Making of a Marshal: Bertrand Clauzel Takes Command of the Army of Portugal, 1812
Jeffrey Graceffo
Historians have studied Napoleon's Peninsular War for nearly 200 years, focusing in great detail on its military aspect. While many studies are devoted to the Duke of Wellington, Marshal Andre Massena, or other French marshals, there are some individuals who had a remarkable impact on the Peninsula that have been ignored. During the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812, French General Bertrand Clauzel became commander of the Army of Portugal. After the battle, he remained in command for several months. He dealt with an army that was in ruin. Their morale was extremely low, discipline was almost non-existent, and their logistics were in shambles. Nevertheless, he sought to restore the army as an effective fighting force. Throughout his efforts to restore the army, Clauzel faced Spanish guerrillas and the British Army in an exhausted country. Most references to Clauzel during this time period are extremely limited. Due to the recent archival availability of Clauzel's personal papers, this thesis will take an important step in analyzing Clauzel's role and contribution to the French cause in the Peninsular War.
https://repository.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:182278