Charles Oman presents a rigorous historical examination of the Peninsular War, beginning with the political collapse of the Spanish Bourbon court under Charles IV and the manipulative diplomacy of Napoleon Bonaparte. The narrative traces the complex web of court intrigue surrounding the ambitious favourite Manuel Godoy, the imprisonment and craven behaviour of Crown Prince Ferdinand at the Escurial, and the ultimate kidnapping of the entire royal family at Bayonne. The author analyzes the systematic seizure of Spanish frontier fortresses by French troops and the sudden, violent eruption of the popular insurrection in May eighteen hundred and eight.
The work details the military geography of the Iberian Peninsula, contrasting the barren, high central plateau with the rich, river-cut outer rim and the immense obstacles presented by the mountain ranges and neglected road networks. Oman provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Spanish regular army in eighteen hundred and eight, detailing its depleted battalions, insufficient cavalry, deficient commissariat, and the demoralizing effects of Godoy's patronage-based promotions. The narrative contrasts these native forces with the heterogeneous composition of the French army of occupation, which relied heavily on raw conscripts and provisional units during its initial operations.
The military operations commence with the dispatch of expeditionary columns under Dupont and Moncey to subdue Andalusia and Valencia. Dupont's march leads through the defiles of the Sierra Morena to the capture and subsequent disgraceful pillage of Cordova. However, the widespread popular uprising quickly severs French communications across the mountains, isolating the invaders in hostile territory.
The author explores the tactical methods employed by both sides, emphasizing the fatal flaws of the French column formation against steady two-deep British lines, as well as the tactical peculiarities of cavalry employment and artillery concentration. The narrative highlights the severe handicaps under which both Spanish and British commanders operated, while maintaining strict adherence to primary source material without inventing events or embellishing the historical record.
The volume lays the groundwork for the ensuing military campaigns, illustrating how Napoleon's fundamental underestimation of the Spanish national resistance transformed a swift occupation into a protracted, exhausting conflict. The text concludes by establishing the strategic framework of the war, setting the stage for the major encounters that would test the endurance of both empires.
