War of the Pyrenees
Encyclopedia
War of the Pyrenees refers to the Pyrenees
front of the First Coalition
's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France
against the kingdoms of Spain
and Portugal
from March 1793 to July 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars
.
The war was fought in the eastern Pyrenees, the western Pyrenees, at the French port of Toulon
, and at sea. In 1793, a Spanish army invaded Rousillon in the eastern Pyrenees and maintained itself on French soil through April 1794. The French army drove the Spanish back into Catalonia
and inflicted a serious defeat on it in November 1794. After February 1795, the war in the eastern Pyrenees became a stalemate. In the western Pyrenees, the French began to win in 1794. By 1795, the French army controlled a portion of northeast Spain.
The war was brutal in at least two ways. First, the Committee of Public Safety
decreed that all French royalist prisoners be executed. Second, French generals who lost battles or otherwise displeased the all-powerful Representatives-on-mission were sent to prison or the guillotine
with alarming frequency. Army of the eastern Pyrenees commanders and generals were especially unlucky in this regard.
of France executed King Louis XVI of France
by guillotine
, enraging the other monarchs of Europe. France was already at war with Habsburg Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia
, and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. Since winning the Battle of Jemappes
, the French army occupied the Austrian Netherlands. Emboldened, the government decreed annexation of the territory (modern Belgium
), provoking a diplomatic break with Great Britain
. On 1 February, France declared war on Britain and the Dutch Republic
. On 7 March, France declared war on her ancient ally Spain.
appointed Captain General
Antonio Ricardos
to command the Army of Catalonia in the eastern Pyrenees. Ricardos invaded the Cerdagne and captured Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
on 17 April 1793. Three days later, he routed a French force Céret
on the Tech River
. In despair, the elderly French commander in charge of Rousillon, General Mathieu Henri Marchant de La Houlière committed suicide. On 30 April, the French government split the Army of the Pyrenees into the Army of the eastern Pyrenees and the Army of the western Pyrenees.
In the Battle of Mas Deu on 19 May, Ricardos defeated General of Division (MG) Louis-Charles de Flers
. This allowed the Spanish to invest the Fort de Bellegarde on 23 May. The Siege of Bellegarde
ended when the French garrison surrendered on 24 June. In the Battle of Niel on 17 July, de Flers turned back the Spanish, though French losses were heavier. On 28 August, MG Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
defeated a Spanish force under General Manuel la Peña
at Puigcerdà
in the Cerdagne.
In September, Ricardos sent two divisions under Lieutenant General
(LG) Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarilas
and LG Juan de Courten to cut off the fortress of Perpignan
. But MG Eustache Charles d'Aoust
rallied the French to win the Battle of Peyrestortes
on 17 September. This represented the farthest Spanish advance in Rousillon. Five days later Ricardos defeated Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas
, before falling bach to the Tech valley. Ricardos repulsed d'Aoust at Le Boulou
on 3 October. The Battle of the Tech (Pla del Rey) on 13–15 October saw the Spanish repel the assaults of MG Louis Marie Turreau
. A 5,000-man Portuguese division led by LG João Forbes joined Ricardos in time to defeat d'Aoust at the Battle of Villelongue-dels-Monts
on 7 December. LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
captured the port of Collioure
from the French on 20 December.
Ricardos died on 13 March 1794, and Spanish success died with him. CG Alejandro O'Reilly
died ten days after the man he was to succeed, and LG Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
was appointed to command the Army of Catalonia instead. The Army of the eastern Pyrenees also had a new commander in MG Jacques François Dugommier
. At the Battle of Boulou from 29 April to 1 May, Dugommier drove de la Union's army south of the border, forcing the Spanish to abandon all their artillery and trains. Collioure fell to the French in late May and LG Eugenio Navarro's 7,000-man Spanish garrison became prisoners. The French royalist defenders fled in fishing boats before the surrender to avoid execution. Dugommier imposed a blockade on Bellegarde starting on 5 May. The inconclusive Battle of La Junquera was fought on 7 June. In the Battle of San-Lorenzo de la Muga
on 13 August, MG Pierre Augereau repulsed a Spanish attempt to relieve Bellegarde. The fortress fell on 17 September after the Spanish garrison was starved out. On 17 to 20 November, the climactic Battle of the Black Mountain
saw both Dugommier and de la Union killed in action. MG Dominique Catherine de Pérignon took command of the French and led them to victory. Figueres
and its San Fernando (Sant Ferran) fortress quickly fell to the French with 9,000 prisoners.
