May 1813. While Napoleon’s Grande Armée began its
fightback in Central Europe, following the disastrous invasion of Russia… 1200 miles away… at the other end of Napoleon’s
embattled empire, another enemy was poised to strike. The previous year, Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese
army had won a brilliant victory at Salamanca, but been held at Burgos, and forced into a
long, demoralising retreat back to the Portuguese frontier. But after a winter of rest, reinforcement
and training, Wellington’s army was stronger than ever: 100,000 men, many of them battle-hardened
veterans. And for the first time, he had sufficient
cavalry and artillery, while transport and medical services had also been improved. Morale was sky high. Their chief, known to the troops as Old Nosey,
was cheered wherever he went. “I never saw the British army so healthy
or so strong”, Wellington informed London. In contrast, the French position in Spain
was weaker than ever. Napoleon severely underestimated the threat
posed by Wellington, and had just withdrawn 20,000 French troops for his own use in Germany. As commander-in-chief, King Joseph knew his
forces were overstretched. Napoleon allowed him to give up Madrid, and
move his capital to the more easily-defended Valladolid. But withdrawing further, to a strong position
like the Ebro River, was out of the question. That would send the wrong message to neutral
Austria, and Napoleon’s wavering German allies. And so, with serious concerns, Joseph and
his Chief of Staff Marshal Jourdan awaited Wellington’s offensive. This video is sponsored by “Raid: Shadow
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sponsoring this video. Wellington’s plan was for his army to advance
in two wings, concentrate at Toro, then move against Joseph’s forces. In the south, Murray’s Anglo-Sicilian-Spanish
force, based in Alicante, had just repelled an attack by Marshal Suchet at the Battle
of Castalla. Murray would now mount a diversionary landing
on the Mediterranean coast, to coincide with Wellington’s advance, and prevent Suchet
sending reinforcements north. Wellington had also counted on large-scale
support from Spanish regular forces, of which he was, since November 1812, theoretically
Commander-in-Chief. But the Spanish Cortes based in Cádiz was
deeply divided … with many still highly suspicious of British motives. The result was that Wellington would only
receive direct support from a few reliable Spanish divisions. Fortunately, he would receive considerable
Spanish support from the guerrillas - now better armed, organised and operating in greater
numbers than ever before. A large area of Valencia had effectively been
liberated by El Fraile – ‘the Friar’. Espoz y Mina had captured major towns in Navarre…
and was currently keeping General Clauzel’s Army of the North busy... While Juan Martín Diaz, aka El Empecinado,
was tying down large numbers of French troops near Madrid. On 22nd May, Wellington bid farewell to Portugal,
and began his advance. Four days later he was in Salamanca, from
where he joined the northern wing of his army under Sir Thomas Graham. Joseph and Jourdan expected Wellington’s
main thrust to come from Salamanca, so planned to defend the line of the Douro River. But Graham’s rapid advance north of the
river meant they’d already been outflanked, and they ordered a retreat. By a series of brilliant marches, Wellington
continued threatening the French right flank… forcing Joseph to keep falling back. Wellington’s army was able to use small
roads and mountain tracks north of the main highway, which the French had dismissed as
impassable. But thanks to his Spanish allies, Wellington
knew better. Backed by British sea power, he was also now
able to switch his supply base from Lisbon to Santander, drastically reducing the length
of his supply lines – another feat the French had written off as impossible. At the Ebro River, the French found themselves
outflanked yet again, and fell back to Vitoria. Here Joseph decided that he must make his
stand. The Zadorra river valley west of Vitoria seemed
to offer a strong defensive position. Expecting an attack from the west, French
forces were drawn up in 3 lines – General Gazan’s Army of the South formed
the first line. Then General D’Erlon’s Army of the Centre. Then General Reille’s Army of Portugal. Joseph hoped that he could, at least, buy
time for the vast wagon convoy assembled east of the city to get away. It contained not only military supplies, but
his government’s treasury... And - as satirised by this contemporary British
cartoon - the accumulated loot of 5 years’ French occupation of Spain, including priceless
works of art, jewels and antiques. He also expected General Clauzel to arrive
with 20,000 reinforcements any day. However, thanks to the guerrillas, Wellington
was better informed of Clauzel’s whereabouts than Joseph himself. Knowing that Clauzel couldn’t reach Joseph
before the 22nd June, he decided to attack on the 21st. The day before, French patrols reported enemy
