Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 85
Chapter 85
14. End of the Second Hundred Years’ War – 1
By the time the entire United Kingdom was suffering from measles in the aftermath of the ‘Great Crash’. Changes also began on the Iberian front.
The French, who finally found their base with the help of local intelligence, attacked and dealt a decisive blow to the Spanish resistance.
That day, Napoleon unleashed his rigid defenses and launched a full-scale attack on the Lines of Torres Vedras.
The corps of Joseph Bonaparte and Gabriel Suchet moved from Murcia to Málaga. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan’s Corps marched from Galicia to Vigo.
Then Napoleon led his own army to Fort Badajoz where Arthur Wellesley was staying.
The Allies were surprised by this sudden attack and prepared to respond, but the French had already come close to them.
“We have a good advance, maybe because we’ve eradicated the rats that nibbled on the wagons! Hahaha!”
Michel Ney and the other marshals were happy to have broken the boring confrontation.
The soldiers who marched with confidence with the possibility of victory looked brave and powerful. They did not waste their time during the break that did not have much fighting.
The corps, which raised its physical condition and discipline under Napoleon’s leadership with hard training and adequate rest, was showing off its supreme discipline, even though it had long been off the battlefield. Confidence. They had confidence that they could win against any enemy.
‘I’m sure we would be able to keep up with the Republic’s standing army.’
Napoleon tried to hide his satisfaction while looking around. The French were about to cross a bridge on their way to Badajoz. Across the bridge, some cavalrymen with white flags were waiting for Napoleon. There was a messenger of the British army among them.
“This is a letter from our commander-in-chief to His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire.”
On his way to Badajoz, Napoleon received a letter written by Arthur Wellesley from the messenger. In the interest and attention of many, he opened the letter and read it.
I greet Your Majesty the Emperor, the ruler of France.
It is the first time that I am writing such a direct letter to Your Majesty, even though I have been facing France for a long time. Please forgive me if there is any awkwardness in manners and expressions.
It was a hard handwriting that felt rigid and strict. Napoleon’s gaze went down.
The long-running war is causing trials and suffering not only to the people of the Iberian Peninsula, but also to the citizens of Britain and France, and to the people of neighboring countries who have a supporting role in this war.
I am sure that this will do harm to the developed civil society, the state and nationalism that developed in the 19th century…(omitted)…
The frontier drawn by the Allied forces, including Fort Badajoz where Your Majesty’ troops are marching, is solid and did not miss your advance.
It cannot be denied that Your Majesty have superhuman military strength that will never be seen again in the history of war, but it is not enough to win in enemy territory, even if you had at least three times the power.
The fortresses and fortifications formed by the blood and sweat of the Allies and their resentment against France will remain unbroken by any odds. I hope that the brilliant Emperor of France will make the right decision with consideration for the subjects of the Empire.
Although he added long phrases, the content meant ‘Don’t suffer from our defense, and turn back now’. At the provocation, Napoleon smirked and called Jean-Andoche Junot, who was in the rear.
“Did you call, Your Majesty?”
“Read this. It’s a letter from Wellesley.”
Napoleon gave the letter to Junot. Junot read it carefully, spat out a low-pitched swear word and then spoke.
“He’s making a clumsy excuse on the outside, but it’s really a lousy provocation. The more scared a wildcat feels, the louder it cries. Your Majesty, you don’t have to pay any attention to this.”
“The main reason why I showed this letter to you is because you have exchanged many letters with Arthur Wellesley.”
Napoleon understood that this was a psychological battle between top commanders. However, because he had mostly heard about Wellesley’s tendency through rumors, he handed over the judgment on the situation to Junot, who could be said to know Wellesley well. Junot thought for a moment and replied.
“There’s certainly nothing strange about this letter. He is a member of a high-ranking noble family in England, and he values manners and praises chivalry and gentleman’s will. I’ve never seen this kind of ugliness from him before.”
Napoleon nodded. He also thought that it was far from Wellesley’s usual disposition. He had a rough idea of what this meant.
“His Excellency said that I should wait for Your Majesty the Emperor’s reply, staying here for a while…”
“No, you don’t have to.”
Napoleon, smiling at the messenger’s words, continued.
“My reply will be shown on the battlefield.”
One thing for sure was that he had no intention of following Wellesley’s letter. Napoleon increased the speed of the corps. Arthur Wellesley was waiting at Fort Badajoz, looking forward to the final battle of this war.
===
Located between hills, Fort Badajoz stood like an outpost, blocking the French and Allied forces.
The coalition forces, which were densely deployed behind the fortress and on its side, were standing by with an optimal formation, completely blocking the entrance to the city of Badajoz.
It was a solid and strong fortress, with troops placed in the right way. If they attacked them like this, even a corps of elite soldiers would have to suffer enormous losses.
“Advance!”
The left wing of Napoleon’s Corps advanced to the sound of the military band. The coalition seemed rather surprised by the French army’s approaching head-on with such pace. Napoleon nodded quietly, and one of the officers who saw it sent a signal to the left wing.
“Turn left!”
The head of the procession turned.
And the battalions that followed in line with the lead turned together. As they headed for the fortress, the left wing exposed its right side when it turned south.
Once again, Napoleon looked through his telescope at the enemies on the fortress and behind it.
“Ha, those idiots… Tell them to speed up on the left!”
“I will follow your orders, Your Majesty!”
