Wellington storms Ciudad Rodrigo and besieges Badajoz (1812)

In early 1812 the Earl of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army stormed the French-held border fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo on 19 January and then besieged Badajoz from 16 March to 6 April, forcing the French garrison's surrender and opening the way into Spain.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Ciudad Rodrigo had been in French hands since Ney took the fortified town after a siege from 26 April to 9 July 1810. Badajoz had likewise fallen to the French: in January–March 1811 Soult with 20,000 men besieged and captured the fortress towns of Badajoz and Olivenza in Extremadura. Wellington renewed the allied advance into Spain in early 1812.

The 1812 Campaign. The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo was the successful investment of the French-occupied city by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army from 7–20 January 1812, ending with the assault of 19 January that opened the northern invasion corridor from Portugal into Spain. Wellington then turned to Badajoz, besieging and taking it before advancing toward Salamanca in a continuation of the Coalition campaign of 1812.

Aftermath. The capture of the two border fortresses secured Wellington's lines of advance into Spain. After Badajoz fell, Wellington advanced into Spain, leading to the Battle of Salamanca in a continuation of the Coalition campaign of 1812; later that year a combined allied army defeated the French at Salamanca and took Madrid.

People involved

Sources

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