ORDER OF BATTLE // November 10, 1808
Battle of Espinosa
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 44,000 estimated
French Empire
21,000
Medium-confidence figure
Spain
23,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros resulted in a decisive French victory under Marshal Victor against the Spanish Army of Galicia, commanded by Lieutenant General Joaquín Blake. With Spanish casualties of 5,400 against French losses of 1,100, the engagement severely degraded Blake's force and removed a significant Spanish army from the operational picture in northern Spain. The battle was fought in the Cantabrian Mountains, and its outcome extended French control over that region during the critical autumn campaign of 1808, a period in which Napoleon was consolidating his grip on the Iberian Peninsula following the Spanish uprising earlier that year.
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