| Battle of Vitoria | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
 Monument to the Battle, Vitoria |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Empire |
 United Kingdom.svg/22px-Flag_of_Spain_(1785-1873_and_1875-1931).svg.png){kind=small} Spain.svg/22px-Flag_Portugal_(1707).svg.png){kind=small} Portugal |
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| Commanders | |||||||
| Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, Joseph Bonaparte |
Marquess of Wellington Miguel de Álava |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 49,000 infantry 11,000 cavalry 138 guns[1] |
105,000 * 52,000 British * 28,000 Portuguese * 25,000 Spanish 96 guns[2] |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~5,000 dead or wounded, 3,000 captured[3] |
5,158 dead or wounded[4] | ||||||
In the Battle of Vitoria (June 21, 1813) General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington, and his Portuguese and Spanish allies finally broke the French army, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal 's general designation under the monarchy. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, 1st Comte Jourdan ( April 29, 1762 &ndash November 23, 1833) was a Marshal of France. Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain (during a time) and the Indies (never de facto and never de iure Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c Don Miguel Ricardo de Álava y Esquivel Marquess de Álava ( July 7, 1770 - July 14, 1843) was a Spanish General and Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence pitted an alliance of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal against France Wellington's 105,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops, with 96 guns, defeated 60,000 French with 138 guns under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain (during a time) and the Indies (never de facto and never de iure Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, 1st Comte Jourdan ( April 29, 1762 &ndash November 23, 1833) was a Marshal of France. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
Contents |
Background
In July 1812, after the Battle of Salamanca, the French had evacuated Madrid, which Wellington's army entered on August 12, 1812. The Battle of Salamanca saw an Anglo - Portuguese army under General Arthur Wellesley defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont 's French Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Deploying three divisions to guard the capital's southern approaches, Wellington then marched north with the rest of his army to lay siege to the fortress of Burgos, 140 miles (230 km) away, but he had under-estimated the enemy's strength and on October 21 he had to abandon the Siege of Burgos and retreat. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago At the Siege of Burgos September 19 to October 21, 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese army led by General Marquess of Wellington failed to capture By October 31 he had abandoned Madrid too, and retreated first to Salamanca then finally to Ciudad Rodrigo, near the Portuguese frontier, to avoid encirclement by French armies from the north-east and south-east. Geography The city lies on a mountain by the Tormes River which is crossed by a bridge 150 m long built on 26 arches fifteen of which are of Roman origin, while History Middle Ages In 1110, Count Rodrigo González Girón repopulated the site and gave it his name Civitas Roderici (Latin 'City of Roderick'
Wellington spent the winter reorganising and strengthening his forces. By contrast, Napoleon withdrew many French soldiers to rebuild his main army after his disastrous invasion of Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The following year, Wellington marched 121,000 troops (53,749 British, 39,608 Spanish, and 27,569 Portuguese[5]) from northern Portugal across the mountains of northern Spain and the Esla river, by May 20, 1813, to outflank Marshal Jourdan's army of 68,000 who were strung out between the Douro and the Tagus. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Douro or Duero ( Latin: Durius, Spanish: Duero, Portuguese: Douro, pron. The Tagus ( Latin Tagus, Spanish Tajo, Portuguese Tejo, pron. The French retreated to Burgos, with Wellington's forces marching hard to cut them off from the road to France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Wellington himself commanded the small central force in a strategic feint, while Sir Thomas Graham conducted the bulk of the army around the French right flank over landscape considered impassable. General Thomas Graham 1st Baron Lynedoch, GCB, GCMG ( 19 October 1748 &ndash 18 December 1843) was a Scottish
Battle in a nutshell
Finally, Wellington launched his attack at Vitoria on June 21, in four columns. [6] After hard fighting, Thomas Picton's 3rd Division broke the enemy's centre and soon the French defence crumbled. Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB (August 1758 &ndash 18 June 1815) was a British Army officer from Wales About 5,000 French soldiers were killed or wounded and 3,000 were taken prisoner, while Wellington's forces suffered about 5,000 killed or wounded. 152 cannons were captured, but King Joseph Bonaparte narrowly escaped. Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte King of Naples and Sicily, King of Spain (during a time) and the Indies (never de facto and never de iure The battle led to the collapse of Napoleonic rule in Spain. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe.
