This military history details the Peninsular War through the events of eighteen hundred and nine, beginning with the aftermath of Sir John Moore's retreat to Corunna. The author examines how Napoleon's departure from Spain left the central invading forces temporarily paralyzed, granting the Spanish armies and the Central Junta a vital respite to reorganize. Throughout the volume, several major campaigns are traced simultaneously, reflecting the fragmented nature of the conflict after the Emperor's grand strategic design miscarried.
A central load-bearing narrative focuses on Sir Arthur Wellesley's intervention in the conflict, which ultimately restored a degree of strategic unity. The British commander's masterly passage of the Douro at Oporto and his subsequent invasion of Spain alongside the Spanish forces under Cuesta culminate in the pivotal Talavera campaign. Detailed attention is given to the tactical problems, topographical realities, and logistical difficulties that characterized these operations, as well as the friction between the allied commanders.
Simultaneously, the narrative follows the brutal and protracted sieges that drained both French and Spanish resources. In the east, St. Cyr's march to relieve Barcelona and his subsequent operations in Catalonia, including the capture of Rosas and the Battle of Valls, demonstrate the fierce local resistance of the region. Meanwhile, Saragossa endures its catastrophic second siege, where the garrison and civilian population display desperate endurance against bombardment, pestilence, and mining before the final capitulation.
The work also exposes the administrative and political dysfunctions that plagued the Spanish resistance. The Central Junta struggled against regional separatism, persistent popular agitation, and military incompetence, while allied relations were continually strained over issues such as the proposed British occupation of Cadiz. The persistent refusal of Spanish generals to abandon pitched battles in favor of protracted partisan warfare led repeatedly to tactical disasters such as the routs at Ucles and Ciudad Real.
Ultimately, Oman portrays eighteen hundred and nine as a pivotal year that established the Peninsular War as a permanent drain on the Napoleonic Empire. Despite regular defeats and institutional chaos, the Spanish nation maintained its resistance through pervasive insurgency and unyielding local defense. The narrative concludes with the allied forces grappling with the immense logistical realities of a continental war that neither side could quickly resolve.
