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Siege of Tarragona (1811)

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Siege of Tarragona (1811)
Part of Peninsular War

A view of Tarragona
Date5 May – 29 June 1811[1]
Location41°06′56″N 1°14′58″E / 41.1156°N 1.2494°E / 41.1156; 1.2494
Result Franco-Italian victory[1]
Belligerents
France French Empire
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy
Spain Spain
Commanders and leaders
France Louis Suchet Spain Juan de Contreras
Strength
18,000[1] 18,000[1]
Casualties and losses
4,300[1] 18,000[1]
Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia
Map
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200km
125miles
21
Battle of Ordal at Ordal, on 13 September 1813
Castalla
20
Battle of Castalla (1812) at Castalla, on 21 July 1812 and on 13 April 1813
19
Battle of Altafulla at Altafulla, on 29 January 1812
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18
Siege of Valencia (1812) at Valencia, from 26 December 1811 – 9 January 1812
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17
Battle of Saguntum at Saguntum, on 25 October 1811
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Battle of Cervera (1811) at Cervera, from 4 to 14 October 1811
15
Siege of Figueras (1811) at Figueras, from 4 April to 19 August 1811
14
Battle of Montserrat at Montserrat, on 25 July 18117
Tarragona
13
Siege of Tarragona (1811) from 5 May – 29 June 1811 Siege of Tarragona (1813) from 3 to 11 June 1813
12
Battle of El Pla at El Pla, on 15 January 1811
11
Siege of Tortosa (1810–11) at Tortosa, from 19 December 1810 to 2 January 1811
10
Battle of La Bisbal at La Bisbal, on 14 September 1810
9
Siege of Mequinenza at Mequinenza, from 15 May to 8 June 1810
8
Siege of Lérida at Lérida, on 23 April and 29 April to 14 May 1810
7
Battle of Vic at Vic, on 20 February 1810
6
Battle of Mollet at Mollet, on 21 January 1810
5
Battle of Belchite (1809) at Belchite, on 18 June 1809
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4
Battle of María at María de Huerva, on 15 June 1809
3
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2
Third siege of Girona at Girona, from 6 May to 12 December 1809
1
Battle of Valls at Valls, on 25 February 1809
  current battle

In the siege of Tarragona, Catalonia, from 5 May to 29 June 1811, Louis Gabriel Suchet's French Army of Aragon laid siege to a Spanish garrison led by Lieutenant General Juan Senen de Contreras. A British naval squadron commanded by Admiral Edward Codrington harassed the French besiegers with cannon fire and transported large numbers of reinforcements into the city by sea. Nevertheless, Suchet's troops stormed into the defenses and killed or captured almost all the defenders. The action took place at the port of Tarragona, Catalonia, on the east coast of Spain during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.[2]

Background

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The French conquest of Aragon had started with the Siege of Tortosa.

Siege

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Emperor Napoleon offered Suchet a marshal's baton if he could capture Tarragona, so the French general pursued his goal vigorously. He methodically overran the city's outer works as he drove his siege parallels forward. The French general easily fended off weak attempts to relieve the city by land. Near the end of the siege, the French troops captured the lower city in a surprise attack and the garrison's survivors retreated to the upper city. At the end, Suchet's men stormed into the upper city amid scenes of horrific slaughter, including the murder of civilians. The loss of this major base and so many Spanish troops crippled the Army of Catalonia. Napoleon duly awarded Suchet the coveted rank of marshal.

Results

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One authority gave French losses as 4,300 killed and wounded out of an army of 21,635 men, including General of Division Jean-Baptiste Salme killed. Total Spanish losses numbered between 14,000 and 15,000. Of these, 8,000 were captured and the rest were killed, wounded, or died of disease. During the butchery attending the final assault, the French attackers massacred numerous civilians including 450 women and children.[3] A second authority asserted that total Spanish losses were 15,000, of whom 7,000 were killed outright. French losses were given as 1,000 killed and 3,000 wounded or sick.[4]

Aftermath

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The French conquest of Aragon proceeded with the Siege of Valencia.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Bodart 1908, p. 425.
  2. ^ Esdaile 2003, pp. 360–363.
  3. ^ Smith 1998, p. 365.
  4. ^ Gates 2002, pp. 300–301.

References

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  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  • Esdaile, Charles J. (2003). The Peninsular War. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9781403962317. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  • Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
  • Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

Further reading

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Preceded by
Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro
Napoleonic Wars
Siege of Tarragona (1811)
Succeeded by
Battle of Albuera