Battle of Salamanca
| Battle of Salamanca | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||||
The 88th Foot at the Battle of Salamanca, 1812 Christopher Clark, 1904 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| French Empire | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 42,000–49,647 | 46,000–51,949 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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Up to 6,000–10,000 killed or wounded and 7,000 captured Total casualties:12,000–17,000 killed, wounded or captured |
United Kingdom: 3,129 killed or wounded Portugal: 2,038 killed or wounded Spain: 6 killed or wounded Total casualties: 4,800–5,200 killed or wounded | ||||||||
137miles
The Battle of Salamanca (in French and Spanish known as the Battle of the Arapiles) took place on 22 July 1812. An Anglo-Portuguese army under the Earl of Wellington (future Duke of Wellington) defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces at Arapiles, south of Salamanca, Spain, during the Peninsular War. A Spanish division was also present but took no part in the battle.
In his analysis of the Salamanca campaign, author Rory Muir (2001) emphasizes that the quality of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army was moderately superior to Marmont's; this was determined by the Anglo-Portuguese infantry and, notably, cavalry. The difference in the quality of the infantry, however, was "not overwhelming". The French artillery was more numerous – 78 cannon against 62 – but "this was more than offset" by the strength of Wellington's cavalry, both more numerous and more skilled. Good discipline and morale were present in the Anglo-Portuguese Army, which underwent training and reorganization between 1809 and 1812. Constant warfare took its toll on the French soldiers. Their troops at Salamanca were not those professional soldiers of Austerlitz, Jena and Friedland, but they far surpassed most of the "motley horde" Napoleon sent to Russia.
The battle involved a succession of flanking manoeuvres in oblique order, initiated by the British heavy cavalry brigade and Edward Pakenham's 3rd Division and continued by the cavalry and the 4th, 5th and 6th divisions. These attacks resulted in a rout of the French left wing, which was isolated from the rest of the army due to Marmont's tactical error. Marmont and his deputy commander, General Bonet, received shrapnel wounds in the first few minutes of firing. Confusion amongst the French command may have been decisive in creating an opportunity, which Wellington seized. General Bertrand Clauzel, third in seniority, assumed command and ordered a counter-attack by the French reserve toward the depleted Allied centre. The move proved partly successful but with Wellington having sent his reinforcements to the centre, the Anglo-Portuguese forces prevailed. As Muir points out, of all Napoleon's victories, only Austerlitz, Friedland and "possibly" Rivoli can compared to the daring conception and skilful execution of the Battle of Salamanca.
Allied losses numbered 3,129 British, 2,038 Portuguese and 6 Spanish dead or wounded; in total, 5,173. Most of the Spanish troops took no part in the battle as they were positioned to block French escape routes and so suffered just six casualties. The French suffered about 13,000 dead, wounded and captured. As a consequence of Wellington's victory, his army was able to advance to and liberate Madrid for two months, before retreating to Portugal. The French were forced to abandon Andalusia permanently while the loss of Madrid irreparably damaged King Joseph's pro-French government.