Napoleon wins Waterloo

[lucaswillen05]

1822 - March 1823 War clouds gather in Europe

Throughout 1822 the British reinforced their army in Portugal under command of Marshal Beresford to 35000 British troops ready to defend against any possible French intervention in Spain. Alongside the Portuguese Army over 70000 troops were now mobilized. Meanwhile, in Spain a civil war had begun, pitting the Liberal. Revolutionary Government against the Royalists the latter supported with arms. money and "volunteers" from the Quadruple Alliance,in particular the British Legion. France meanwhile gave similar aid to the Liberals thus increasing the growing internatinal tension.

Austria massed forces in Italy under the command of he veteran Radetsky Additional Austrian Prussian and minor German stats forces massed along the Rhine under the command of Generalfeldmarshal York von Wurrtembug. French armies mobilized over the winter of 1822nassing along the Rhine as well as on the Spanish border. considering Holland to be under threat Lord Liverpool dispatched an additional 20000 men under the command of Viscount Hill to defend against the possibility of a French invasion.

In the meantime he French Regency Council planned for he forthcoming war under the guidance f Marshal Davout despite his ill health

With large armies mobilizing and maneuvering on borders war was inevitable by the spring of 1823. It only remained for someone to make the first military moves

 

[lucaswillen05]

April 1823 The outbreak of war in Spain - the Hundred Thousand Sons of Napoleon

It was France that would make the first moves of the war of 1823. By the end of April 1823 five French corps were massed along the panish border under the command of Marshal Davout. The French plan was to avoid the threat of a two front war by smashing the Spanish Royalists and their British Allies. In the meantime a further six corps under the command of Marshal Grouchy would defend the Rhine and Italian borders. As with the successful Belgian campaign of 1815 the highly rained French army was to smash the forces of the hostile coalition on one front before superior numbers could be brought to bear. And this time, unlike the situation in 1815, Russian forces were not expected to be available to the armies of the Quadruple Alliance for quite some time..

Indeed, tthis time France had actually concluded an alliance with Ottoman Turkey to at least threaten Russia with a possible war on the southern border and in the Balkans. That threat, it was calculated, should be enough to keep Russia out of the war in Western Europe at least for some time

On 7 April 1823 then 5 French corps, 100 000 men, under the comand of Marshal Davout marched across the Spanish frontier. The War of 1823 had begun. In the meantime the armies of the Qaudruple Alliance in Germany and Italy continued their preparations for an invasion of France anticipated in early to mid June. The question was whether France would become bogged down in a guerrilla war as had happened during the Napoleonic Peninsular War or whether Davout would achieve the swift victory that had eluded Napoleon and his marshals between 1808 and 1814

 

[Sextus Munatius Piso]

What happened to the other surviving Marshals?

 

[lucaswillen05]

What happened to the other surviving Marshals?

Some will have made their peace with Napoleon and remained in or returned to service. There were also new Marshals like Gerard who received their Marshal's baton after the 1815 campaign (eg Gerard). These individuals may well be called upon to fight again in the War of 1823.

Other French Marshals either held with he Bourbons and either remained in exile or retired to private life. Although these won#t fight in 1823 they might have a role later (should Napoleon II die young and without an heir in which case a Bourbon Restoration might b a possibility)

Likewise . on the Quadruple Alliance side many veteran Napoleonic Officers will command in senior positions Wellington won't. After the 1815 War he received much of the blame for the disastrous campaign n Belgium and has retired to private life, his military career and political ambitions in ruins. He will not be employed again in a military capacity although it may be that he can carve out a new political career now Lord Liverpool's Tories are again in power. The best Wellington can hope for might be a senior government position at some point

 

[lucaswillen05]

March 1823 Wellington appointed Secretary of State for War and he Colonies

For several years after Waterloo the Duke of Wellington had remained in private life, after Lord Liverpool had returned to office it had been considered politically too difficult to consider the Duke for any political appointment. In early 1823. as war cuds again gathered over Europe Lord Liverpool felt the need for a man with th greatest military, strategic and diplomatic skills. Despite the failure in Belgium Wellington clearly possessed the best combination of talents available. On 31 March the Duke embarked on his new political career when he took up his new poition as Secretary f State for War and the Colonies

 

[lucaswillen05]

