Battle of Bailén

Infobox Military Conflict

caption= "The Surrender at Bailén" by José Casado del Alisal. Oil on canvas.
conflict=Battle of Bailén
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The Battle of Bailén was contested between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and General Pierre Dupont's corps of the Imperial Grande Armée. Between 18 and 22 July 1808, Spanish forces surrounded the French and compelled Dupont to surrender almost 18,000 men, the worst disaster and capitulation of the Peninsular War.

Prelude

By 1808, thousands of French troops were present in Spain in support of Napoleon's invasion of Portugal. In April, Napoleon deposed the Spanish king, Charles IV, replacing him with his own brother Joseph. The Spanish army and people revolted (the "Dos de Mayo Uprising") against the imposition of foreign rule.

With much of Spain in open revolt, General Dupont received an order to capture the city of Cádiz, where Admiral François Rosilly's fleet lay at anchor. Dupont's corps numbered 15,000 inexperienced and largely new recruits, grouped in three infantry divisions under Vedel, Barbour, and Gobert, and a cavalry division under General Fresii.

Dupont approached Cordoba in early June, forcing the Alcolea bridge, where Spanish militia under Colonel Echeveria attempted a stand on 6 June. The French entered Cordoba the next day and ransacked the town for four days. However, in the face of increasingly menacing mass uprisings across Andalusia, Dupont decided to withdraw to Sierra Morena, hoping for help from Madrid. General Gobert's division set out from Madrid with General Savary on 2 July, aiming to succour Dupont's beleaguered forces. However, only one brigade of his division ultimately reached Dupont, the rest being needed to hold the road north against the guerrillas.

The French retreated fitfully in the sweltering heat, impeded by 500 wagons of loot and 1,200 ill. [Chandler, p. 616] General Vedel, likewise, withdrew from Toledo on 15 July, bringing 5,000 infantry, 450 cavalry and 10 cannons. On 18 July Dupont unwisely opted to linger at Andujar, setting up camp on the plains while Spanish troops marched to bar the road to the mountains.

Under Dupont's orders, Vedel moved north to dislodge the militia holding the pass at Despeñaperros, opening an ominous gap between the French divisions. Garrisoning the pass with a battalion of infantry, Vedel turned to rejoin Dupont with the rest of his forces. But Castaños seized the central position, placing 17,000 men and 12 guns between Dupont and Vedel.

The battle

After joining formations, Dupont's forces were divided into three groups: General Gobert's division in the village of La Carolina, General Vedel's division in Bailén and General Dupont and his forces occupied Andujar. Meanwhile, the Spanish Army, commanded by General Castaños, had more than 33,000 soldiers. He had under his command some regular regiments from Seville (also one from Switzerland) and formations of provincial militia and peasants. The size of Castaños' army far outweighed that of Dupont. When Dupont received information about Castaños's arrival, he ordered Vedel to join himself in Andujar. After Vedel left Bailén, Spanish forces, commanded by General Reding, captured the town and successfully defended it against Corbert's brigade. During the attempt to recapture the town, General Corbert was killed and his brigade withdrew to La Carolina. After learning this, Dupont ordered Vedel to recapture the town; he succeeded, but afterwards he left the town to take up positions in Bailén.

Reding overtook the French along the banks of the Rumbla and crashed his division against the French rearguard, inflicting serious losses. The Swiss soldiers in Spanish employ advanced. Dupont called Vedel for help, but after the arrival of Castaños he decided to sign a truce. After learning this, Vedel withdrew to the mountains. Spanish commanders threatened to massacre the French soldiers if they didn't surrender.

On 22 July, the French II Corps of Observation, under Gironda, surrendered . Dupont and his soldiers were transported on English ships to Rochefort harbour because the Spanish "junta" in Seville didn't recognise the pact under which they were sent to Cadiz. Except Dupont and his staff officers, they were placed on prison-ships converted for the purpose. Only a small number of the French soldiers survived to 1814.

Aftermath

Following their defeat, the remainder of the French army left Madrid under the command of Marshals Bessieres and Moncey. When they reached the Ebro river they set up new defensive positions.

The Spanish victory at Bailén signalled to the armies of Europe that the French were not invincible - a fact that persuaded the Austrians to wage a new war against Napoleon.

Meanwhile, Dupont returned to Paris and was imprisoned. In 1814 however he was promoted to the rank of Minister of the Army in the government of Louis XVIII.

To commemorate the victory at Bailen, the Spanish "junta" in Seville created the "Medalla de Bailén".

Bibliography

Przemysław Gawron (2002). pp. 50-53. In "Bitwa pod Talavera de la Revna 27-28 lipca 1809" (English "Battle under Talavera de la Revna 27-28 July 1809"). Infortendis Zabrze.
*Bueno, José María "Uniformes españoles de la Guerra de Independencia" Aldaba, 1989, ISBN 8486629209.
*Esdaile, Charles J. "The Spanish Army in the Peninsular War" Manchester University Press, 1988, ISBN 0719025389.
*Gates, David "The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War" W W Norton & Co Inc, 1986, ISBN 0393022811.
* Oman, Sir Charles "A History of the Peninsular War: 1807-09: From the Treaty of Fontainebleau to the Battle of Corunna " Greenhill Books, 1995, ISBN 1853672149.
*Partridge, Richard "Battle Studies in the Peninsula May 1808 - January 1809" Constable and Robinson, 1998, ISBN 0094776202.

References

External links

* [http://www.peninsularwar.org/bailen.htm Maps and information about Battle of Bailén]
* [http://www.asocne.org/med_bailen.htm Information about order of Bailén]
* [http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/cruel_war_in_Spain.html The Cruel War in Spain - Armies, Battles, Skirmishes]
* [http://www.bicentenariobailen.com Bicentenario de la Batalla de Bailen]