Battle of Luchana

Overview

The Battle of Luchana occurred at Bilbao and its vicinities during the night of December 23, 1836 and went on until December 24, 1836. The Carlists were besieging Bilbao and controlled the water and land routes towards the city. The battle of Luchana took place in the district belonging to the parish of Deusto and the municipality of Erandio, on the banks of the Asúa River, which empties into the Nervión at the spot known as Luchana. The Carlists were defeated and the siege of Bilbao was lifted.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Luchana, fought on the night of 23–24 December 1836 at Bilbao and its surrounding district, ended the Carlist siege of the city. Prior to the battle, Carlist forces controlled both the water and land routes into Bilbao, cutting it off from Liberal resupply and reinforcement. The Liberal victory under Espartero broke that encirclement and lifted the siege, securing Bilbao for the Isabelino cause. In the context of the First Carlist War, retaining Bilbao denied the Carlists a major urban and strategic prize in the Basque Country, a region central to their support base and war effort.

Tactics

Commanders (1)