Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
- Towards the Peninsula – 3
Arthur Wellesley, Marquis of Wellington, was the commander-in-chief of the British, Spanish and Portuguese allied forces. When he heard the news of Napoleon’s army moving south, he was engaged in a head-to-head battle against André Masséna across the Segovia plateau.
Among the French generals, there were not many capable men, but André Masséna was exceptional enough to be recognized by Wellesley. Masséna was an enemy who had the perseverance and persistence to seek his opponent’s weaknesses with patience like a clever badger, and wisdom to determine when to step out and retreat like a seasoned raven.
Unlike Auguste de Marmont, the protagonist of the Battle of Salamanca, he did not commit the foolishness of falling for Wellesley’s clumsy provocation, but defended the Segovia plateau with a solid defense and counterattack.
Under such circumstances, he heard the breaking news that Napoleon would participate in the war on the Iberian Peninsula in earnest. Arthur Wellesley decided to step down from the Segovia plateau for now, judging that it was difficult to defeat Masséna’s troops in a short time. At the present time, the Allied forces prevailed all over the Iberian Peninsula. However, things could be completely different if Napoleon’s army joined.
From this point on, Arthur Wellesley, a commander who did not take risks with a low chance of success, began to worry.
‘Should we actively step forward and intercept them, or focus on defense and observe them?’
There had been intelligence that the size of the army led by the French Emperor was around 70,000 people. Coincidentally, the number of pure strike troops of the Allied forces, excluding fortifications and border guards, security forces in occupied areas, supply units, reserves, and militias, was roughly that high.
Of course, Napoleon might not have meant this, but Wellesley felt the situation itself as a provocation, as if he were asking ‘Why don’t we try to set it right on an equal footing?’
‘First of all, Madrid isn’t the right terrain for defense. If we want to deal with Napoleon’s troops in a more advantageous place, we have to choose: either we advance to Burgos, or we retreat to Salamanca.’
Arthur Wellesley, who was unable to decide on this crucial task alone, called in his staff officers and British generals, as well as Portuguese and Spanish generals. He wanted to hear their opinion and if they had a better strategy.
“We must march to Burgos immediately. Lord Commander. What are we waiting for? It is the promised land of victory for our country. As soon as the Allied flag is raised in Burgos, people across Spain will fervently welcome the liberation of their homeland.”
Burgos was a special place for the Spanish. Because it was a land that marked an important turning point in the Spanish history.
At the time of the Reconquista, when Christians and Muslims were fighting for dominance of the Iberian Peninsula, Burgos was the holy land where the Kingdoms of Castile and Navarra, the predecessors of Spain, defeated the Muslim forces and used it as a banner to retake Iberia.
The Spanish generals wanted to regain this sacred place as soon as possible, to revive nationalism in Spain.
“If we want to win the war, we must have the citizens of Madrid on our side. To do so, we must show that our troops have a firm will and courage to protect them.”
The point of view of the Portuguese generals was slightly different.
In any case, Madrid was the city where Napoleon’s servant, King Joseph, was staying, and the number of citizens who still supported him was not small. Considering the symbolism, practical interests and influence of the capital, it was imperative to bring them on the side of the Allied forces.
In order to do so, rather than running away to Salamanca, they needed to step forward and show that they would fight for Madrid and protect it. Of course, they also wanted their own country (Portugal) to stop being a battlefield.
It was the Portuguese generals who raised the front of the war. It was the secondary objective for these officers.
“The soldiers of the kingdom who suffered Napoleon’s nightmare are clearly still afraid of him. But more than that, I want to break Napoleon’s army and end this war. The morale of the soldiers is at its peak now.”
The British generals also wanted the Allies to advance to Burgos and fight. In addition to its historical significance, Burgos was also a key point in the peninsula. The commander of the Portuguese royal army, the Count of Amarante, lll was currently confronting the French Jourdan 2] Corps over Leon and Zamora provinces.
If Wellesley led the Allied forces to the north and captured Burgos, he could completely isolate Jourdan’s troops.
Most generals and officers gathered in the command barracks wanted aggressive movements. This was not because they were looking down on Napoleon, but because they wanted to deal with him from a slightly better position. Burgos, which had plateaus, wetlands, mountain ranges and hills, could be the best battlefield to revive the strengths of the British and Spanish militias.
They wanted more than anyone else the end of this sickening war that had lasted more than four years, and stop being the loser of Europe. There was also a glimpse of the desire to overthrow Napoleon and become heroes. On the other hand, the innermost thoughts of Arthur Wellesley, the Marquis of Wellington, were a bit complicated. He knew of course the geographical advantages of Burgos.