MG Pierre François Sauret
successfully concluded the Siege of Roses
on 4 February 1795. An attempt by MG Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
to cross the Rio Fluvià
on 14 June was defeated by LG José Urrutia y de las Cases at the Battle of Bàscara
. After peace was signed, but before word reached the fighting front, Cuesta recaptured Puigcerdà and Bellver from the French on 26 and 27 July.
Historian Digby Smith
lists no battles in the western Pyrenees for the year 1793. However, a number of clashes occurred, including actions fought by Colonel Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey's 5th Light Demi-brigade at Chateau-Pignon on 6 June, Aldudes
in June, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz on 23 July.
On 5 February 1794, MG Louis Dubouquet successfully defended the fortified Sans Culottes Camp on a hilltop near Hendaye
against 13,000 Spanish infantry and 700 cavalry and artillery led by Lieutenant General
(LG) José Urrutia y de las Cases. Spanish casualties numbered 335 while French losses are unknown. On 3 June, a 2,300-man French brigade commanded by General of Brigade (BG) Lavictoire stormed the Casa Fuorte position at Izpegi Pass
(Col d'Ispeguy) 13.5 airline km west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
. The 1,000 defenders, including a battalion of the Spanish Zamora Infantry Regiment, three companies of the Aldudes Rifles, and the French Émigré
Légion Royal battalion, lost 94 killed and wounded, plus 307 captured. The losses of the French brigade, part of Mauco's division, were described as "light". The same day, Colonel Jacques Lefranc's 2,000 French republican troops seized the Izpegi Ridge.
Near Bera (Vera) on 23 June, Captain General
Don Ventura Caro with 8,000 infantry and 500 cavalry and artillery tried unsuccessfully to oust a French force from a fortified position atop Mont Calvari. The Spanish suffered 500 killed and wounded, plus 34 captured. The French admitted 30 killed and 200 wounded. On 10 July, BG Antoine Digonet with a brigade of 4,000 troops overwhelmed the Zamora Infantry and the Légion Royal defending Monte Argintzo (Mont Arquinzu). The height is located at 43°3′23"N 1°29′40"W, 10 km south of Elizondo
. Spanish losses numbered 314, including French royalist commander LG Marquis de Saint-Simon badly wounded. On this occasion, the French republicans executed 49 French royalist prisoners.
On 23 July, the Army of the Western Pyrenees attacked Spanish fortified positions with the divisions of MG Moncey, MG Henri Delaborde
, and MG Jean Henri Guy Nicolas de Frégeville. Though MG Jacques Léonard Muller commanded the army at the time, Moncey exercised tactical control of operations during the Battle of the Baztan Valley
. In the fighting near Elizondo and Doneztebe
(Santesteban), Moncey overran the Spanish defenses. The French then followed the Bidasoa
River northward in late July to seize the heights of San Marcial and the town of Hondarribia
(Fuenterrabia) near the coast. In the latter operation, Moncey captured LG Don Vicente de los Reyes, 2,000 Spanish soldiers, and 300 cannon on 1 August. Moncey followed this exploit by capturing San Sebastián on 3 August, with an additional 1,700 Spanish soldiers and 90 cannon falling into French hands. Soon after, the French also captured the town of Tolosa
. Moncey was soon promoted to army commander.
