Division of the North | |
---|---|
Active | March – November 1808 |
Disbanded | November 1808 (destroyed) |
Country | Spain |
Allegiance | Ferdinand VII of Spain |
Branch | Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Garrison, front-line |
Size | 15,000 |
Garrison/HQ | Denmark (until May 1808) |
Engagements | Escape from Denmark Battle of Valmaseda Battle of Espinosa |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Marquis of La Romana, Joaquín Blake y Joyes |
The Division of the North (Spanish: División del Norte) was a Spanish infantry division that existed in 1808.
Spain was, at that time, an ally of France and the division, composed of 15,000 men under the command of the Marquis de la Romana, Pedro Caro y Sureda,[1] was initially deployed, between 1807 and 1808, to perform garrison duties in Hamburg under Marshal Bernadotte. In March 1808, along with a Franco-Belgian unit of approximately the same size, the unit was deployed to Denmark, with the two-fold objective of protecting that country, also an ally of Napoleon, and preparing for an invasion of Sweden.
After Caro y Sureda learned about the outbreak of the Peninsular War, he decided to have the British transport the division back to Spain. The majority of the division returned to Spain and fought in the early part of the Peninsular War.