Battle of Salamanca Military History Talk

At 6.00 pm on Wednesday, 24th September there will be a military history talk on Zoom by Lt Col (Retd) James Porter. The talk is given in support of  The Keep Military Museum, Dorchester.

The talk is about the Battle of Salamanca - one of the greatest battles of the Peninsular War. In April 1812, following the successful siege of Badajoz, Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese army took the offensive into Spain. The French Marshal Marmont retreated to the town of Salamanca, where he left a rearguard in strongly fortified buildings before moving the main part of his army out of Salamanca.  Wellington followed and captured the town after heavy fighting.

Marmont then withdrew to the River Douro and there followed a week of marching and counter-marching as both sides jockeyed for a position that would give them a clear tactical advantage. Eventually, Marmont made the mistake of overextending his army in an attempt to cut Wellington off from Portugal. Wellington seized the opportunity and attacked. There followed an epic battle in which cavalry, infantry and cannon all played a vital part, and the outcome was, for a while, in doubt. The result was a great victory for Wellington who was able to march and liberate Madrid.

A recording may be sent to anyone unable to tune in on 24 Sep. Further details from [email protected]