 1807 an Army under Junot marched into Portugal who were still trading with Britain
• 1808 French troops also took over Spain to ‘support Portugal’

Question 2

Who replaced the Spanish King Charles in 1808? Were the Spanish people opposed to this?

Answer 2

• Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s older brother
• Spaniards were heavily against this and by June local assemblies (juntas) began opposing and raising forces
• Mid Jun, rebellion in Oporto caused Junot’s hold of Portugal to minimise to Lisbon

Question 3

From where was a force under Wellington redirected to after hearing of the uproar in Spain?

Answer 3

• Force of 9,000 at Cork meant to go to Venezuela
• Castlereagh ordered the force to go to the Iberian Peninsular under Wellesley

Question 4

What caused Wellesley to be put out of command when setting off for the Iberian Peninsular?

Answer 4

• 1st August British forces were disembarking from Mondego Bay bringing reinforcements of 5,000 and a further 15,000 prepared to sail from Britain
• This caused the Duke of York to replace Wellesley with more senior officers, Sir John Moore, Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Burrard
• Dalrymple was put first in command having only seen active service once, Burrard was second in command

Question 5

What did Wellesley do after hearing he would be replaced by senior commanders?

Answer 5

• Set off for Lisbon on the 10th August, he faced only 15,000 of Junots 26,000 as the rest were guarding Lisbon and forts
• This allowed Wellesley to win a great victory at Rolica on the 17th August, pushing back 5,000 French soldiers

Question 6

What did Wellesley do after getting a victory in Rolica? Where was Burrard in all of this?

Answer 6

• He continued south with 4,000 reinforcements from Maceira
• Burrard arrived on the 20th August, but slept on board, leaving Wellesley to deal with 14,000 troops from Junot coming his way

Question 7

What was happening in Vimeiro Hill when Burrard eventually decided to turn up?

Answer 7

• Wellesley had prepared his men using the reverse slope tactic, using musket fire and bayonets to fend off the French
• Burrard allowed Wellesley to continue command and in less than 3 hours 2,000 French had died compared to 720 British
• Wellesley pleaded to advance but Burrard disallowed this, Vimeiro was still a success

Question 8

What was the Convention of Cintra? 30th Aug

Answer 8

• An armistice between the British and French agreed upon by Dalrymple
• This allowed 24,000 French troops to be transported back to France on British ships
• The public was outraged with this as a victory had been snatched, Dalrymple and Burred were never given command again

Question 9

What did Sir John Moore take command of after Dalrymple and Burrard were out?

Answer 9

• Moore commanded an army that was 35,000 strong to expel the French who were in Spain - He arrived with the bulk of his force in Spain October 1808, another force of 10,000 under Sir David Baird landed at Corunna in mid October
• The two armies planned to meet at Salamanca

Question 10

When did Moore reach Salamanca and why was his plan not going to work?

Answer 10

• He arrived in Salamanca in late November
• Knew his plan was not going to work as Napoleon had crossed into Spain with 200,000 troops
• Moore was now uncertain what to do as the British ambassador put pressure to help Spain, while he was deciding Napoleon marched into Madrid

Question 11

Why did Moore move north-east towards Burgos even though this was a huge gamble?

Answer 11

• He was informed that Napoleon was marching south towards Andalusia and Lisbon
• He wanted to force Napoleon back to protect his communications
• Moore hoped this would give the Spanish some room to breathe and get their armies together

Question 12

After leaving Salamanca on the 12th December 1808 who was in Moores path? How did he plan to defeat them?

Answer 12

• 20,000 men under Soult
• 20th December Moore and Baird joined forces at Mayorga
• However on the 23rd December Moore was forced to retreat through the Galician mountains towards Corruna as Napoleon rushed to the north

Question 13

What was warfare like for the British as they retreated back to Corruna?

Answer 13

• Food was scarce and the mountainous warfare made it hard as shoes and clothes wore out
• The rear guard made it so the French didn’t get close with their 95th rifles

Question 14

When did Moore reach Corruna? What was the result of the battle?

Answer 14

• 11th January 1809 ahead of troop transports that did not arrive till the 15th
• Forced to fight the French Vanguard with 15,000 troops against a similar size army
• Both sides lost 700-900 men with Moore dying
• 26,000 men escaped and 7,000 were lost in the retreat

Question 15

What was the situation Wellesley found himself in Lisbon after Moore died? What did he believe they should do?

