Napoleonic Wars 1808-1814

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The Peninsular War 1808–1814
This was a military conflict between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war started when French and Spanish armies occupied Portugal in 1807, and escalated in 1808 when France turned on Spain, its ally until then. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare.

Battle of Roliça
17 August 1808
Anglo-Portuguese army commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated French army commanded by General Henri Delaborde.

Battle of Vimeiro
August 21, 1808
British commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley (later known as the Duke of Wellington) defeated French Army commanded Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot. This battle put an end to the first French invasion of Portugal.

Battle of Corunna
16 January 1809
French Army commanded Marshal of the Empire Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult fought British army commanded Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore to a stalemate.
Sir John Moore was killed during the battle. The remnants of the British Army embarked from Corunna back to England and by the time the army had returned to England four days later some 6,000 were ill, with the sick returns listed at Portsmouth and Plymouth alone as 5,000.

Battle of Talavera
27–28 July 1809
Anglo-Spanish army commanded Sir Arthur Wellesley defeats French army commanded by Joseph Bonaparte, France Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and France Claude Victor-Perrin.

The Battle of Buçaco
27 September 1810
Anglo-Portuguese Army commanded Lord Wellington defeats French Army commanded Marshal André Masséna.

Battle of Albuera
16 May 1811
British Spanish and Portuguese Army commanded General Berrisford defeats French Army commanded Jean de Dieu Soult and France Jean-Baptiste Girard.

Battle of Salamanca
22 July 1812
Anglo-Portuguese army commanded Duke of Wellington defeats French Army Marshal Auguste Marmont's.

Battle of Vitoria
21 June 1813
British, Portuguese and Spanish army commanded Duke of Wellington defeats French army commanded Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan.

Siege of San-Sebastian
July-Sept 1813
British Army commanded Duke of Wellington captures the fort.

Battle of Nivelle
10 November 1813
Allied Army commanded by Duke of Wellington defeats French Army commanded Marshal Soult.

Battles of the Nive
9–13 December 1813
Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish army commanded Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington defeats French army commanded Marshal Nicolas Soult's in a series of battles near the city of Bayonne.

Battle of Orthez
27 February 1814
Anglo-Portuguese Army commanded Duke of Wellington defeat French army commanded Marshal Nicolas Soult.