Documentary · History

Salamanca

On 22nd July 1812 Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army with their Spanish allies won a momentous victory over the French commanded by Marmont at Salamanca. This battle was the culmination of 3 years careful preparation by Wellington to ensure that he met the French field army in a place of his choosing with strong enough forces to win.To achieve success in this campaign of 1812 involved not just Wellington's field army but coordinated movements by the allies throughout the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean. However once battle was joined it was the courage, training and fighting ability of the British Redcoat that won the day. This battle could have been an even greater victory if Wellington's Spanish Allies had obeyed orders. As a result of this victory the French withdrew from Southern Spain and Wellington was now in a position to slowly but surely drive them out of Spain completely and invade France in 1814.