Answer 15

• 10,000 troops were stranded in Lisbon and were looking as if they needed to be evacuated
• Wellesley believed they needed 20,000 British troops dispatched to Portugal and for the Portuguese army to be reorganised along British Lines

Question 16

What did Wellesley do when the Portuguese Gov offered him supreme command of their forces?

Answer 16

• He declined and instead appointed General William Beresford
• In April 1809 Wellesley was given command of a new British Army that would be sent to Portugal

Question 17

What were Wellesley two threats when he reached Lisbon on the 22nd April? How did Wellesley think he would deal with said threats?

Answer 17

• Soult captured Oporto on the 29th March after invading the North with 20,000 men
• Marshall Victor threatened the east with 40,000 men
• He would deal with Soult first, he left 12,000 mainly Portuguese troops to defend Lisbon

Question 18

When did Wellesley engage Soult and how did he cross the River Douro?

Answer 18

• 12th May he crossed in a few wine barges
• Soult had realised too late and 600 British occupied a seminary building
• Portuguese civilians helped British troops cross to engage and caused Soults Army to retreat from Oporto

Question 19

What was Soults retreat like from Oporto?

Answer 19

• He lost 4000 men in the mountains with guns and masses of equipment being lost
• Wellesley sustained fewer than 200 casualties and turned South to go for Victor

Question 20

Going into attack Marshall Victor what made the situation more desirable for Wellesley?

Answer 20

• War between Austria and France in April 1809 made it so there would be no reinforcements for France for several months
• 280,000 French soldiers in Spain were dispersed

Question 21

Who supported Wellesley in Talavera and why was he no help?

Answer 21

• General Cuesta with 34,000 troops supported Wellesleys 20,000 in July 1809
• Cuesta had no ability as a commander and disallowed opportunity to attack by last minute refusal
• Allowed Marshal Victor to strengthen with 50,000 troops

Question 22

When did the two armies engage at Talavera and what happened in the fight?

Answer 22

• 27th July they engaged, 2,000 Spaniards ran after the firing of their own guns whilst others put up fortifications behind the walls of Talavera
• The British extended northwards from Talavera
• Victors night attacks were pushed back by the ‘daddy’ General Rowland Hill

Question 23

On the 28th July 1809 Victor launched a massive assault at Talavera, what was the outcome of this?

Answer 23

• Wellesley held the French columns causing them to retreat
• French suffered 7,300 casualties whilst the British only suffered 5,400
• Wellesley lost a quarter of his men but held back a much larger army in the process

Question 24

What was the Aftermath of Talavera?

Answer 24

• Wellesley was made Viscount Wellington
• Wellesley denied Cuestas proposal to march on Madrid and instead retreated to the Spanish-Portuguese border
• Lack of fighting in the Winter allowed Beresford to train Portuguese troops and buy Mid 1810 25,000 were ready

Question 25

In 1810 Napoleon defeated Austria, who did he appoint to now go after Portugal?

Answer 25

• Marshall Massena to command a 138,000 French Army
• Wellington believed he could hold Lisbon as there was not enough food to sustain Massenas large army

Question 26

When did Massena capture the fortress town of Cuidad Rodrigo? What then happened at their next target of Almeida?

Answer 26

• In May French forces besieged and 10th July 1810 the town surrendered
• Almeida was surrendered under the Portuguese garrison as a lucky French shot blew up the gunpowder magazine on the 28th August
• Wellington pursued a scorched earth policy by the activists of the ordenanza and Portuguese were evacuated

Question 27

When did Massena invade Portugal and where did he advance towards? What did Wellington do to try and defend?

Answer 27

• September 1810 with 65,000 men he advanced towards Coimbra
• Wellington took up a position on Bussaco, with 51,000 men

Question 28

What was the outcome of the French attack on Coimbra under Massena?

Answer 28

• Failed on the 27th September
• Massena lost 4,600 men compared to 1252 of the British
• Massena wanted to march around Wellington which forced him to retreat to Lisbon

Question 29

After occupying and looting Coimbra what did Massena set out to do?

Answer 29

• Advanced south to push the British into the sea
• 4,500 sick and wounded Frenchmen were left in Coimbra and were captured by the Portuguese militia
• Mid October he reached the lines of Torres Vedras