A History of the Peninsular War

A History of the Peninsular War PDF Author: Charles Oman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Peninsular War, 1807-1814
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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A History of the Peninsular War

A History of the Peninsular War PDF Author: Charles Oman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Peninsular War, 1807-1814
Languages : en
Pages : 726

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History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France

History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France PDF Author: William Francis Patrick Napier
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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A History of the Peninsular War Vol.2 (of 7)

A History of the Peninsular War Vol.2 (of 7) PDF Author: Charles Oman
Publisher: AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 430

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The second volume of this work has swelled to an even greater bulk than its predecessor. Its size must be attributed to two main causes: the first is the fact that a much greater number of original sources, both printed and unprinted, are available for the campaigns of 1809 than for those of 1808. The second is that the war in its second year had lost the character of comparative unity which it had possessed in its first. Napoleon, on quitting Spain in January, left behind him as a legacy to his brother a comprehensive plan for the conquest of the whole Peninsula. But that plan was, from the first, impracticable: and when it had miscarried, the fighting in every region of the theatre of war became local and isolated. Neither the harassed and distracted French King at Madrid, nor the impotent Spanish Junta at Seville, knew how to combine and co-ordinate the operations of their various armies into a single logical scheme. Ere long, six or seven campaigns were taking place simultaneously in different corners of the Peninsula, each of which was practically independent of the others. Every French and Spanish general fought for his own hand, with little care for what his colleagues were doing: their only unanimity was that all alike kept urging on their central governments the plea that their own particular section of the war was more critical and important than any other. If we look at the month of May, 1809, we find that the following six disconnected series of operations were all in progress at once, and that each has to be treated as a separate unit, rather than as a part of one great general scheme of strategy—(1) Soult’s campaign against Wellesley in Northern Portugal, (2) Ney’s invasion of the Asturias, (3) Victor’s and Cuesta’s movements in Estremadura, (4) Sebastiani’s demonstrations against Venegas in La Mancha, (5) Suchet’s contest with Blake in Aragon, (6) St. Cyr’s attempt to subdue Catalonia. When a war has broken up into so many fractions, it becomes not only hard to follow but very lengthy to narrate. Fortunately for the historian and the student, a certain amount of unity is restored in July, mainly owing to the fact that the master-mind of Wellesley has been brought to bear upon the situation. When the British general attempted to combine with the Spanish armies of Estremadura and La Mancha for a common march upon Madrid, the whole of the hostile forces in the Peninsula [with the exception of those in Aragon and Catalonia] were once more drawn into a single scheme of operations. Hence the Talavera campaign is the central fact in the annals of the Peninsular War for the year 1809. I trust that it will not be considered that I have devoted a disproportionate amount of space to the setting forth and discussion of the various problems which it involved. The details of the battle of Talavera itself have engaged my special attention. I thought it worth while to go very carefully over the battle-field, which fortunately remains much as it was in 1809. A walk around it explained many difficulties, but suggested certain others, which I have done my best to solve. To be continue in this ebook...

Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon

Tactics and the Experience of Battle in the Age of Napoleon PDF Author: Rory Muir
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300147686
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 502

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This historical study of Napoleonic battles and tactics examines firsthand accounts from soldiers’ memoirs, diaries, and letters: “A major work” (David Seymour, Military Illustrated). In this illuminating volume, historian Rory Muir explores what actually happened in battle during the Napoleonic Wars, putting special focus on how the participants’ feelings and reactions influenced the outcome. Looking at the immediate dynamics of combat, Muir sheds new light on how Napoleon’s tactics worked. This analysis is enhanced with vivid accounts of those who were there—the frightened foot soldier, the general in command, the young cavalry officer whose boils made it impossible to ride, and the smartly dressed aide-de-camp, tripped up by his voluminous pantaloons. Muir considers the interaction of artillery, infantry, and cavalry; the role of the general, subordinate commanders, staff officers, and aides; morale, esprit de corps, soldiers’ attitudes toward death and feelings about the enemy; the plight of the wounded; the difficulty of surrendering; and the way victories were finally decided. He discusses the mechanics of musketry, artillery, and cavalry charges and shows how they influenced the morale, discipline, and resolution of the opposing armies. "Muir has filled an important gap in the study of the Napoleonic era."—Library Journal

Wellington's Army

Wellington's Army PDF Author: Charles Oman
Publisher: Leonaur Limited
ISBN: 9781782827795
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Wellington and his remarkable 'old Peninsular Army' The excellence of Sir Charles Oman's scholarship as an historian is well established. He wrote on a wide variety of subjects and historical periods in an erudite but succinct and easy to read style and his comprehensive multi-volume history of the Peninsular War is widely regarded as the most significant work on the subject since the publication of Napier's history. This book is equally well known and well regarded. Within its pages Oman describes in some detail the British Army that fought the First Empire of the French in Spain, Portugal and the South of France. This story would be incomplete without that army's commander, and Wellington's performance and methodology is closely described, together with those of his most significant lieutenants. Each constituent part of the army is considered from structure to equipage and operations in relationship to the French forces which opposed them. Oman's examination of the British Army of the early nineteenth century is now regarded as a classic. This Leonaur edition is unique since it includes 40 illustrations and maps which did not appear in the original edition of the book. Oman devoted two chapters to his bibliographical sources and though they remain in this edition, since their content is fascinating and invaluable, they have been moved from the beginning to the end of the book in the interest of accessibility to the principal subject of the work. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.

