Battle of Cardedeu

Battle of Cardadeu
Part of Peninsular War

Battle of Cardedeu, 16 December 1808, by Jean-Charles Langlois.
Date16 December 1808
Location41°38′26″N 2°21′34″E / 41.64056°N 2.35944°E / 41.64056; 2.35944
Result Franco-Italian victory[1][2]
Belligerents
First French Empire French Empire
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy
Spain
Commanders and leaders
First French Empire Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Domenico Pino
Spain Juan Miguel de Vives
Spain Theodor von Reding
Strength
15,000–16,500, 30 guns 9,000, 7 guns
Casualties and losses
600 2,500, 5 guns, 2 colors
Peninsular war: Napoleon's invasion
Map
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The Battle of Cardadeu on 16 December 1808 saw an Imperial French corps led by Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr assault a Spanish force commanded by Juan Miguel de Vives y Feliu and Theodor von Reding. Saint-Cyr won the engagement by forming most of his troops into gigantic attack columns and smashing through the Spanish lines. Cardedeu is located 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of Barcelona, Spain. The action occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.

By the fall of 1808, a French corps under Guillaume Philibert Duhesme was besieged in Barcelona by a 24,000-man Spanish army led by Vives. With 23,000 Franco-Italian soldiers, Gouvion Saint-Cyr marched from France to relieve Duhesme's troops. First Saint-Cyr undertook the successful Siege of Roses. Confronted by the fortress of Girona, which had resisted two earlier attacks, the French general resorted to a risky strategy. Leaving his artillery and most of his supplies behind, he avoided Girona by marching 16,500 men though the mountains and headed for Barcelona. Saint-Cyr completely outgeneraled Vives, who was only able to marshal 9,000 troops to block his opponent. Vives drew up his outnumbered troops on high ground, but Saint-Cyr's huge columns proved unstoppable. The Spanish withdrew after suffering heavy losses and Barcelona was soon relieved.

  1. ^ Bodart 1908, p. 392.
  2. ^ Smith 1998, p. 272.