The French campaign in Spain April 7 - April 30 1823

Marshal Davout's five Corps rapidly advanced into Spain In the North Marshal Gerard's and General Lauriston's corps swiftly occupied Navarre with little opposition from the Royalist forces under General Morrillo who withdrew after coming off badly in a few skirmishes and minor engagements. The fortresses of Corrunna, San Sebastian and Pamplona all capitulated by the end of April,

In Andalusia the main body of the French army under Davout's personal command advanced rapidly down the East Coast occupying Madrid on April 20. Molitor's corps won a major battle against the army of Rapheal Riego at the Battle of Jaen on April 20. This battle, like many of the Napoleonic Peninsular War battles between the French and Spanish was a hard fought but ultimately one sided action in which the Spanish Royalist armies were hopelessly outclassed by their French opponents.

A few days later the Royalists abandoned Madrid which was re-occupied by Liberal units on April 27. Meanwhile Davout continued his now almost completely unopposed march down the East coast and invested Madrid by the end of the month. The remnants of the Spanish Royalist army retreated towards the Portuguese border in order to link up with the Anglo-Portuguese army under Beresford.

 

[sodan]

i don't understand in post #521:"France meanwhile gave similar aid to the Liberals thus increasing the growing internatinal tension" but in post #526 :"he French and Spanish was a hard fought but ultimately one sided action in which the Spanish Liberal armies were hopelessly outclassed by their French opponents"?

the french support the liberals or the Royalist ?

 

[lucaswillen05]

i don't understand in post #521:"France meanwhile gave similar aid to the Liberals thus increasing the growing internatinal tension" but in post #526 :"he French and Spanish was a hard fought but ultimately one sided action in which the Spanish Liberal armies were hopelessly outclassed by their French opponents"?

the french support the liberals or the Royalist ?

My mistake. I should have said Royalist as the French are indeed supporting the Liberals. Post 521 has been corrected accordngly

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Second Battle of Fuentes de Onoro 2 May 1823

At the end of April he remnants of the Spanish Royalist army linked up with th Anglo/Portuguese army near Almeida although they were hotly pursued by Davout. Beresford therefore had no choice other than to give battle n the Almeida area

Marshal Beresford took up a position on the old Napoleonic battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro to block the route of the French advance to the border fortress of Almeida. Davout chose to follow Soult's plan of flanking the Anglo Portuguese position via Poco Velo and Frenada taking advantage of the French cavalry superiority. The remaining Spanish Royalists on the Anglo Portuguese right flank at Poco Velo were quickly and decisively routed. This enabled Davout to envelop Beresford's flank while Molitor's corps stormed Fuentes de Onoro itself. With his right flank and center destroyed only Beresford's badly battered left was able to pull off some frm of withdraw towards Lisbon where, hopefully, the remnants could be evacuated by the Royal Navy.

Havng won a crushing victory Davout now rapidly advanced on Lisbon. The garrisson of Almeida capitulated on 4 May to be followed into captivity by he garrisons of Badajoz and Ciudad Rodrigo a fww days later

 

[Sceonn]

Vive Liberté, l'égalité et la fraternité.
Pax Francia!

 

[lucaswillen05]

3 - 21 May 1823 Davout conquers Portugal

Following his great victory at Fuentes de Onoro Davout pursued the remnants of Beresford#s defeated army back into Portugal. The surviving Portuguese and Spanish elements essentially disintegrated either through capture or desertion. The disciplined British elements, like Moore's army in 1808 held together and indeed fought successful rearguard actions at Coimbra, Santarem and Torres Vedras each time giving the pursuing French a bloody nose and at least expunging the shame of the defeat at Funtes de Onoro. This time however there were no fortified Lines of Torres Vedras to halt the invading French

On 18 May the Royal Navy successfully completed the evacuation of Beresford's army and won a hard fought naval action against a small French squadron at the battle of Peniche on the same day.

On 21 May Davout entered Lisbon and dictated his own terms to the Portuguese. That, in effect was the end of the Second Peninsular War. Campaigning would now shift to France#s Eastern borders, Italy and Holland where he Quadruple Alliance would shortly mount their own offensive before the French could mass their full strength. The Quadruple Allince plan had hoped that the French would bog down in Spain as they had during the Napoleonic Wars. Davout's blitzkrieg through Spain and Portugal which many observers a the time compared with Napoleon's 1806 campaign had wrecked the Quadruple Alliance War Plan.

