The Peninsular War: A New HistoryFor centuries Spain had been the most feared and predatory power in Europe - it had the largest empire and one of the world's great navies to defend it. Nothing could have prepared the Spanish for the devastating implosion of 1805-14. Trafalgar destroyed its navy and the country degenerated into a brutalized shambles with French and British armies marching across it at will. The result was a war which killed over a million Spaniards and ended its empire. This book is the first in a generation to come to terms with this spectacular and terrible conflict, immortalised by Goya and the arena in which Wellington and his redcoats carved out one of the greatest episodes in British military history. |
Contents
the Origins of the Peninsular War I | 1 |
the Iberian Insurrections MayJune 1808 | 37 |
the Summer Campaign of 1808 | 62 |
Copyright | |
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advance Allied amongst Andalucía Anglo-Portuguese Aragón arms Army of Portugal artillery Asturias attack attempt Badajoz Bailén battalions battle Bayonne Blake Bonaparte Bourbon brigade British Burgos Cádiz campaign Captain Carlos Castaños Castile Catalonia cavalry Ciudad Rodrigo column commander conscription corps cortes Coruña Cuesta defeat defenders deserters division emperor enemy Espoz example Extremadura Fernando VII fighting fire flank forces France French frontier Galicia garrison Godoy guerrillas guns infantry inhabitants José Joseph Joseph Bonaparte Junot Junta Junta Central king La Romana large numbers León liberals Lisbon London Madrid Marmont Marshal Masséna matters meanwhile Memoirs military Napoleon Navarre officers Old Castile Palafox Patriot Peninsula Peninsular War political populace Portugal Portuguese position provinces reform Regency régime regiments regular reinforcements resistance retreat sent Seville shot siege soldiers soon Soult Spain Spaniards Spanish armies Suchet Tagus town troops Valencia Valladolid victory Vitoria Wellesley Wellington whilst wrote Zaragoza