Terrain
The battlefield centers on the Zadorra River, which runs from east to west. As the Zadorra runs west, the river loops into a hairpin bend, finally swinging generally to the southwest. On the south of the battlefield are the Heights of La Puebla. To the northwest is the mass of Monte Arrato. Vitoria stands to the east, two miles south of the Zadorra. Five roads radiate from Vitoria as follows, north to Bilbao, northeast to Salinas and Bayonne, east to Salvatierra, south to Logroño and west to Burgos on the south side of the Zadorra. Bilbao, (also Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay (Basque Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest Logroño is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the Autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as Logroño History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago
Plans
Jourdan was ill with a fever all day on June 20. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Because of this, few orders were issued and the French forces stood idle. An enormous wagon train of booty clogged the streets of Vitoria. A convoy left Vitoria during the night, but it had to leave the siege artillery behind because there were not enough draft animals to pull the cannons.
Gazan's divisions guarded the narrow western end of the Zadorra valley, deployed south of the river. Maransin's brigade was posted in advance, at the village of Subijana. The divisions were disposed with Leval on the right, Daricau in the center, Conroux on the left and Villate in reserve. Only a picket guarded the western extremity of the Heights of La Puebla.
Further back, D'Erlon's force stood in a second line, also south of the river. D'Armagnac's division deployed on the right and Cassagne's on the left. D'Erlon failed to destroy three bridges near the river's hairpin curve and posted Avy's weak cavalry division to guard them. Reille's men originally formed a third line, but Sarrut's division was sent north of the river to guard the Bilbao road while Lamartinière's division and the Spanish Royal Guard units held the river bank.
Wellington directed Hill's 20,000-man Right Column to drive the French from the Zadorra defile on the south side of the river. Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills While the French were preoccupied with Hill, Wellington's Right Centre column would move along the north bank of the river and cross the river near the hairpin bend behind the French right flank.
Graham's 20,000-man Right Column was sent around the north side of Monte Arrato. This force would drive down the Bilbao road, cutting off the bulk of the French army. Dalhousie's Left Centre column would cut across Monte Arrato and strike the river east of the hairpin, providing a link between Graham and Wellington.
Forces
| British, Portuguese and Spanish | French Army |
|---|---|
Distributed among the four columns, the Allied army had 4,300 gunners |
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Battle
Coming up the Burgos road, Hill sent Morillo's Division to the right on a climb up the Heights of La Puebla. Stewart's 2nd Division began deploying to the left in the narrow plain just south of the river. Seeing these moves, Gazan sent Maransin forward to drive Morillo off the heights. Hill moved Col. Henry Cadogan's brigade of the 2nd Division to assist Morillo. Gazan responded by committing Villatte's reserve division to the battle on the heights.
About this time, Gazan first spotted Wellington's column moving north of the Zadorra to turn his right flank. He asked Jourdan, now recovered from his fever, for reinforcements. Having become obsessed with the safety of his left flank, the marshal refused to help Gazan. Instead, he ordered some of D'Erlon's troops to guard the Logroño road.
Wellington thrust James Kempt's brigade of the Light Division across the Zadorra at the hairpin. General Sir James Kempt, GCB ( Edinburgh, Scotland c 1765 &ndash 20 December 1854 London) was a British The Light Division was a Light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century At the same time, Stewart took Subijana and was counterattacked by two of Gazan's divisions. On the heights, Cadogan was killed, but the Anglo-Spanish force managed to hang on to their foothold. Wellington suspended his attacks to allow Graham's column time to make an impression and a lull descended on the battlefield.
At noon, Graham's column appeared on the Bilbao road. Jourdan immediately realized he was in danger of envelopment and ordered Gazan to pull back toward Vitoria. Graham drove Sarrut's division back across the river, but could not force his way across the Zadorra despite bitter fighting. Farther east, Longa's Spanish troops defeated the Spanish Royal Guards and cut the road to Bayonne.
