Over Lunch, Wellington Saw Opportunity

Fought on July 22, 1812, the Battle of Salamanca was a great success for the then Earl and later Duke of Wellington. Leading the British and their allies against French forces under Marshal Marmont, Wellington seized an opportunity created by his opponent’s misjudgment. It was a battle that highlighted Wellington’s skills as a general.

Maneuvers on the Plains
The city of Salamanca lies in western Spain, on the main route from northern Portugal into Spain. In the summer of 1812, Wellington was leading a force of British, Portuguese and Spanish troops intent on attacking French-occupied Spain. Marmont was trying to contain Wellington and prevent him from moving into the Spanish interior.

The result was three weeks of relentless maneuvering. Two gifted generals marched armies 50,000 strong across the Spanish countryside, trying to gain an advantage. Early starts, late nights, and days on horseback left Wellington exhausted. “I was never so fagged,” he said, drifting into the parlance of the upper-class British schoolboy. His struggle to stay awake was interspersed with naps under a newspaper or being chased by French cavalry during an unlucky scouting mission.

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