The Peninsular Wars (2)

Question 1

What were the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 1

• A year prior Wellington ordered construction of a network of 20-30 miles of formidable defence North of Lisbon

Question 2

Who constructed the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 2

• Colonel Richard Fletcher commanded the Royal Engineers
• Use of Portuguese labour supervised by 150 British soldiers and 18 engineers

Question 3

What were the 3 defensive rings of the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 3

1) 26 mile Northern most line which ran from the Atlantic to the River Tagus, with linked forts and earthworks covering the pass through to Lisbon
2) A stronger line was built behind the first, the RN protected The Atlantic flank and gunboats on the Tagus
3) Line was used to protect the army if they were pushed back and had to escape by sea

Question 4

What system of communication was used and how were refugees looked after in the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 4

• Semaphore System allowed for messages to be flagged from the Atlantic to the Tagus in 7 minutes
• Behind the lines 500 square miles of defence and safety for 200,000 Portuguese refugees which gained supplies from British ships

Question 5

Who manned the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 5

• 25,000 Portuguese militia, 11,000 Ordenanza, 8,000 Spanish and 2,500 British artilrrymen and marines
• Wellington had an army of 60,000 to fight the French when needed

Question 6

When did Massena finally withdraw from the lines, how did Wellington isolate him and his army?

Answer 6

• Mid-November finally withdrew 30 miles to positions stretching between Santarem and Rio Maior to be protected by earthworks and marshes
• Massena was isolated as the Portuguese militia and ordenanza prevented his communication with Spain

Question 7

Why did Wellington make no effort to attack after Massena retreated from the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 7

• Wellington knew starvation and disease would do more damage so he did not attack during the winter
• Feb 1811, over 500 French were dying each week, March Massena retreated back to Spain
• Massena lost 20,000-30,000 men and masses of equipment, except Almeida Portugal was now free

Question 8

Where did Wellington and Beresford go in 1811?

Answer 8

• Beresford was sent with 20,000 men to deal with Soult in the south and recapture Badajoz
• Wellington with 35,000 troops besieged Almeida

Question 9

When did allies repel an attack on Fuentes de Onoro and what was the result of this?

Answer 9

• 3rd May 1811
• Massena attacked two days later but was made to retreat due to them lacking ammunition
• French forces escaped in Almeida but Massena was not replaced by Marshal Marmont

Question 10

How was Beresford doing in the South besieging Badajoz?

Answer 10

Beresford besieged Badajoz and Soult set out with 24,000 men to fight back

Question 11

When did Beresford encounter Soult in Albuera? What happened?

Answer 11

• Both armies met on the 16th May 1811
• Soult outmanoeuvred the British but the 3700 British held up 7800 French infantry, carnage continued in a packed two acres of mud
• After the British broke through Soult lost 8000 men and the British suffered 5936 casualties

Question 12

Why was Beresford replaced despite pushing back the French so successfully at Albuera? What happened at Badajoz after the British victory?

Answer 12

• Wellington could not afford another victory where the British lose so many people
• Beresford was not given independent command and Hill took over the south
• French reinforcements caused allies to leave Badajoz

Question 13

In 1812 why did Wellington want to capture Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz?

Answer 13

• They were the northern and southern gateways into Spain

Question 14

What happened at Wellingtons besiege of Cuidad Rodrigo? (The British were very brutal in this)

Answer 14

• Early January 1812, Wellington besieged by making two breaches in the fortress walls with his guns
• Night of 19-20 January his men captured the town in 2 hours, drinking, looting and raping
• Both French and British lost around 500 men but the British took 500 French troops as prisoner

Question 15

When did Wellington reach Badajoz and why did he have to capture it quickly?

Answer 15

• Reached the fortress (it had better defence than Cuidad Rodrigo) in mid-March
• He needed to take it quickly as Marmont was threatening Cuidad Rodrigo

Question 16

What happened at Wellingtons taking over of Badajoz?

Answer 16

• 6th April 1812 the walls of the town were breached in three places
• British attackers lost nearly 5000 men but managed to capture Badajoz
• Wellington then moved north to stop Marmonts advance at Cuidad Rodrigo

Question 17

Why did Wellington look to move on Salamanca?

Answer 17

• French forces were weakened in Spain due to Napoleons campaign against Russia in 1812
• 230,000 French troops remained in Spain but were holding down the country
• This allowed Wellington to move to Salamanca with both sides having around 48,500 men

Question 18

What happened at the Battle of Salamanca?

Answer 18

• Both armies marched and counter marched till on the 22nd July Wellington struck Marmonts over extended army
• The British cavalry spearheaded the French causing them to lose 14,000 and flee
• The British only lost 5214

Question 19

When did Wellington enter Madrid and where did he continue advancing?

Answer 19

• Entered Madrid on the 12th August 1812
• He continued northwards reaching Burgos in mid-September

Question 20

Was Wellington successful in getting Burgos?

Answer 20

• The defences were stronger than he expected, he retreated on 21st October
• He managed to join forces with Hill at Salamanca early November but was threatened by the French big army the entire way there

Question 21

After failing to get Burgos where did Wellington continue his retreat?

Answer 21

• Continued retreating till Almeida and his army was wet, fatigued, hungry and were harassed by enemy cavalry
• Morale improved when the British troops improved when equipment arrived with reinforcements

Question 22

After Burgos what made it likely the French would not receive reinforcements?

Answer 22

• Napoleon suffered disasters in Russia, losing tens of thousands men on the retreat from Moscow

Question 23

Where did Wellingtons army of 80,000 advance to go for the Pyrenees?

Answer 23

• May 1813 they advanced 300 miles in less than 30 days through parts of Spain that were not fit for large armies
• Spanish guerrillas ensured Wellington knew about French whereabouts

Question 24

When was the Battle of Vitoria and what was the result?

Answer 24

• 21st June 1813 Wellington attacked Joseph Bonapartes army of 66,000
• The French lost 8000 men, 3000 convoy wagons, carriages and carts
• Lost all but 2/153 guns

Question 25

What was the global affect of the Battle of Vitoria?

Answer 25

• News travelled across Europe of Wellingtons victory
• Austria joined a coalition of Russia, Prussia and Sweden against Napoleon in August

Question 26

After driving the French forces back across the Pyrenees what were the three enemy pockets that remained in north-eastern Spain?

Answer 26

• The town of Vera
• Fortress at San Sebastian
• Fortress at Pamplona

Question 27

After the town of Vera fell in mid-July 1813 what did Soult do that put Wellington in a hard position?

Answer 27

• Soult moved against him with 80,000 men
• Wellignton was pursuing two fights 40 miles apart and was put in a weak position

Question 28

How did the British hold up in the Pyrenees despite being outnumbered?

Answer 28

• Outnumbered allied forces held up in Maya on 25th July
• 28th July 18,000 British held against 30,000 French to block them at Pamplona
• 30th July a second battle in the Surauren area ended in British victory

Question 29

What did Soults 9 day offensive in the Pyrenees cost him and the British?

Answer 29

• Cost the French 13,500 men
• Cost the British 7100

Question 30

When did allied troops storm San Sebastián and what were the halts in the fighting?

Answer 30

• 31st August 1813, 3700 casualties
• Pamplona surrendered on 25th October
• Wellington had disputes with the Spanish government
• Wellington did not ant to invade France until he was sure of the situation in Germany