1813 Campaign in Spain

National map showing campaign areas

There are two campaign areas in Spain

North – 4^th French Army v Anglo/Portuguese Army

South – 5^th French Army v Spanish Army

Regional map showing initial deployment areas

The political and military situation was much more complicated in the Iberian Peninsula than in Germany.   Napoleon had established military regions throughout Spain, but they were not recognised by either the Spanish or the British.  

            

Background

1812 has been a good year for the French.   Throughout the year they defeated one Spanish field army after another.  By the end of the year only one Spanish army remained and it was in Andalusia in the far south.

The British had established firm control over Portugal before marching into Spain at the start of 1812.   They took the two critical border fortresses of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz, and they defeated the French at Salamanca.   Wellington then marched them east towards France.   The first obstacle was Burgos, where it all went badly wrong.   Despite a long siege Wellington failed to take Burgos.   The French armies in Spain concentrated and forced him to retreat back into Portugal.

In January 1813 the French held all of Spain, except for the southern region of Andalusia.   There were French armies, one at Burgos and the second at Madrid. Napoleon’s brother Joseph was the nominal King of Spain and commander of all French troops in the Iberian Peninsula.   But he exercised no real control.  Marshal Soult at Burgos and Marshal Suchet at Madrid ignored his orders.   Napoleon was too far away to exercise real control, and was much too busy building his new Army of Germany.   The Spanish, both military and civilian, held Joseph in contempt.

During the January meeting of allied commanders it was agreed that the two allied armies in Spain would also commence offensive operations on 1 February.   But, as in Germany, neither were capable of doing so.

Wellington’s army had suffered badly during their retreat of 1812.   Morale was low, and supplies low.   Reinforcements and supplies were on the way from England, but it would take weeks, if not months, for them to arrive.  

Spanish morale was even worse.   Every Spanish commander who had faced the French had been defeated.  There were large quantities of manpower throughout Spain who hated the French and were eager to fight against them.   But there were few competent Spanish commanders, and even less supplies.   Spain had long relied on Britain to supply all military equipment.   Spain had suffered long years of conflict and food and material was in short supply for civilians and soldiers alike.   It was unlikely that the Spanish field army would be able to march north at any time before 1814.   The best they could hope to achieve was to defend Andalusia.

The initiative therefore lay with the French.   Joseph want wanted a coordinated offensive against Wellington to drive him out of Portugal.   Soult agreed, providing he was reinforced by half of Suchet’s army.   Suchet did not agree.

Suchet wanted to march south into Andalusia, destroy the last Spanish field army, and plunder the rich province of Andalusia.   He considered he had sufficient men to do so, and was impatient to do so.

In January 1813 Joseph, Soult and Suchet all received urgent orders from Napoleon in Paris.   The two armies of Spain would send 50% of their best officers and men back to France to form the basis of the new French Army of Germany.   No excuses would be accepted for any delay.   In return they would receive a similar number of conscripts.

By February most of the replacements had arrived in Spain.  But it would take weeks, if not months, to train and incorporate them into the corps and divisions of 4^th and 5^th French armies.

The allied declaration of war on France has as little effect in Spain as it had in Germany.   Both the French and the allies were too busy trying to rebuild their field armies.

There are no standard campaign areas in Spain.   This is because the French do not have a safe rear area.   They only control the regions that they occupy, and even then it is contested by guerrilla groups.

The campaign area will depend on the campaign objective of the aggressor.  In northern Spain this is likely to be Wellington.   In southern Spain it will be Soult