 |
Business | Industries | Finance | Tax |
| Index: > A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|||||
| First Prev [ 1 2 3 ] Next Last |
In November 1807 the Emperor Napoleon sent an army into Spain under Marshal Junot tasked with invading Portugal, after Portugal had refused to join the Continental System; Lisbon was captured on December 1. The skilfull escape in November, 29 1807 of the Portuguese dynasty and 15,000 people from the Adminsitration and the Court carried by the Fleet enabled D.João VI to continue to rule over its overseas possessions, including BrazilThis article is about Brazil, the country. For other article subjects named Brazil see Brazil (disambiguation). The Federative Republic of Brazil Republica Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America..
Napoleon then began sending troops into the Peninsula; PamplonaPamplona ( Basque: Irunea / Irunea is the capital city of Navarre, Spain. It has a population of 171,150, and is 92 kilometres from the town of San Sebastian, and 407 kilometres from Madrid. Pamplona is famous for the San Fermin festival, in July 7, also and BarcelonaCoat of arms of Barcelona Flag of Barcelona Barcelona within Barcelones Population ( 2003)1,582,738 Area100'4 Km2 Population density ( 2001)15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeastern Spain (41º 23' N, 2º 11' E). were seized in February 1808. A Spanish coup forced Charles IVCharles IV and his queen Maria Luisa, from The Family of Charles IV by Goya Charles IV ( November 11, 1748 January 20, 1819) was King of Spain from December 14, 1788 until his abdication on March 19, 1808. Early life Charles was the second son of Charles from his throne and replaced him with his son Ferdinand VIIFerdinand VII ( October 14, 1784 September 29, 1833) was King of Spain from 1813 to 1833. The eldest son of Charles IV, king of Spain, and of his wife Maria Louisa of Parma, he was born in the vast palace of El Escorial near Madrid. The events with which. Napoleon removed the royals to BayonneBayonne is also the name of a city in New Jersey, USA. Bayona is a city in Galicia, Spain. Bayonne (Basque Baiona is a city of southwest France on the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the departement of Pyrenees-Atlantiques, of which it is a so and forced them to abdicate ( May 5May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). There are 240 days remaining. There are usually 92 days in Spring. We are considered halfway through Spring on May 5. Events 1640 King Charles I of England disbands the Sh), giving the throne to his brother JosephJoseph Bonaparte ( January 7, 1768— July 28, 1844) was the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I, who made him King of Naples ( 1806 1808) and Spain ( 1808 1813). Bonaparte was born Giuseppe Bonaparte at Corte in Corsica. As a lawyer, politician. When Joseph tried to enforce his rule in Spain he provoked a popular uprising. Citizens of Madrid rose up in rebellion against French occupation on May 2, 1808 but the revolt was crushed.
Until this time, British military operations on mainland Europe had been marked by bungling, half-measures and a series of humiliating defeats. Britain had been forced to withdraw from Europe. But with the rising in Portugal and Spain the British were prepared to commit substantial forces once again. In August, 1808 the first British forces landed in Portugal under the command of then General Sir Arthur Wellesley.
The Spanish army had won a surprising victory over the army of Pierre Dupont at Bailén ( May 19- May 21). Wellesley defeated forces under the command of Delaborde at Roliça on August 17 while the Portuguese Observation Army of Bernardim contained Loison . On August 21 the Anglo-Portuguese were strongly engaged at the Battle of Vimeiro by French forces under the command of Junot. Wellesley's careful management, strong leadership and sound tactics repulsed the dynamic French and the Allies held their line. Despite his victory, Wellesley was replaced as commander by Harry Burrard and Hew Dalrymple . These victories led to the French withdrawing from Portugal under the controversial Convention of Sintra in August, 1808. The British commanders were ordered back to England for the inquiry into Sintra leaving Sir John Moore to head the 30,000 strong British force.
The Anglo-Portugueses and Spanish victories combined to provoke Napoleon himself to lead 200,000 men into the Peninsula. The British attacked near Burgos but were soon forced into a long retreat chased by the French and punctuated by battles at Sahagun, Benavente and Cacobelos, ending in an evacuation from La Coruña in January, 1809, Moore being killed while directing the defence of the town. Satisfied and after only little more than two months in Spain, Napoleon handed command over to Marshal Soult and returned to France.
