Battle_of_Ciudad_Real

Battle of Ciudad Real

Battle of Ciudad Real

1809 Battle of the Peninsular War

The Battle of Ciudad Real was fought on 27 March 1809 and resulted in a French victory under General Sebastiani against the Spanish under General Conde de Cartojal.[1][2]

Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Peninsular war: Castile & Andalusia
100km
62miles
Tormes
12
Battle of Alba de Tormes at Tormes, on 26 November 1809
11
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10
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8
Battle of Arzobispo at Arzobispo, on 8 August 1809
Talavera
7
Battle of Talavera at Talavera, on 27–28 July 1809
Alcántara
6
Battle of Alcántara (1809) at Alcántara, on 14 May 1809
Medellín
5
Battle of Medellín at Medellín, on 28 March 1809
Ciudad Real
4
3
Battle of Los Yébenes at Los Yébenes, on 24 March 1809
2
Battle of Miajadas at Miajadas, on 21 March 1809
Uclés
1
Battle of Uclés (1809) at Uclés, on 13 January 1809
  current battle

Background

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 started with the Battle of Uclés.

Battle

French 4th Corps (with attached Polish division under general Valance) had to cross the bridge over the Guadiana River which was defended by the Spanish corps of Count Urbina Cartaojal. Polish lancers of the Legion of the Vistula under colonel Jan Konopka charged through the bridge taking it by surprise, then outflanked Spanish infantry and attacked it from behind as the main French and Polish forces crossed the bridge, and attacked the Spanish front lines.

The battle was over when undisciplined Spanish soldiers dispersed, and began to retreat in the direction of Santa Cruz. Józef Rudnicki, adjutant-major of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Legion, described the battle in his diaries (spelling according to the original):

as soon as the French regiments of the 4th Corps met our division, we rushed immediately toward the Consuegra and Ciudad Real, before of which town we found the Spanish corps, waiting for us on good positions. We were outnumbered, but thanks to the rational orders of the general Sebastiani, in some od four hours on 27 March 1809 the Spaniards were defeated and dispersed. They were retreating in chaos toward Almagro, where the Order of Calatrava has its home, and toward the Santa Cruz de Mudela, and even further, into the Sierramorena Mountains.[3]

Results

The Spanish corps lost some 2000 men killed or wounded and many more were taken prisoner. After the battle the count of Cartojal was deprived of command for incompetency, and replaced by general Venegas, hero of the Spanish War of Independence, and later the viceroy of New Spain.

Aftermath

The Spanish campaign in early 1809 proceeded with the first Madrid offensive in the Battle of Medellín.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Bodart 1908, p. 394.
  2. [2]
    Esdaile 2003, p. 182.
  3. [3]
    Druk 1862, p. 64.

Bibliography

  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618–1905). Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  • Druk (1862). Pismo zbiorowe wileńskie na rok 1862. W Druk. A.H. Kirkora.
  • Esdaile, Charles J. (2003). The Peninsular War. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9781403962317. Retrieved 19 May 2021.

Further reading

  • Glover, Michael (2001). The Peninsular War 1807–1814. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-139041-7.
  • Kukiel, Marian (2001). Dzieje oręża polskiego w epoce napoleońskiej. Poznań 1912/repr. 1998. ISBN 83-86600-51-9.
  • Consuegra, Martín de; Gómez, A. J. (2009). Napoleón en La Mancha. La Ocupación francesa de Ciudad Real. 1809–1813. ISBN 978-1409282518.
Preceded by
Battle of Los Yébenes		 Napoleonic Wars
Battle of Ciudad Real		 Succeeded by
First Battle of Porto
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