A Campaign of Ropes: An Analysis of the Duke of Wellington’s Practice Of Military Art During the Peninsular War, 1808 to 1814 by J. Kevin Hendrick

Author:J. Kevin Hendrick [Hendrick, J. Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wagram Press
Published: 2015-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

WELLINGTON IN THE PENINSULAR WAR

April 1808, shortly after his promotion to Lieutenant General, Wellesley was selected to lead the initial British expeditionary army to the aid of the Spanish insurrection against Napoleon. His specific commission was “the absolute evacuation of the Peninsula by the troops of France”.{82} While musing with some friends over the prospects of campaigning in the Iberian Peninsula, Wellesley expressed some concern over the high quality of the French soldiers and the new system of warfare that Napoleon had used to conquer Europe.{83} But, with characteristic confidence he declared:

“My die is cast, they may overwhelm me, but I don’t think they will out manoeuvre me. First, because I am not afraid of them, as everybody else seems to be; and secondly, because if what I hear of their system of manoeuvre, is true, I think it a false one as against steady troops. I suspect all the continental armies were more than half beaten before the battle was begun I, at least, will not be frightened beforehand.”{84}

In accordance with the lessons he had learned in India, Wellesley spent the last weeks of July carefully orchestrating logistical support, and planning a campaign based on classic strategy. (See Map B)

After embarking his army on the 12th of July, Wellesley learned a French Army, under General Jean Junot, was concentrated near Lisbon. In characteristic fashion, he determined to strike. On the 1st of August, The British Army landed at Mondego Bay, and immediately moved to the offensive. Two days later the French rear guard was defeated at Rolica. This news threw General Junot into a panic as he attempted to concentrate his army against Wellesley. The French attacked the defending British on the 21st of August at the battle of Vimeiro. Wellesley defeated Junot, but, before he could launch a decisive pursuit, he was superseded in command, first by General Harry Burrard, then by General Hew Dalrymple. Dalrymple lost any chance of destroying Junot and his army by negotiating the Convention of Cintra, which provided that the French would evacuate Portugal on a fleet of British transports.{85} This convention incensed Parliament, who demanded an inquiry as to the actions of the three primary British Commanders, Dalrymple, Burrard, and Wellesley.

Meanwhile, as Wellesley was being questioned in London, his former army, now under the command of General John Moore, engaged in battle against Napoleon himself. Napoleon routed the Spanish Army and, after the battle of Elvina, forced the British Army to evacuate Corunna on 16 January 1809. This defeat caused many in Parliament to reconsider the wisdom of a Peninsular War, and the withdrawal of all troops from Portugal seemed imminent. Wellesley attended a meeting of Parliament, and insisted that the situation could be salvaged and Portugal successfully defended. On the 2nd of April, he was reinstituted as commander of the army in Portugal and received these instructions:

“The defense of Portugal you will consider as the first and immediate object of your attention...His Majesty...leaves it to your judgment to decide when your

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.