Battle of Talavera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Talavera |
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| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
 The Battle of Talavera de la Reina, by William Heath |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Empire Kingdom of Holland |
 United Kingdom Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Joseph Bonaparte Jean-Baptiste Jourdan |
Arthur Wellesley Gregorio de la Cuesta |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 46,138 80 guns |
United Kingdom: 20,641 30 guns Spain: 34,993 30 guns Total: 55,634 60 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 7,389 killed, wounded or captured | United Kingdom: 6,268 killed, wounded or captured Spain: 1,200 killed, captured or wounded Total casualties: 7,468 killed, wounded or captured |
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The Battle of Talavera was a big fight that happened on July 27-28, 1809. It took place near the town of Talavera de la Reina in Spain, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of Madrid. This battle was part of the Peninsular War.
In this battle, the British army, led by Sir Arthur Wellesley, joined forces with a Spanish army. The Spanish army was led by General Cuesta. Their goal was to fight against the French army, which had taken over Madrid.
After Marshal Soult's French army left Portugal, Sir Arthur Wellesley's 20,000 British soldiers moved into Spain. They met up with 33,000 Spanish soldiers under General Cuesta. They marched along the Tagus river valley to Talavera. There, they faced 46,000 French soldiers. These French forces were led by Marshal Claude Victor and Major-General Horace Sébastiani. The French king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte, was in charge, but mostly in name only.
The battle started on the afternoon of July 27. The French attacked the Spanish and British lines. A very important hill was captured and then lost, but the British finally held onto it. On the morning of July 28, the French attacked the hill again. The British soldiers, who were hiding, suddenly stood up and charged with bayonets. This pushed the French back.
There was a lot of cannon fire until noon, when both sides agreed to a two-hour break. In the afternoon, more cannon fire and small fights between soldiers and horsemen happened. Later in the evening, a major battle took place, but the French were stopped. Cannon fire continued until it got dark.
The next morning, the British and Spanish found that most of the French army had left. They left behind their wounded soldiers and some cannons. For his actions in this battle, Wellesley was given the title of Viscount Wellington of Talavera.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The Battle of Talavera was the first major battle of the Spanish campaign in late 1809. This war was part of the bigger Napoleonic Wars, where France, led by Napoleon Bonaparte, fought against many European countries.
Getting Ready for Battle
On July 27, Wellesley sent some British soldiers to help General Cuesta's Spanish army retreat to Talavera. However, some British horsemen made a mistake and pulled back too early. This allowed the French to surprise a British group, causing over 400 casualties.
That night, the French tried to quickly capture a hill called Cerro de Medellín. Two of their groups got lost in the dark, but one group managed to take the hill. However, British soldiers quickly counter-attacked and drove the French away. The British lost about 800 soldiers that day.
During the evening, French horsemen rode close to the Spanish lines, firing their guns. Suddenly, the entire Spanish line fired their muskets without orders. The French were too far away to be hurt. But four Spanish groups got scared and ran away, leaving their weapons. Wellesley wrote that nearly 2,000 Spanish soldiers ran away, even though they weren't being attacked. Many of them also stole supplies from the British army. Most of these scared soldiers were brought back, but hundreds kept running.
The Armies Fighting at Talavera
The Allied Forces (British and Spanish)
Sir Arthur Wellesley's British army had about 20,641 soldiers. They had four groups of foot soldiers (infantry), three groups of horsemen (cavalry), and 30 cannons.
General Cuesta's Spanish army had about 35,000 soldiers. They were made up of five groups of infantry and two groups of cavalry, plus about 30 cannons.
The French Army
The French army had about 37,700 infantry and artillery soldiers, 8,400 cavalry, and about 80 cannons. Even though King Joseph Bonaparte was the leader, Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan was the one truly in charge of the army's plans.
Where the Armies Stood
On the morning of the battle, the Spanish army held the right side of the battle line, near the city of Talavera and the Tagus River. The British army formed the left side. In the middle, the British built a small fort with four cannons. The important Medellín hill was held by British soldiers.
The French army, led by Victor, was on the right side, near a hill called Cerro de Cascajal. Sébastiani's group was in the middle. On the far left, the French horsemen faced most of the Spanish army. The Cascajal hill had 30 French cannons ready to fire.
The Battle Begins
Victor wanted to launch a huge attack, but Joseph and Jourdan decided to make smaller attacks on the British and Spanish positions. At dawn, the French cannons on Cascajal hill started firing. Wellesley quickly moved his soldiers into cover to protect them from the cannon fire.
Again, the French attacked the Medellín hill. They marched in thick columns. When the French got close enough, the British soldiers came out from cover. They were in thin lines, which allowed them to fire at the French from the front and sides. The French columns, unable to fire back effectively, broke and ran away.
The French then launched a big attack against the British 1st and 4th Divisions. The British Guards fought bravely, pushing back the French. However, they chased too far and ran into a second line of French soldiers and heavy cannon fire. The Guards and their allies were forced back, losing many men. Wellesley himself had to bring up more soldiers to fill the gap in the British line. These new soldiers helped stop the French attack.
After the main French attack failed, Victor sent his men into the valley between the Medellín and Segurilla hills. British cavalry was ordered to charge them. One group of British horsemen, the 23rd Light Dragoons, charged too fast and ran into a hidden ditch, hurting many horses. The French infantry formed squares, which are strong defensive formations, and easily fought off the remaining horsemen. The British dragoons suffered heavy losses. This ended the French attacks for the day. Joseph and Jourdan did not use their reserve soldiers, which Napoleon later criticized them for.
What Happened After the Battle
The Outcome at Talavera
The battle was very tough for both sides. The French lost 7,389 soldiers (killed, wounded, or captured). The Allied forces (British and Spanish) lost even more, with 7,468 casualties. About 1,200 Spanish soldiers were lost, and 6,268 British soldiers were lost, including 800 killed. This meant about 25% of the British force was lost, compared to 18% of the French.
A sad event happened after the battle: the dry grass on the battlefield caught fire because of all the cannon fire. Many wounded soldiers on both sides were burned to death.
The next day, 3,000 more British soldiers arrived, after marching an amazing 42 miles (68 km) in just 26 hours!
Meanwhile, Marshal Soult's French army moved south. This threatened to cut off Wellesley's army from Portugal. Wellesley thought Soult only had 15,000 men, so he moved to block them. He left 1,500 wounded soldiers with the Spanish. However, Spanish fighters captured a message showing Soult had 30,000 men. Wellesley realized his escape route was in danger. He quickly sent his Light Brigade to a bridge over the Tagus River. They reached it just before Soult's army.
By August 20, all British forces had pulled back across the mountains. For the next six months, Wellesley's army did not take part in the fighting in southern Spain. The Spanish had promised to provide food for the British if they stayed in Spain. But Wellesley did not trust them, as his army could not find food on its own like the French army could. He blamed the Spanish government and army for not providing what was needed. During their retreat, the British had to leave behind almost all their supplies, ammunition, and even the cannons they had captured from the French at Talavera.
The Spanish tried again to take Madrid, but Wellesley refused to join. They were badly defeated in the battle of Ocaña in November 1809.
After this battle, Wellesley was given the title of Viscount Wellington of Talavera.
Talavera in Popular Culture
The Battle of Talavera is the setting for Sharpe's Eagle, which is the first book in Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" series. The battle is also shown in the movie based on the book.
A war memorial called the Monument to the Battle of Talavera was opened in Talavera de la Reina on October 2, 1990.
Images for kids
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A map of the final French attack.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Talavera (1809) para niños
