ORDER OF BATTLE // February 20, 1810
Battle of Vic
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 17,000 estimated
First French Empire
5,000
Medium-confidence figure
Kingdom of Spain
12,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Vic formed part of the sustained French effort to consolidate control over Catalonia during the Peninsular War. A Spanish force under Henry O'Donnell, numbering roughly 12,000, launched a sudden attack on Joseph Souham's Imperial French division of approximately 5,500 men near Vic, some 60 kilometres north of Barcelona. Despite the numerical advantage held by the Spanish, bitter fighting ended in a French victory that forced O'Donnell's troops to retreat, at a cost of around 3,000 Spanish casualties. The outcome reinforced French operational dominance in the Catalan theatre and denied the Spanish command the ability to threaten French positions in the Barcelona hinterland, underscoring the difficulty the Spanish regular forces faced in translating numerical superiority into battlefield success against seasoned Imperial divisions.
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