troop movement to the north. So Reille’s troops were moved to cover any
threat to the army’s line of communications. … Apart from one division, which left to
escort part of the wagon convoy to France – an odd decision that deprived the army
of 4,000 men on the eve of battle. Marshal Jourdan had been bedridden with fever
that day. The next morning, he reconnoitred the army’s
position with King Joseph. They agreed that their position was overextended,
and should be shortened. But by the time their orders reached General
Gazan, it was too late. He was already under attack… Wellington, enjoying the advantage in numbers
for once, had decided to attack in four columns across a 10-mile front, with General Graham’s
left-hand column threatening Joseph’s line of retreat. It was a bold plan, with the potential to
trap and destroy Joseph’s army, but required careful co-ordination and precise timing. Fortunately, the French had not thought it
necessary to destroy any of the bridges over the Zadorra River, which was also fordable
in several places. At 8am, General Hill’s column began its
attack on the allied right: Spanish and British troops advanced up the western Heights of
Puebla, driving off French skirmishers, and forcing General Gazan to send reinforcements
to secure his left flank. Hill’s troops then seized the village of
Subijana, but French cannon-fire and counterattacks prevented any further advance. Convinced that Hill’s attack was the main
assault, and that troop movements to the north were probably a diversion, Jourdan continued
to send troops from the centre to reinforce the left. This was exactly what Wellington wanted. But at 11am, he was waiting, with growing
impatience, for his other columns to go into action. Lord Dalhousie’s 7th Division, supposed
to be leading the attack by the centre-left column, had got held up in the mountains…
while further east, Graham’s flanking move had got off to a cautious start. But seeing the size of the approaching force,
General Reille decided to pull his troops back across the Zadorra River. This encouraged Graham to get things moving. Colonel Longa’s Spanish division advanced
on Durana, held by Spanish troops loyal to King Joseph, and a bitter struggle for the
village ensued. British and Portuguese infantry advanced against
Gamarra Major. They were soon engaged in bloody street fighting
with the French. This scene shows an attack by the 4th King’s
Own Regiment of Foot and the 47th Lancashire Regiment. Though they succeeded in driving the French
out of the village, they could not cross its bridge over the Zadorra, which was expertly
covered by French guns. Around noon, a Spanish peasant informed Wellington
that the bridge at Tres Puentes was completely unguarded. He immediately ordered Kempt’s elite light
infantry brigade to dash across it, and secure a bridgehead. But there was still little sign of Dalhousie’s
Seventh Division. General Picton, the notoriously short-tempered
commander of the ‘Fighting’ Third Division, ran out of patience. Fed up with waiting for Dalhousie, he ordered
his men to advance. They charged across the Mendoza bridge and
a nearby ford, driving back light French defences. General Gazan, with his left flank pinned
down at Subijana, was now about to be outflanked on his right, and had no option but to pull
back his troops. Wellington’s army was now crossing the Zadorra
River in force. Heavy fighting continued to rage on the Heights
of Puebla. But here the French also had to give ground,
to maintain the cohesion of their new line. Scottish Highlanders and Connaught Rangers
- supported by riflemen and Portuguese troops, now stormed the village of Ariñez, routing
the defenders, who retreated southeast… and a gap began to emerge in the French centre,
between Gazan’s Army of the South, and d’Erlon’s Army of the Centre. The allied advance continued, with heavy pressure
on both French flanks. Wellington’s army appeared to be building
unstoppable momentum – with Graham’s column poised to cut off Joseph’s escape. By 4pm, Wellington’s army was formed up
across the Zadorra, ready to strike a decisive blow. But his infantry came under heavy fire from
76 French guns, blasting great holes in their ranks. Allied guns were brought forward to provide
support. The biggest artillery duel of the Peninsular
War began, more than 70 guns on each side. Allied skirmishers, exploiting the gap in
the French centre near Gomecha, were able to work their way behind the French guns,
and shoot down their crews. Gazan found himself threatened on both flanks
– but instead of trying to close up with D’Erlon to his north, on his own initiative,
he ordered a retreat, that left D’Erlon’s own left flank completely exposed. Around the same time, Longa’s Spanish troops
finally captured Durana… and rumours swept the French army that their escape route had
been cut. D’Erlon’s Army of the Centre fought on
bravely, withdrawing to another new defensive line, just one mile west of Vitoria. French guns kept up a steady fire on the advancing
