Second French invasion of Portugal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Invasion of Portugal (1809) |
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| Part of the Peninsular War | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
 French Empire |
 Portugal |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||
The Second French invasion of Portugal was a major part of the Peninsular War. It began on February 3, 1809. French Marshal Soult led his army from northern Spain. Their main goal was to capture Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
Originally, Napoleon wanted another French army, led by Marshal Victor, to help. This army was supposed to march from Spain into Portugal. They would go through Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida.
However, the French plan did not work out. The invasion ended after the French army was defeated. This happened at the Second Battle of Porto on May 12, 1809. British and Portuguese forces worked together to win this battle. Marshal Soult's army had to leave most of their equipment behind. They fled back into northern Spain through the mountains.
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Why the French Invaded
After pushing British troops back in Spain, Marshal Soult's army was ordered to march into Portugal. Napoleon wanted them to capture the city of Porto. Then, they were to move on to Lisbon. Napoleon thought they could reach Lisbon by February 10.
But Soult's soldiers were very tired. They also did not have enough supplies. This meant they could not start their march until February 20. They finally captured Porto on March 29. However, they had not even started for Lisbon when British and Portuguese troops stopped them.
The Invasion Begins
Soult's army reached the Minho River on February 2. This river separates Spain from Portugal. His first troops, light horsemen and dragoons, cleared the Spanish side. They waited for the rest of the French army to join them by February 16. Then, they entered Portugal.
Crossing into Portugal
The French first tried to cross the river at Tuy. When that did not work, Soult's troops went northeast. They headed towards Ourense in Spain. This was the first place they could find a bridge over the river.
After crossing, they were still in Spain. They fought and defeated Spanish forces at the Battle of Monterey on March 6-7. Then, they moved further south into Portugal. They crossed the border between Monterey and Chaves on March 9.
Capturing Chaves and Braga
The French army then moved towards Porto. On their way, they attacked Chaves. They captured this important town on March 12, 1809.
The French won another battle at Braga on March 20. But soon after, Portuguese forces fought back. General Da Silveira led them. They managed to take Chaves back between March 21 and 25, 1809. This was a big problem for the French. It blocked their way to get supplies and messages from Spain.
Fighting for Porto and Amarante
After winning the First Battle of Porto on March 28, 1809, Soult sent some troops to open a path back to Spain. Major-General Louis Loison led this group.
Meanwhile, Portuguese soldiers, both regular army and local fighters, were busy. General Francisco da Silveira led them. They captured the French soldiers left in Chaves. Then, they blocked a key bridge over the Tâmega. This was at the Battle of the Bridge of Amarante. They even rigged the bridge with explosives! This stopped the French troops there from April 18 to May 3. French engineers finally managed to disarm the explosives.
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