Battle of Talavera
The battles of Talavera or of Talavera of Reina , is a bloody battle of the Napoleonean countryside of Spain, which was held the 27 and July 28th 1809 with Talavera of Reina, in the province of Tolède.
Countryside precedent the battle
After having driven out of Portugal the French Army of the marshal Soult, the 20.000 men of the British troops of the general Arthur Wellesley advance in Spain to make their junction with 33.000 Spanish of the general Cuesta. They go up the valley of the Tage until Talavera of Reina, to 115 km in the south-west of Madrid. There, they meet 50.000 French ordered by the marshal Victor and the general Sebastiani, under the command of the king d' Espagne, Joseph Bonaparte. The combined allied forces have a splendid opportunity of demolishing the army corps of Victor in avant-garde with Talavera, but Cuesta obstinately refuses to fight one Sunday, thus offering to the French the occasion to escape.
Unfolding
The next day, the July 26th, having missed its best chance by victory, Cuesta lance its army after Victor, losing the confrontation with the French Army, now directed by Joseph Bonaparte, which has accepted reinforcements. The Spaniards beat precipitately in retirement. Several British battalions are necessary to cover them. Arthur Wellesley lack to be captured by the French cavalry. The night, a patrol of dragons French haunts the accesses of the camping of the Spanish infantry. Ten thousand of them simultaneously open fire in one of the greatest drawn salvo during the Napoleonean wars. Panicked by their own fire, the Spaniards flee, practically not playing any part in the battle of the next day.The French cross the Alberche at 3 p.m. the July 27th. At 5 p.m., they tackle the right-hand side of the Spaniards and the left of the British. A hill is taken, lost and taken again until the British holds it firmly. At the dawn of the July 28th, the French still attack them in order to take again the hill, but are pushed back. The cannonade is prolonged until midday, where a two hours truce is declared. Has 14 hours a heavy fire starts in prelude to some skirmishes between infantry and cavalry. Towards 17:30 - 18 hours, a major engagement pushes back the French. The cannonade continues in the night. At the dawn of the next day, the French withdraw themselves, leaving their casualties and two brigades of artillery on the battle fields.
Assessment
The British have the largest supportè of this bitterly disputed battle. They lose 5.000 men, whereas the Spaniards lost only a one thousand of it. The French count 7.390 dead or wounded. A great number of wounded on the two sides die burned alives as the dry grass takes fire.In order to avoid an immediate conflict with the army of the marshal Soult who advances, Arthur Wellesley beats a retreat until Lisbon, leaving several thousands as of its casualties under the protection of Cuesta. The Spaniard gives up them shortly after. They are recovered by the French. This fact deteriorated confidence between Britanniques and Spaniards for the remainder of the conflict.
Although the Spaniards committed themselves providing vivres to their " alliés" with their entry in Spain, not only they do not hold word, but threaten of plundering any city which would sell provisions to them. The British, forced to continue their retirement to Portugal, trusted them never again.
After this battle Arthur Wellesley was named Viscount of Wellington de Talavera.
Bibliographical references
- Field, Andrew: Talavera: Wellington' S first victory in Spain, Barnsley: PEN & Sword Military 2006
- Weller, Jac: Wellington in the Peninsula, 1808-1814, London 1969
Sources
See too