From 15 to 17 October, Moncey, launched a broad front offensive from the Baztan valley and the Roncevaux Pass
to the south in the direction of Pamplona
. The Battle of Orbaitzeta
saw clashes at Mezkiritz (Mezquiriz), Orbaitzeta
, Lekunberri
, and Villanueva. The 46,000-man French army drove back 13,000 Spanish troops under the command of LG Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna with 4,000 casualties and the loss of 50 cannon. French losses are unknown. The arms foundries at Orbaitzeta and Egui, as well as the Spanish navy's mast store at Irati, fell to the French. However, the onset of winter weather and the outbreak of disease caused operations to be suspended for the year. A final clash occurred at Bergara
on 7 November when the French inflicted losses of 150 killed, plus 200 men and one cannon captured on a 4,000-man division led by Marquis de Ruby.
During the winter Moncey reorganized his army, which had lost 3,000 men to disease. He finally secured a siege train and, in June 1795 12,000 reinforcements arrived from the Army of the West. Moncey's offensive began on 28 June and it soon drove back LG Crespo's Spanish forces. Vitoria
fell to the French on 17 July and Bilbao
two days later. When news of the Peace of Basel arrived in early August, Moncey had crossed the Ebro
and was preparing to invest Pamplona.
, Federico Gravina, and Samuel Hood
, and General Charles O'Hara
. The Allies abandoned the port after a young officer of artillery, Napoleon Bonaparte took the fleet's anchorage under cannon fire. The French navy lost 14 Ships of the line burnt and 15 more captured. French casualties numbered 2,000 while Allied losses were twice as great. Afterward, the victors massacred up to 2,000 French royalists taken as prisoners.
in the Gulf of Roses was a defeat for the French navy.
ended the War of the Pyrenees on 22 July 1795. An alliance convention between France and Spain was signed at the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
on 19 August 1796. All in all, it was a victory for the French republic. Portugal remained in combat, however, as peace was not concluded with the Portuguese.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
front of the First Coalition
First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
's war against the First French Republic. Also known as Great War, War of Roussillon, or War of the Convention, it pitted Revolutionary France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
against the kingdoms of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
from March 1793 to July 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
The war was fought in the eastern Pyrenees, the western Pyrenees, at the French port of Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, and at sea. In 1793, a Spanish army invaded Rousillon in the eastern Pyrenees and maintained itself on French soil through April 1794. The French army drove the Spanish back into Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
and inflicted a serious defeat on it in November 1794. After February 1795, the war in the eastern Pyrenees became a stalemate. In the western Pyrenees, the French began to win in 1794. By 1795, the French army controlled a portion of northeast Spain.
The war was brutal in at least two ways. First, the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
decreed that all French royalist prisoners be executed. Second, French generals who lost battles or otherwise displeased the all-powerful Representatives-on-mission were sent to prison or the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
with alarming frequency. Army of the eastern Pyrenees commanders and generals were especially unlucky in this regard.
Outbreak
On 21 January 1793, the National ConventionNational Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
of France executed King Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
, enraging the other monarchs of Europe. France was already at war with Habsburg Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, and the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. Since winning the Battle of Jemappes
Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. General Charles François Dumouriez, in command of the French Revolutionary Army, defeated the greatly outnumbered Austrian army of Field Marshal Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and his second-in-command...
, the French army occupied the Austrian Netherlands. Emboldened, the government decreed annexation of the territory (modern Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), provoking a diplomatic break with Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. On 1 February, France declared war on Britain and the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
. On 7 March, France declared war on her ancient ally Spain.
