Wellington and the Vitoria Campaign 1813: Never a Finer Army

by Carole Divall

Overview

Over two hundred years ago, on 21 June 1813, just southwest of Vitoria in northern Spain, the British, Portuguese, and Spanish army commanded by the Duke of Wellington confronted the French army of Napoleon’s brother Joseph. Hours later Wellington’s forces won an overwhelming victory and, after six years of bitter occupation, the French were ousted from Iberia. This is the critical battle that Carole Divall focuses on in this vivid, scholarly study of the last phase of the Peninsular War.

The battle was the pivotal event of the 1813 campaign - it was fatal to French interests in Spain - but it is also significant because it demonstrated Wellington’s confidence in his allied army and in himself. The complexity of the maneuvers he expected his men to carry out and the shrewd strategic planning that preceded the battle were quite remarkable.

As well as giving a graphic close description of each stage of the battle, Carole Divall sets it in the wider scope of the Peninsular War. Through the graphic recollections of the men who were there – from commanders to the merest foot soldiers – she offers us a direct insight into the reality of combat during the Napoleonic Wars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526774026
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	12/17/2021
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.20(h) x (d)

About the Author

Carole Divall specializes in military history, focusing in particular on the British army during the Napoleonic Wars. She has published articles on regimental history, the workings of the army of Wellington’s time and aspects of the key campaigns. Her publications include Redcoats Against Napoleon and Inside the Regiment, two studies of the officers and men of the 30th Regiment during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Napoleonic Lives and Wellington’s Worst Scrape: The Burgos Campaign 1812.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vi

Preface vii

Maps x

Chapter 1 Preparations 1

Chapter 2 Farewell, Portugal! 25

Chapter 3 From the Esla to the Ebro 50

Chapter 4 The Road to Vitoria 75

Chapter 5 The Eve of Battle 90

Chapter 6 The Waterloo of the Peninsula: the Battle of Vitoria 110

Chapter 7 Consequences 184

Appendix 1 Wellington's Army in the Vitoria Campaign Marching Strength 25 May 1813 193

Appendix 2 Spanish Troops under Wellington's Command (as of 1 June) 197

Appendix 3 The French Army under the Command of Joseph Bonaparte during the Vitoria Campaign (based on 1 May returns) 198

Appendix 4 Allied Losses at the Battle of Vitoria 202

Appendix 5 French Losses at the Battle of Vitoria 207

Appendix 6 Wellington's Vitoria Dispatch 211

Notes 218

Select Bibliography 226

Index 231

Editorial Reviews

"...this is by far the best account of Vitoria currently available and, judged by its own standards, it does everything that the author sets out to do."

The Napoleon Series