In the blog attached to this website you will find a post questioning whether Wellington squandered the strategic opportunity that his victory at the Battle of Salamanca created. I argue that Salamanca was not wasted, and that the setback that he faced in the later part of 1812 was almost inevitable. Do you agree? Post your thoughts below
A long ignored part of the Napoleonic wars is the war in Canada. British Troops, like those in Burma, would describe themselves as the forgotten Army. Anyway you might enjoy this documentary about them https://youtu.be/lZrOCvkZxq4
Yes, you are entirely right here, Zack: Wellington’s position in the wake of Salamanca was very difficult, and it is hard to see how he could have held his position indefinitely even had he somehow taken the citadel at Burgos. That said, I do think that he messed up his one chance of staving off the strategic pressures acting against him, namely crushing Clausel’s isolated force in the early stages of the Burgos campaign: this episode is all but impossible to fathom.
A lot is often made of Wellington being unwell - he certainly looked ill in the Goya sketch. Do you think that played a role?