However i would also be Davout's last campaignl. On 13 June the 53 year old Marshal died of a stroke, probably brought on by the heat of a Spanish summer and by over exerting himself. It was Marshal Gerard who took over command of the French army and Gerard would soon go on to far greater things

 

[sodan]

what is the terms of peace for portuguese ?

 

[lucaswillen05]

what is the terms of peace for Portuguese ?

I will address the terms of peace for the Spanish and Portuguese soon but likely it will involve returning the Liberal governments to power, pro French governments, abandoning the Quadruple Alliance. closing their ports to the Royal Navy for the duration of the present war. Additional terms may be imposed at a later European Conference depending on how the remainder of the war goes

 

[lucaswillen05]

The Treaty of Lisbon 21 May

The Portuguese government was effectively forced to surrender to Davout. /Under the Treaty of Lisbon Portugal was forced to withdraw from the war as an ally of the Quadruple Alliance. The new, French installed Liberal Government would also be required to close Portuguese ports to the Royal navy and to declare war on Britain and on the other members of the Quadruple Alliance andd to sign a treaty of alliance with France for ten years. King Ferdinand II was to abdicate and the Monarchy was abolished. The Portuguese Royal Family were to go into exile in Brazil

Treaty of Madrid 3 June

The terms of the Treaty of Madrid were much he same as the terms given to the Portuguese. All Spanish ports were closed to Britain and all trade and shipping of the Quadruple Alliance. Spain signed a ten year treaty of alliance with France and declared war on the Quadruple alliance. Ferdinand VII abdicated and the Royal Family went into exile. The Monarchy was abolished

The final political arrangements were to be contingent upon a final peace treaty at the end of the war though there were suggestions f a unification of Portugal and Spain under the possible rule of a member of the /House of Bonaparte.

 

[ghappy1000]

What about potential naval battles in this 8th Coalition?

 

[lucaswillen05]

What about potential naval battles in this 8th Coalition?

Always possible. There has already been a small one at Peniche on 18 May won by the Royal Navy. Whether there will be a really large naval battle like Trafalgar remains to be seen. Further small naval battles could well occur though.

Regarding the name of this war there are several possibilities. The War of the 8th Coalition is one possibility. Another is the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The conflict has only been in progress for a few weeks and has not been given a name yet. It may or may not be a short war either - that depends on what happens along the Rhine and the Italian states border.

Britain, having been driven out of Spain may now seek to impose a naval blockade on France but can also redeploy Beresford's army to join Hill in Holland in support of the forthcoming offensive by Prussia and Austria. Given the threat of war between Russia and Turkey we may not see much of the Russian army for now. There is the possibility of a Turkish alliance with France which could see the war spreading to the Eastern Mediterranean. That in itsef could bring about a naval action, perhaps somewhere along the Greek coast...

 

[ghappy1000]

Wouldn't the French Navy perform better this time round than the actual Napoleonic Wars?

 

[Derek Pullem]

Even including two major battles battles the french just managed 40 days marching at more than 16 miles per day across difficult terrain in early summer. That's stretching belief to the limits.

 

[lucaswillen05]

Wouldn't the French Navy perform better this time round than the actual Napoleonic Wars?

It may well do. The battle of Peniche which I have no detailed as it is an unimportant engagement was still a hard fought affair as I said. The French navy has certainly improved in training so we can expect better performance. With Span and Portugal now French allies their navies will fight alongside France. Imposing a blockade will be significantly harder for Britain and will require more time, at best to fully implement. The Royal Navy will probably dominate the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay pretty quickly and probably the East Coast of the Iberian Peninsular. The Mediterranean could be more of a problem Id depends whether France wins a quick victory on land and th chances of this seem pretty good at the moment. If so this could be a fairly short war, over in perhaps a few months.

 

[Sextus Munatius Piso]

Why would Davout abolish the Iberian monarchies instead of just tying them to the Bonapartes? He's opening a can of worms there. It's much worse than Napoleon putting his brother in the Spanish throne.

France needs more allies against the Quadruple Alliance, not unstable neighbors.