Bussaco 1810

By 1810 Napoleon reigned supreme over most of continental Europe. But the Iberian Peninsula remained unsubdued, particularly Portugal, which continued to resist. Napoleon ordered Marshal Massena to crush this resistance with the Army of Portugal. Greatly strengthened, Massena's army would drive the Portuguese and British into the sea. Facing the French were 60,000 British and Portuguese troops. No-one knew how the Portuguese would perform in battle, but on September 27, 1810, they received their baptism of fire. This title details the grueling Bussaco campaign as French attempts to subdue Portugal reached their climax.



Despite having repulsed French attacks at Talavera in July 1809, by 1810 Viscount Wellington had been forced onto the defensive. Napoleon was not about to give up and ordered a third massive invasion of Portugal. Wellington now faced by 80,000 men of the Army of Portugal under Marshal Massena. Massena besieged and captured the key frontier fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo and then invaded Portugal itself. Wellington withdrew slowly in the face of Massena's advance. But at Bussaco on 27 September the British/Portuguese force offered battle. Massna was perhaps too confident; the determined attacks of the French were all repulsed with the loss of 4,500 French casualties against less than 1,300 for the Anglo-Portuguese. Knowing his position would be turned, Wellington then withdrew into the defense lines around Lisbon of which the French had been completely unaware. Bussaco, a stinging defeat for the French army, also demonstrated the courage and quality of the newly reorganized Portuguese army.