Eastern Pyrenees
At the outbreak of war, King Charles IV of SpainCharles IV of Spain
Charles IV was King of Spain from 14 December 1788 until his abdication on 19 March 1808.-Early life:...
appointed Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
Antonio Ricardos
Antonio Ricardos
Antonio Ricardos Carrillo de Albornoz was a Spanish general. He joined the army of the Kingdom of Spain and fought against Habsburg Austria, the Portugal, and the First French Republic during a long military career. By embracing the Spanish Enlightenment, he earned the displeasure of conservative...
to command the Army of Catalonia in the eastern Pyrenees. Ricardos invaded the Cerdagne and captured Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans
Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
on 17 April 1793. Three days later, he routed a French force Céret
Céret
Céret is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of Vallespir historical Catalan comarca.-Geography:...
on the Tech River
Tech River
The Tech is a river in southern France, very close to the French-Spanish border. It runs through a valley in the Pyrénées-Orientales, in the former Roussillon, and is 84 km long. Its source is the Parcigoule Valley and it feeds the Mediterranean Sea...
. In despair, the elderly French commander in charge of Rousillon, General Mathieu Henri Marchant de La Houlière committed suicide. On 30 April, the French government split the Army of the Pyrenees into the Army of the eastern Pyrenees and the Army of the western Pyrenees.
In the Battle of Mas Deu on 19 May, Ricardos defeated General of Division (MG) Louis-Charles de Flers
Louis-Charles de Flers
Louis-Charles de La Motte-Ango, vicomte de Flers , joined the French Royal army and rose in rank to become a general officer in the French Revolutionary Wars. After serving in the Austrian Netherlands, he was appointed to command the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees...
. This allowed the Spanish to invest the Fort de Bellegarde on 23 May. The Siege of Bellegarde
Siege of Bellegarde (1793)
The Siege of Bellegarde commenced on 23 May 1793 and ended on 24 June 1793 when Colonel Boisbrulé's French garrison surrendered the Fort de Bellegarde to a Spanish army under the command of Antonio Ricardos. The capture of the fort gave Spain control of an important highway through the Pyrenees...
ended when the French garrison surrendered on 24 June. In the Battle of Niel on 17 July, de Flers turned back the Spanish, though French losses were heavier. On 28 August, MG Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert de Fontenille was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars.-Ancien Regime:...
defeated a Spanish force under General Manuel la Peña
Manuel la Peña
Manuel la Peña , sometimes referred to as Lapeña, was a Spanish military officer who served during the Peninsular War . Although widely regarded as incompetent, he rose through the Spanish army's ranks to become Captain General of Andalusia...
at Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and the border with France .- History :...
in the Cerdagne.
In September, Ricardos sent two divisions under Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(LG) Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarilas
Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarilas
Jerónimo Morejón Girón-Moctezuma, 3rd Marquis de las Amarillas, born 7 June 1741 at Málaga and died 17 October 1819 at Seville, became a general officer in the army of the Kingdom of Spain and commanded division-sized combat units during the War of the Pyrenees in 1793 and 1794. Though he attained...
and LG Juan de Courten to cut off the fortress of Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
. But MG Eustache Charles d'Aoust
Eustache Charles d'Aoust
Eustache Charles Joseph d'Aoust was a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars....
rallied the French to win the Battle of Peyrestortes
Battle of Peyrestortes
The Battle of Peyrestortes on 17 September 1793 saw soldiers of the First French Republic fighting troops of the Kingdom of Spain during the War of the Pyrenees. The French Army of the eastern Pyrenees, temporarily commanded by Eustache Charles d'Aoust defeated two divisions of the Army of...
on 17 September. This represented the farthest Spanish advance in Rousillon. Five days later Ricardos defeated Dagobert at the Battle of Truillas
Battle of Truillas
The Battle of Truillas was fought on 22 September 1793 during the French Revolutionary War between the French Army of the eastern Pyrenees led by Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert and the Spanish Army of Catalonia under Antonio Ricardos. This attempt by the French to exploit their success in the Battle...
, before falling bach to the Tech valley. Ricardos repulsed d'Aoust at Le Boulou
Le Boulou
Le Boulou is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
on 3 October. The Battle of the Tech (Pla del Rey) on 13–15 October saw the Spanish repel the assaults of MG Louis Marie Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau , also known as Turreau de Garambouville or Turreau de Linières, was a French general officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. He was most notable as the organisor of the colonnes infernales during the war in the Vendée, which massacred tens of thousands of Vendéens and ravaged...
