Charles Oman presents a rigorous military analysis of the Peninsular War during the critical sixteen months following Wellington's retreat from Talavera. The work opens with the protracted siege of Gerona, where Governor Mariano Alvarez de Castro and a resolute garrison endured months of starvation, disease, and relentless bombardment before finally succumbing to the French under Augereau.
Parallel to the struggle in Catalonia, Wellington confronted the strategic problems of defending Portugal against the inevitable French invasion. He devised a triple defensive system combining the devastation of the land, the mustering of the Portuguese militia, and the construction of the impregnable Lines of Torres Vedras in front of Lisbon. Despite the skepticism of his own subordinates and the frantic demands of the Spanish Central Junta, Wellington steadfastly refused to commit his army to joint operations with unreliable Spanish forces.
Meanwhile, the Spanish high command attempted to retrieve its fortunes through an aggressive autumn offensive against Madrid. The strategy culminated in disaster at the battle of Ocaña, where Areizaga's army was utterly routed by Soult and Mortier. This catastrophe laid bare the fundamental weaknesses of the Spanish military administration and precipitated the collapse of the Central Junta.
The narrative follows the subsequent French invasion of Andalusia under King Joseph, leading to the rapid fall of Cordova and Seville. However, the Duke of Albuquerque executed a brilliant strategic march to secure Cadiz, transforming the island-city into an unassailable bastion of resistance. Through exhaustive archival research and contemporary accounts, the text illuminates the tactical decisions and logistical realities that determined the course of the conflict.
