Siege of Badajoz (1812)

"Sack of Badajoz" redirects here. For the sack of the city during the Spanish Civil War, see Battle of Badajoz (1936).
See also: Siege of Badajoz (disambiguation)
Siege of Badajoz (1812)
Part of the Peninsular War

"The Devil's Own" 88th Regiment at the Siege of Badajoz, by Richard Caton Woodville
Date16 March – 6 April 1812; (3 weeks)
Location
Badajoz, Spain
38°52′49″N 6°58′31″W / 38.88028°N 6.97528°W / 38.88028; -6.97528
Result Coalition victory[1]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Armand Philippon United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Arthur Wellesley
Strength
4,742–5,000[1] 27,000[2]
52 guns
Casualties and losses
1,300[1]–1,500 killed or wounded
3,500–3,700[1] captured[3]		 4,760[4]–4,924[5] killed or wounded
200–4,000 Spanish civilians killed or injured[a]
Peninsular War
Castile 1811–13
Map
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Maps: terms of use
200km
125miles
20
Battle of Tordesillas (1812) at Tordesillas, from 25 to 29 October 1812
19
Battle of Venta del Pozo at Villodrigo, on 23 October 1812
Burgos
18
Siege of Burgos at Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812
17
Battle of Majadahonda at Majadahonda, on 11 August 1812
16
Battle of García Hernández at Garcihernández, on 23 July 1812
Salamanca
15
Battle of Salamanca at Salamanca, on 22 July 1812
Astorga
14
Siege of Astorga (1812) at Astorga, from 29 June to 19 August 1812
13
Battle of Maguilla at Maguilla, on 11 June 1812
12
Battle of Almaraz at Almaraz, from 18 to 19 May 1812
11
Battle of Villagarcia at Villagarcia, on 11 April 1812
Ciudad Rodrigo
10
Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) at Ciudad Rodrigo, from 7 to 20 January 1812
9
Battle of Navas de Membrillo at Navas de Membrillo, on 29 December 1811
8
Battle of Arroyo dos Molinos at Arroyo dos Molinos, on 28 October 1811
7
Battle of Cogorderos at Cogorderos, on 23 June 1811
Arlabán
6
Battle of Arlabán (1811) on 25 May 1811 Battle of Arlabán (1812) on 9 April 1812
5
Battle of Usagre at Usagre, on 25 May 1811
Albuera
4
Battle of Albuera at Albuera, on 16 May 1811
Campo Maior
3
Battle of Campo Maior at Campo Maior, on 25 March 1811
2
Battle of the Gebora at Gebora, on 19 February 1811
Badajoz
1
First siege of Badajoz (1811) from 26 January 1811 to 11 March 1811 Second siege of Badajoz (1811) from 22 April to 12 May 1811 from 19 May to 10 June 1811 Siege of Badajoz (1812) from 16 March to 6 April 1812
  current battle

The siege of Badajoz (16 March – 6 April 1812; [baðaˈxoθ]), also called the third siege of Badajoz, was an Anglo-Portuguese Army under the Earl of Wellington (later the Duke of Wellington) besieged Badajoz, Spain, and forced the surrender of the French garrison. The siege was one of the bloodiest in the Napoleonic Wars[4] and was considered a costly victory by the British, with some 4,800 Allied soldiers killed or wounded in a few short hours of intense fighting during the storming of the breaches as the siege drew to an end. Enraged at the huge number of casualties they suffered in seizing the city, the troops broke into houses and stores consuming vast quantities of alcohol with many of them then going on a rampage, threatening their officers and ignoring their commands to desist, and even killing several.[5] It took three days before the men were brought back into order. When order was restored, an estimated 200–300 civilians had been killed or injured.[a][6]

  1. ^ a b c d Bodart 1908, p. 431.
  2. ^ Paget 1996, p. 149.
  3. ^ Fletcher 2001, p. 69.
  4. ^ a b Weller 1962, p. 204.
  5. ^ a b Paget 1996, p. 151.
  6. ^ EB 2020, p. 431.


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