With some help from Kempt's brigade, Picton's 3rd Division from Dalhousie's column crossed to the south side of the river. Cole's 4th Division crossed farther west. With Gazan on the left and D'Erlon on the right, the French attempted a stand at the village of Arinez. Formed in a menacing line, the 4th, Light, 3rd and 7th Divisions soon captured this position. The French fell back to the Zuazo ridge, covered by their well-handled and numerous field artillery. This position also fell to Wellington's attack when Gazan refused to cooperate with his colleague D'Erlon.
Soon, French morale collapsed and the soldiers of Gazan and D'Erlon ran for it. Artillerists left their guns behind as they fled on the trace horses. Soon the road was jammed with a mass of wagons and carriages. The efforts of Reille's two divisions, holding off Graham, allowed tens of thousands of French troops to escape by the Salvatierra road.
Aftermath
The Anglo-Allied army lost about 5,000 men. By nationality, there were 3,675 British, 921 Portuguese and 562 Spanish casualties. [9] French losses totaled at least 5,200 killed and wounded, plus 2,800 men and 151 cannon captured. By army, the losses were South 4,300, Centre 2,100 and Portugal 1,600. There were no casualty returns from the Royal Guard or the artillery. [10]
French losses were not higher for several reasons. First, the Allied army had already marched 20 miles that morning and was in no condition to pursue. Second, Reille's men valiantly held off Graham's column. Third, the valley by which the French retreated was narrow and well-covered by the 3rd Hussar and the 15th Dragoon Regiments acting as rearguard. Last, the French left their booty behind. [11]
Many British soldiers turned aside to plunder the abandoned French wagons, containing "the loot of a kingdom". It is estimated that over one million pounds of booty (perhaps £100 million in modern equivalence) was seized, but the gross abandonment of discipline caused an enraged Wellington to write in a dispatch to Earl Bathurst, "We have in the service the scum of the earth as common soldiers". Henry Bathurst 3rd Earl Bathurst ( 22 May 1762 &ndash 27 July 1834) was the elder son of the second earl. [12] The British general also vented his fury on a new cavalry regiment, writing, "The 18th Hussars are a disgrace to the name of soldier, in action as well as elsewhere; and I propose to draft their horses from them and send the men to England if I cannot get the better of them in any other manner. The 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, first formed in 1759 England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland "[13] (On April 8, 1814, the 18th redeemed their reputation in a gallant charge at Croix d'Orade, shortly before the Battle of Toulouse. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1814 ( MDCCCXIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Battle of Toulouse ( April 10 1814) was one of the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars, four days after Napoleon 's surrender of )
Order was soon restored, and by December, after detachments had seized San Sebastián and Pamplona, Wellington's army was encamped in France. Donostia-San Sebastián ( Basque: Donostia, IPA; Spanish: San Sebastián, known officially as Donostia-San Sebastián For other meanings see Pamplona (disambiguation. Pamplona ( Basque: Iruñea or Iruña) is the capital city of Navarre
The battle was the inspiration for Beethoven's Opus 91, often called the "Battle Symphony," or simply "Wellington's Victory", which portrays the battle in a form of a musical drama. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Wellington's Victory, Op 91 ( Wellingtons Sieg oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria) is a minor orchestral work composed by Ludwig van Beethoven to commemorate
Notes
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Gates, p. 390
- ^ [3]
- ^ Gates, p. 521
- ^ Gates, p. 386
- ^ Glover, p 382-385. Allied Order of Battle.
- ^ Glover, p 392-393. French OOB.
- ^ Glover, p 243
- ^ Smith, p 427
- ^ Glover, p 243
- ^ Wellington to Bathurst, dispatches, p. 496.
- ^ Glover, p 243
References
- Gates, David. The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. Da Capo Press 2001. ISBN 0-306-81083-2
- Glover, Michael. The Peninsular War 1807-1814. London: Penguin, 2001. ISBN 0-141-39041-7
- Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
- Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, Duke of (1838), The dispatches of Field Marshall the Duke of Wellington : during his various campaigns in India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, the Low Countries, and France, from 1799 to 1818, vol. Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, KP, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS ( c X, John Murray, <http://www.archive.org/details/dispatchesoffiel10welluoft>. Retrieved on 14 November 2007.
External links
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