1808 in Europe

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 35. Chapters: 1808 in Denmark, 1808 in England, 1808 in Finland, 1808 in France, 1808 in Ireland, 1808 in Norway, 1808 in Portugal, 1808 in Scotland, 1808 in Spain, 1808 in the United Kingdom, Convention of Cintra, Battle of Vimeiro, Battle of Espinosa, Battle of Burgos, Battle of Tudela, Battle of Bailén, Battle of Medina de Rioseco, Finnish War, Battle of Somosierra, Battle of Roliça, Battle of Sahagún, Battle of Benavente, Dos de Mayo Uprising, Siege of Chaves, HMS Falcon, Capture of the Rosily Squadron, Battle of Valencia, Battle of Zealand Point, Siege of Saragossa, Battle of Valmaseda, Stannern, Battle of Pancorbo, Congress of Erfurt, Mutiny of Aranjuez, Battles of the Bruch, 1808 English cricket season, Battle of Cabezón, Court of Session Act 1808, 1808 in Wales, KruScica Rebellion, Battle of Pyhäjoki. Excerpt: The Battle of Bailén was contested in 1808 between the Spanish Army of Andalusia, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and the Imperial French Army's II corps d'observation de la Gironde under General Pierre Dupont de l'Étang. The heaviest fighting took place near Bailén (sometimes anglicized Baylen), a village by the Guadalquivir in the Jaén province of southern Spain. In June 1808, in the midst of widespread uprisings against the French occupation of Spain, Napoleon assembled a number of flying columns to pacify Spain's major centres of resistance. The Emperor ordered Dupont to force his way south through Andalusia to Cádiz, which harboured Admiral François Rosily's squadron, confident that with 20,000 men the general would topple any Spanish opposition he met. Events proved otherwise; Dupont found the invasion of Andalusia's hostile countryside more than his small corps could accomplish and withdrew from Córdoba in July, retracing his steps to the north of the province to await reinforcements. Meanwhile, General Castaños, commanding the Spanish field army at San Roque, and General von Reding, Governor of Málaga, travelled to Seville to negotiate with the powerful Seville Junta-a patriotic assembly committed to resisting the French incursions-and to turn the province's combined forces against the French. Dupont's failure to quit Andalusia proved disastrous. Between 16 and 19 July, Spanish forces converged on the French positions stretched out along villages on the Guadalquivir and attacked at several points, forcing the confused French defenders to shift their divisions this way and that. With Castaños pinning Dupont downstream at Andújar, Reding successfully forced the river at Mengibar and seized Bailén, interposing himself between the two wings of the French army. Caught between Castaños and Reding, Dupont attempted vainly to break through the Spanish line at Bailén in three bloody and desperate charges, losing more than 2,500 men. His cou