allied lines, but once more the position was outflanked. Around 5.30pm, King Joseph bowed to the inevitable,
and ordered a general retreat. As the main road to France had now been cut
by Longa’s Spanish troops, the army would have to retreat east towards Pamplona – along
a single narrow road, with boggy fields on either side. Bad enough for thousands of troops and guns…
but there had been no attempt to move off the army’s enormous convoy of wagons earlier
in the day. The result was pandemonium, as military units
and artillery tried to force their way through the streets of Vitoria, and the congested
lanes and fields beyond. The task of forming a rearguard fell to General
Reille’s Army of Portugal, which conducted an organised withdrawal, covered by its cavalry. Wellington hoped that Graham’s column would
now be surging across the Zadorra River, to cut off the French army’s retreat. But Graham, overestimating the enemy’s strength,
continued to take a cautious approach. East of Vitoria, the French retreat descended
into total chaos. The single, narrow road became blocked. Wagons that took to the fields got stuck and
were abandoned. Allied cavalry fell upon this confused mass,
spreading panic and meeting little serious opposition. King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan themselves
narrowly escaped capture. Among the abandoned wagons - many civilians
including officers’ wives and children, priceless paintings, jewels and furniture…
and more than 5 million gold francs. Troops on both sides broke ranks and dived
into an orgy of plundering. One British officer described the scene: “About dusk, the head of our column came
suddenly on some wagons which had been abandoned by the enemy. Someone called out, "They are money-carts!" No sooner were the words uttered than the
division broke, as if by word of command, and in an instant the covers disappeared from
the wagons, and nothing was seen but a mass of inverted legs, while the arms were groping
for dollars; for money it certainly was. The scene was disgraceful, but at the same
time ludicrous.” Wellington, however, was furious. Not only did the plundering delay pursuit
of the enemy… But giant sums of cash, which might have paid
for his army’s supplies, vanished into private pockets instead. Of 5.5 million francs, only 250,000 were ever
recovered by the army. Vitoria was a great victory for the Coalition… Not as crushing as it might have been - reflected
in relatively light French casualties. But in the chaotic retreat that followed,
the allies did capture all but 2 of 153 French guns, and even Jourdan’s Marshal’s baton. French military power in Iberia was broken;
the Bonapartist kingdom of Spain was at an end. Joseph returned to France to face his brother’s
criticism; Marshal Jourdan retired from active service. Napoleon sent Marshal Soult to replace them. But even his shrewd military mind could not
turn the tide in Spain. Counterattacks to relieve the French garrisons
at Pamplona and San Sebastian were defeated. That autumn, Wellington began what proved
an unstoppable advance across the Pyrenees, and into France. In southern Spain, where Marshal Suchet remained
undefeated, the disaster at Vitoria forced him also to withdraw towards the frontier,
leaving behind just a few isolated garrisons. After a bitter five-year struggle, the allies
had brought the Peninsular War - to the Spanish, their War of Independence - to a victorious
conclusion. It had been a long, hard road, steeped in
blood and suffering. The alliance between Britain and Spain had
been particularly treacherous to navigate. But ultimately both nations had fought together,
with Portugal, to drive the French back across the Pyrenees. New research provides a clearer insight than
ever into the huge attrition of French manpower in Iberia: An estimated total of 260,000 lives lost. Three-quarters died of sickness. Of approximately 66,000 deaths from combat,
43% were in actions against Spanish regular forces; 38% fighting British-led armies. And 19% fighting guerrillas. By contrast, British military deaths are estimated
at 52,000, Portuguese 15,000, with many more thousands of civilian deaths, while Spanish
deaths are unknown – though the country as a whole may have lost as many as half a
million lives in 5 years of war and occupation. For Napoleon, this disaster had been an unnecessary
and largely self-inflicted wound: an intervention born of arrogance and false assumptions…
with dire strategic consequences. But as the Napoleonic Empire crumbled in Spain,
an even greater struggle neared its climax in central Europe – where Napoleon faced
the most powerful coalition of his enemies yet. If the French Emperor was victorious in Germany,
Wellington might soon be scrambling back across the Pyrenees… The fate of Europe was about to be decided…
at the Battle of Leipzig. Thank you to HistoryMarche for creating the
battle map in this video. And thank you to all our Patreon supporters
for making this channel possible. Visit our Patreon page to find out how you
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