The French army’s march in front of the fortress accelerated. After advancing for about 4 to 5 kilometers from the corps headquarters, the troops stood by and occupied the southern part of Fort Badajoz.
Then, the company reorganized its batteries with a complete formation. And Napoleon’s Corps was completely divided into two like this. The two parts took formation, surrounding the south and east of the city of Badajoz.
“What about Masséna’s Corps?”
“He is almost there. It will take about an hour for him to deploy his troops.”
“Tell him to set up a camp north of the fortress and proceed with the operation as planned.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
After speaking, Napoleon expressed his willingness to fight. He was determined not to end this confrontation with a simple siege.
“There must be a storm in the island country across the sea by now.”
Nevertheless, the descendants of proud pirates would not easily sign an armistice. Balloons could only pop when inflated. All they needed was a trigger and a shock.
And this would be the capture of Fort Badajoz, which was at the core of the Lines of Torres Vedras and was guarded by Arthur Wellesley’s Corps.
“Gentlemen.”
The eyes of the marshals and officers staying in command focused on him.
“It’s time to end this long war.”
News arrived that Masséna’s Corps had arrived north of Badajoz. Napoleon gave the order to attack.
The French tricolor flags began to fly as cannons rang out from the north, south and east.
===
The battle between the French to break down the defensive barrier and the Allies to stop it continued today as well.
Fearless warriors from both sides pushed themselves into the battlefield, where shells and bullets were pouring in, and struggled to put their flags on high grounds.
The dominance changed several times a day. The body filled the fields, and blood colored the surrounding rivers red.
Desperate battles were taking place all over the battlefield, but the armies of both sides followed one unwritten rule. Do not aim guns and cannons at the emergency evacuation teams who immediately came to take care of injured soldiers.
The Allied and French forces were in the midst of a war in which only the heartless and cruel could survive, but they never touched the evacuation convoy.
Arthur Wellesley saw it as an effort made by the people not to lose their humanity and chivalry.
“There is a hole in the wall surrounding the city, sir! At this rate, we may have to give up the city today or tomorrow…”
Arthur Wellesley had to soothe his bitter stomach at the words of the chief of staff. The situation got twisted when Masséna’s Corps, which had been advancing north to support Jourdan’s Corps, quickly turned around and took over the northern part of Badajoz.
The Allies were outnumbered and were attacked on three sides, making them at a structural disadvantage. If it had been only this much, Wellesley might have been able to block the French offensive with the power of his men.
However, the French’s current combat capabilities exceeded the expectations of Wellesley and the Allied officers.
‘They were not at this level when we faced them on the Arlanzón River. What kind of magic did he do!…’
Anyway, it was clear that the time that they could hold out here was limited. One of the clever officers came up with a bold suggestion.
“The city can be recaptured at any time as long as the fortress doesn’t fall. The situation is not very good right now, so I think it would better to step down for a while.”
The fortification of Fort Badajoz, known for its robustness, did not budge at all during this short siege.
Also, without much support, Wellesley’s Corps could retreat to the city of Évora, where the coalition’s warehouses were located, get more men and enough supplies.
It would be a strategic retreat. Of course, they would have to give up this city until then, but under the circumstances, they could not find a better option.
“…Let’s retreat. But we must come back and retake this place.”
They would let the owner of the city surrounding the fort change. However, during that time, Wellesley’s troops would be able to regain strength to attack the French forces besieging the fortress.
Arthur Wellesley’s decision was the best one to defend both his troops and his cause as the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces against the French.
But the world was so cruel that it sometimes made fun of humans with the mischief of fate. This time, its target was the coalition forces led by Arthur Wellesley.
===
The fall of Badajoz! The shocking news of the war on the peninsula.
The door to Portugal opens wide. The Kingdom’s Army is in the worst situation.
We can’t continue this war anymore… We need to negotiate a ceasefire as soon as possible…
Arthur Wellesley wrote a post-war report, calling it a strategic retreat, but breaking news of the overall situation arrived much earlier on the mainland.
And the breaking news was enough to panic the entire court of Westminster as well as the citizens of London.
The collapse of the stock market and bankruptcy of businesses were causing despair and were paralyzing major industrial cities one after another.
Britain’s economy was struggling in great darkness, and it would take a long time of patience to get through it. There was no time or money for them to invest in a war that seemed already over.
“Stop the war on the peninsula that kills the young people of Britain!”
“We want to hold bread, not guns! The people are starving to death. What good is this war doing?”
“Abolish the income tax immediately and blow up the previous agreement! Wake up Westminster!”
The citizens of London yearned for peace more intensely than ever. They took collective action, demanding an end to the war, the abolition of income taxes (the taxes conducted to cover the cost of war), and the payment of overdue wages.
‘If there is no ceasefire, we demand the resignation of the Cabinet!’
They demonstrated in front of Westminster Palace, 10 Downing Street, and even St. James’ Palace (the palace of the British royal family).
Some of the protesters did not hesitate to engage in violent confrontations with police officers or even pulled out swords. Meanwhile, a second shockwave hit the industrial economy of Britain.
Now that exports of metallurgical, shipbuilding and cotton industries plummeted, numerous businesses went bankrupt, and were sold to securities companies and banks.
Britain’s economy once again faltered heavily, and citizens took to the streets, accusing the government and the royal family. Some radical citizens even demanded a change of government.
Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson and the Tory members were cornered. In the end, they had only one choice.
