Battle of Braga (1809)

The Battle of Braga or Battle of Póvoa de Lanhoso or Battle of Carvalho d'Este (20 March 1809) saw an Imperial French corps led by Marshal Nicolas Soult attack a Portuguese army commanded by Baron Christian Adolph Friedrich von Eben. Soult's professional soldiers slaughtered large numbers of their opponents, who were mostly badly disciplined and poorly armed militia. The action occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Braga is situated about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north-northeast of Porto (Oporto).[1]

Battle of Braga (1809)
Part of the Peninsular War
Braga Battle of Braga (1809) (Portugal) Map of the Battle of Braga
Date 20 March 1809 Location Braga, Portugal Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Portugal
Commanders and leaders
Nicolas Soult	Baron von Eben
Strength
16,650 12 guns	25,000 (mostly badly disciplined and poorly armed militia) 18 guns
Casualties and losses
200–600	4,400 17 guns

The British won a tactical victory over Soult's II Corps in the Battle of Corunna on 16 January 1809.[2] However, the Royal Navy soon evacuated the army from northwest Spain. Freed from British interference, Soult planned to invade northern Portugal. From Ourense in Spain, the French marched south to seize Chaves, Portugal before moving west toward Braga. A short distance east of Braga the French came upon the Portuguese army, but Soult waited a few days for all his troops to arrive. During this time the mutinous Portuguese murdered their commander Bernardim Freire de Andrade, leaving Eben in charge. Once he was ready, Soult crushed his adversaries without much trouble.

Aftermath

Soult then advanced on Porto, and won another victory against Portuguese forces at the First Battle of Porto eight days later. However his occupation of the largest city of northern Portugal was ended in May when an Anglo-Portuguese force under Arthur Wellesley retook Porto after the second battle. Soult withdrew from Portugal and Braga was returned to Allied control.

References

1. Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico.
2. Oman, Charles (2010). A History of the Peninsular War Volume I. La Vergne, Tenn.: Kessinger Publishing.

Bibliography

• Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
• Oman, Charles (2010). A History of the Peninsular War Volume I. La Vergne, Tenn.: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1432636820.
• Oman, Charles (1995). A History of the Peninsular War Volume II. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-215-7.
• Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.