Bibliograph

The lines of Torres Vedras, the cornerstone of Wellington's strategy in the Peninsular War, 1809-1812, John Grehan

Type

Label

The lines of Torres Vedras, the cornerstone of Wellington's strategy in the Peninsular War, 1809-1812, John Grehan

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The lines of Torres Vedras

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

John Grehan

Sub title

the cornerstone of Wellington's strategy in the Peninsular War, 1809-1812

Summary

In 1809 French armies controlled almost every province of Spain and only Wellington's small force in Portugal stood between Napoleon and the conquest of Iberia. The French invaded Portugal in the summer of 1810 but found their way blocked by the most extensive field fortifications the world had ever seen the Lines of Torres Vedras. Unable to penetrate the Lines, the French were driven back into Spain having suffered the heaviest defeat yet experienced by Napoleon's armies. The retreat from Portugal marked the turning point in the Peninsular War and, from the security of the Lines, Wellington was able to mount the offensive campaigns that swept France's Imperial armies back across the Pyrenees. The Lines of Torres Vedras is an authoritative account of the planning, construction and occupation of the Lines and of the battles, sieges and horrors of the French invasion. It is also an important study of Wellington's strategy during the crucial years of the war against Napoleon

Target audience

adult

Classification