On March Soult initiated the second invasion of Portugal, through the northern corridor. Repulsed in the Minho river by Portuguese milicias, he captured successively Chaves, Braga and, on 29 March 1809, Porto. Yet,the resistance of Silveira in Amarante and other northern cities isolated Soult in Oporto and he embarked upon a gamble of becoming king of North Portugal or evacuate the country.
Meanwhile, Napoleon's victories had broken the Spanish armies, but had also forced the Spanish to begin the guerilla warfare than would lead to the downfall of the French in Spain.
Wellesley returned to Portugal in April 1809 to command the Anglo-Portuguese forces. He strenghtened his British army with Portuguese regiments - meanwhile organized by the Governors of the realm and adapted by Beresford to the British way of campaigning - and defeated Soult at Grijo and then at Oporto ( May 12). All other northern cities were captured by Silveira .
Leaving the Portuguese to take care of their newly-won territory, Wellesley advanced into Spain to join up with the Spanish army of Gregorio de la Cuesta . The combined Allied force clashed with a army led by King Joseph at Talavera ( July 27- July 28), the Allies won a costly victory which left them precariously exposed and soon they had to retreat westwards. Wellesley was made a Viscount for his victory at Talavera. Later that year Spanish armies were badly mauled at Ocaña and at Alba de Tormes .
After his most distressing experience of collaboration with the Spaniards, and fearing a new French attack, Wellesley took the decision to strengthen Portugal's defences. He took a plan from Major Neves Costa and ordered the construction of a strong military wall, along key roads and of a series of trenches and earthworks (the Lines of Torres Vedras) to protect Lisbon.
The French reinvaded Portugal in July 1810 with an army of around 60,000 led by Marshal Masséna. The first significant clash was at the Coa. Later on, Masséna took "the worst route in Portugal" and at Buçaco on September 27, suffered a big check but the Allies were soon forced to retreat to the Lines. The fortifications were so impressive that after a small attack at Sobral on October 14 the conflict fell into stalemate. As Charles Oman wrote "in that misty October 14 morning, at Sobral, the Napoleonic empire attained its highest watermark" Then it ebbed. The French withdrew from the Lines and were forced to await reinforcements.
The Allies were reinforced by the arrival of fresh British troops in early 1811 and began a new offensive. A French force was beaten at Barrosa on March 5 to relieve Cadiz, and Massena was forced to withdraw from Portugal after astalemate at Fuentes de Oñoro ( May 3- May 5). Massena had lost 25,000 men in the fighting in Portugal and he was replaced by Auguste Marmont. The new commander directed Soult to the north to protect Badajoz. The force of Soult was intercepted by an Anglo-Portuese and Spanish arny led by the Portuguese Army marshal William Beresford at Albuera ( May 16) and after a bloody battle the French were forced to retreat.
The war then fell into a temporary lull, the numerically superior French unable to find an advantage and under increasing pressure from Spanish guerilla activity. The French had upwards of 350,000 soldiers in L'Armée de l'Espagne, but the vast majority, over 200,000, were deployed to protect the French lines of supply rather than as substantial fighting units.
Wellesley renewed the Allied advance into Spain just after New Year in 1812, besieging and capturing the fortified towns of Ciudad Rodrigo on January 19 and Badajoz, after a costly assault, on April 6. Both towns were pillaged by the troops. The Allied army took Salamanca on June 17 as Marmont approached. The two forces finally met on July 22 and the Battle of Salamanca was a damaging defeat to the French. As the French regrouped, Wellesley's men entered Madrid on August 6 and advanced onwards towards Burgos before retreating all the way back to Ciudad Rodrigo.
The French hopes of recovery were stricken by Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. He had taken just 30,000 soldiers from the hard-pressed Armée de l'Espagne. But starved of reinforcements and replacements the French position became increasingly unsustainable as the Allies renewed the offensive in May, 1813.
The Anglo-Portuguese forces swept northwards in June and seized Burgos, then they outflanked the army commanded by Joseph forcing him into the Zadorra river valley. At the Battle of Vitoria (June 21) the army of Joseph was routed. The Allies chased the retreating French, reaching the Pyrenees in early July. Soult was given command of the French forces and began a counter-offensive, dealing the Allies two sharp defeats at Maya and at Roncesvalles but losing momentum after the Allied victory at Sorauren (July 28). On October 7 the Allies finally crossed into France, fording the Bidasoa river.
The Peninsula war went on through the Allied victories of Vera, Nivelle, near Bayonne (December 10-14), Orthez (February 27, 1814) and Toulouse (April 10).
| Politics | Business | Finance |
 |
 |
 |
|