Battle of Vitoria

Overview

At the Battle of Vitoria, a British, Portuguese and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, eventually leading to victory in the Peninsular War.

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

Significance

The Battle of Vitoria delivered a decisive blow against French power in the Iberian Peninsula. A British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army commanded by King Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria, effectively ending French control of Spain. The defeat of a force numbering between 57,000 and 60,000 men, at a cost of over 4,400 French casualties, fatally undermined the position of Joseph Bonaparte's regime. The battle led directly to victory in the Peninsular War, removing France from Spain and opening the route into southern France for Wellington's forces.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (14)