The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 2, Fighting the Napoleonic Wars

The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars: Volume 2, Fighting the Napoleonic Wars PDF Author: Bruno Colson
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108284728
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 837

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Book Description
The Napoleonic Wars saw almost two decades of brutal fighting. Fighting took place on an unprecedented scale, from the frozen wastelands of Russia to the rugged mountains of the Peninsula; from Egypt's Lower Nile to the bloody battlefield of New Orleans. Volume II of The Cambridge History of the Napoleonic Wars provides a comprehensive guide to the Napoleonic Wars and weaves together the four strands – military, naval, economic, and diplomatic - that intertwined to make up one of the greatest conflicts in history. Written by a team of the leading Napoleonic scholars, this volume provides an authoritative and comprehensive analysis of why the nations went to war, the challenges they faced and how the wars were funded and sustained. It sheds new light not only on the key battles and campaigns but also on questions of leadership, strategy, tactics, guerrilla warfare, recruitment, supply, and weaponry.

An Atlas of the Peninsular War 1808-1814

An Atlas of the Peninsular War 1808-1814 PDF Author: Ian Robertson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780300148695
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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This is the first comprehensive modern atlas of the Peninsular War, the series of campaigns in Spain and Portugal between Napoleonic France and British forces commanded by the Duke of Wellington. Here a distinguished military historian examines and explains the sequence of battles and the course of the war through expertly drawn cartography in color. A general introduction, together with a historical summary setting the campaigns in context, is followed by 53 detailed maps and plans, each with a complementary text providing a succinct description of the action depicted. The great battles of Vimeiro, Talavera, Busaco, Albuera, Salamanca, Vitoria, and the Pyrenees are all graphically described, together with the main sieges and many minor combats. This is an indispensable companion to both serious students and military enthusiasts interested in the Napoleonic wars.

Our Young Soldier

Our Young Soldier PDF Author: Mary Beacock Fryer
Publisher: Dundurn
ISBN: 1554882591
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Francis Simcoe was the eldest son of John Graves Simcoe and Elizabeth Gwillim. his father is celebrated as the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada; his mother for her Canadian diary and watercolour sketches. Francis was one year old when his family arrived at Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) in 1792, and almost six when they returned to England. Letters written by his mother, sisters, and himself reveal his childhood at Eton. At sixteen, he was an ensign in the 27th Inniskilling Regiment. From the beginning of his military career, he kept journals and wrote many letters preserved by the family. His service began in ireland and ended under Wellington - he died leading a storming party in the Trinidad breach at Badajoz, Spain, a thoroughly bloody, costly battle in the Peninsular war. The army had lost a talented young officer. As a warrior, Francis possessed the qualities that had carried his father from ensign to lieutenant general. Letters and journals disclose a soldier who was also an intelligent, loving human being. Of special interest are Francis’ associates who spent time in Canada - the Duek of Richmond, Edward Littlehales, James Kempt, and Julia Somerville (more than a friend?) who became Mrs. Francis Bond Head four years after young Simcoe’s death.

The Publishers' Circular and General Record of British and Foreign Literature

The Publishers' Circular and General Record of British and Foreign Literature PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Bibliography
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815, Volume 2

Waterloo: The Campaign of 1815, Volume 2 PDF Author: John Hussey
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1784382027
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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Book Description
Winner of the 2019 RUSI Duke of Wellington Medal for Military HistoryWinner of the 2017 Society for Army Historical Research Templer MedalShortlisted for Military History Monthly's "Book of the Year" AwardThe first of two groundbreaking volumes on the Waterloo campaign, this book is based upon a detailed analysis of sources old and new in four languages. It highlights the political stresses between the Allies, and their resolution; it studies the problems of feeding and paying for 250,000 Allied forces assembling in Belgium during the undeclared war, and how a strategy was thrashed out. It studies the neglected topic of how the slow and discordant Allies beyond the Rhine hampered the plans of Blcher and Wellington, thus allowing Napoleon to snatch the initiative from them. Napoleons operational plan is analyzed (and Soult's mistakes in executing it). Accounts from both sides help provide a vivid impression of the fighting on the first day, 15 June, and the volume ends with the joint battles of Ligny and Quatre Bras the next day.