Nevertheless, Arthur Wellesley preferred to step down to Salamanca and wait for Napoleon’s army rather than advance to Burgos. That was because it seemed a little more likely to win this way.
‘If we lure the French to Salamanca, we can make the enemy’s supply line long enough. After that, if the Spanish resistance forces continue to harass their rear and create supply problems, wouldn’t it be feasable to fight even Napoleon’s French army?’
Arthur Wellesley, considered the tactician successor of John Churchill, 131 the Duke of Marlborough and a hero of the Spanish Succession War, was bothered by the idea of fighting the Emperor who had conquered all of Europe in a place where he could exert his full power.
Austerlitz, Jena, Friedland, and the recently added Battle of Hrodna. History so far had sufficiently proven what happened if you faced Napoleon’s army head-on, with full power. No, even if the opponent was not Napoleon, if you were a strategist, you should fight your enemies when you were in an advantageous position.
One person noticed that Arthur Wellesley wanted to return to Salamanca despite the remarks of several generals and officers. It was Captain Chamberlain, Earl of Lothian. He was in fact the second-in-command general in the Allied forces. Chamberlain approached Arthur Wellesley and whispered:
“Didn’t the French send a few days ago a delegation to the Seville government asking to end the war? I think it’s an indicator that the French are more tired of this war than we can imagine.”
“During the Russian expedition, the French Emperor used a similar type of deceit with Alexander I. It’s better to get rid of the idea that they want to negotiate because they’re cornered.”
Wellesley replied firmly.
Captain Chamberlain, however, faithful emphasized the reasons for the Allied forces to advance to Burgos.
“As you know, the financial situation of the kingdom is not very good. The mere maintenance of the wooden walls (the British navy) that protect the mainland of Britain is costing an astronomical amount of money. The amount of military funds and supplies for our allies is increasing day by day. The Bank of England is piling up with reminders and bad debt for the Royal Family and Parliament. The big financiers that lent money want to see the ‘possibility’ of winning.”
“Winning the Battle of Salamanca was not enough?”
“It was fine before. But didn’t Napoleon directly declare his participation in the war? Russia and Sweden have again launched a trade blockade against the kingdom, and the United States has pulled out its sword from the New World. As always, we must give them confidence that the kingdom will prevail. It’s a sad reality, but… it’s a reality we can’t ignore.”
Chamberlain was a general in the army and a subordinate of Wellesley. But he belonged to the Tory party, with British Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, Count of Liverpool, who also served as a permanent adviser for the Peninsular War. Wellesley could not ignore his comments, as he was in fact a reflection of the intentions of the Westminster Parliament.
Arthur Wellesley’s mouth was sealed.
Britain’s economy developed day by day and revenue soared year by year with resources from its vast colonies, raw materials, and labor combined with the soaring industrial power of the mainland thanks to the mechanical revolution. The problem, however, was that war funding and supplies required for their allies had increased steeply beyond that
Government bonds sold by the British government were now approaching £800million. That was more than 10 times Britain’s annual revenue. Financial market credit for the British government bonds had always remained at the top of the list, but there was a clear limit.
And that limit was near, Chamberlain said.
Arthur Wellesley knew about this. This was because Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth, the current Home Secretary and the former British Prime Minister, had sent a handwritten letter to explain the situation in Britain. If the French warfare power was in the hands of the French Emperor Napoleon, then it was safe to say that the British warfare power depended on the will of the big hands driving the capital market.
Britain could only continue the war if there were capitalists who would buy British government bonds, believing in Britain’s victory and the safety of their investments.
‘Does the Parliament, which has the ability to control the entire campaign and army from 1000 miles away, yield in the face of the power of gold?’
“I’m sorry to say this, but… Your Excellency is a hero representing the present British Empire, and you are compared to the late Viscount Nelson. The British people are very proud of your presence and want you to prove to them that you are a greater general than Napoleon.”
It would be difficult for him to defeat the huge enemy called Napoleon, even if he did his best for the sake of war. But now he had to work out strategies and lead the army, while paying attention to other areas interfering. It was the first time Arthur Wellesley felt pressured because of his position as commander-in-chief of the entire peninsula. Wellesley, who had stayed silent with his eyes closed for a while, opened his mouth.
“Let’s march to Burgos. There, we will fight Napoleon’s army.”
A young general. The officers cheered and the elderly nodded silently. Arthur Wellesley did not respond and rubbed his forehead quietly.
The current map of the Iberian Peninsula.
TL notes
(1) Francisco da Silveira Pinto da Fonseca Teixeira
[2] Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
[3] John Churchill
[4] Henry Addington
