The start of the Campaign of Salamanca (1812)

Two hundred years ago, started the Campaign of Salamanca. After the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz and the breaking of Almaraz bridge on the Tagus, Wellington entered again in Spain. Always a cautius general, his flanks were well guarded. In the right, Hill watched Soult wehereas in the left the Portuguese militia attacked Zamora and the Spanish army of Galicia laid siege to Astorga, thus threatening the Marmont's right flank. Finally, the Royal Navy in the Cantabrian coast, supported the Spanish semi-regular keeping in check the French rearguard.
On June 13, Wellington with 47,000 Anglo-Lusitanian and 3,000 Spanish, began the advance. Marmont, with 40,000 men, tried to delay the Allies, leaving a garrison at Salamanca (which resisted until June 27) but, conscious of his numerical inferiority, he retired to Tordesillas on the Douro, closely pursued by the Allies. From there Wellington and Marmont played a cat-and mouse game, until the 22 July. That day saw the battle of Salamanca (Los Arapiles in Sapin and France) which ended with Marmont wounded and the crushing defeat of his army.

The above picture is taken from a brochure edited by the Diputacion of Salamanca, and can be seen in the blog of Miguel Angel Martin Mas, the soul behind the Historic site of Los Arapiles.

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