. A 5,000-man Portuguese division led by LG João Forbes joined Ricardos in time to defeat d'Aoust at the Battle of Villelongue-dels-Monts
Villelongue-dels-Monts
Villelongue-dels-Monts is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.The inhabitants are called Villelonguais.-Geography:...
on 7 December. LG Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta
Gregorio García de la Cuesta y Fernández de Celis was a prominent Spanish general of the Peninsular War.-Early career:Born in La Lastra, Cantabria, to a family of petty nobles, Cuesta entered military service in 1758 as a member of the Spanish Royal Guards Regiment. He saw several successes as a...
captured the port of Collioure
Collioure
Collioure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.It lies on the Mediterranean and was a part of the ancient Roussillon province....
from the French on 20 December.
Ricardos died on 13 March 1794, and Spanish success died with him. CG Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly
Alejandro O'Reilly , was a military reformer and Inspector-General of Infantry for the Spanish Empire in the second half of the 18th century...
died ten days after the man he was to succeed, and LG Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union
Luis Firmin de Carvajal, Conde de la Union became a general officer in the army of the Kingdom of Spain. In 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars, he commanded the Spanish Army in a mostly unsuccessful effort to hold back the army of the First French Republic...
was appointed to command the Army of Catalonia instead. The Army of the eastern Pyrenees also had a new commander in MG Jacques François Dugommier
Jacques François Dugommier
Jacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
. At the Battle of Boulou from 29 April to 1 May, Dugommier drove de la Union's army south of the border, forcing the Spanish to abandon all their artillery and trains. Collioure fell to the French in late May and LG Eugenio Navarro's 7,000-man Spanish garrison became prisoners. The French royalist defenders fled in fishing boats before the surrender to avoid execution. Dugommier imposed a blockade on Bellegarde starting on 5 May. The inconclusive Battle of La Junquera was fought on 7 June. In the Battle of San-Lorenzo de la Muga
Battle of San-Lorenzo de la Muga
The Battle of San Lorenzo de la Muga was fought on 13 August 1794 between an attacking Spanish–Portuguese army led by the Conde de la Unión and a French army commanded by Jacques François Dugommier. The local French defenders headed by Pierre Augereau and Dominique Pérignon repulsed the allies...
on 13 August, MG Pierre Augereau repulsed a Spanish attempt to relieve Bellegarde. The fortress fell on 17 September after the Spanish garrison was starved out. On 17 to 20 November, the climactic Battle of the Black Mountain
Battle of the Black Mountain
The Battle of the Black Mountain was fought from 17 to 20 November 1794 between the army of the First French Republic and the allied armies of the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Portugal...
saw both Dugommier and de la Union killed in action. MG Dominique Catherine de Pérignon took command of the French and led them to victory. Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
and its San Fernando (Sant Ferran) fortress quickly fell to the French with 9,000 prisoners.
MG Pierre François Sauret
Pierre Francois Sauret
Pierre François Sauret de la Borie enlisted in the French army as a private, fought in the Seven Years War, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. He served with distinction during the War of the Pyrenees before being transferred to the Army of Italy...
successfully concluded the Siege of Roses
Siege of Roses (1794-1795)
The Siege of Roses began on 28 November 1794 and lasted until 4 February 1795 when the Spanish garrison evacuated the port and the forces of the First French Republic took control. Dominique Pérignon commanded the French army and Domingo Izquierdo led the Spanish defenders...
on 4 February 1795. An attempt by MG Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer
Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer , born in Delle, near Belfort, became a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and on three occasions led armies in combat.-Early career:...
to cross the Rio Fluvià
Fluvià
The Fluvià is a river in Catalonia. It rises in the Serralada Transversal, passes through Olot, and flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Sant Pere Pescador.- See also :* List of rivers of Spain...
on 14 June was defeated by LG José Urrutia y de las Cases at the Battle of Bàscara
Bàscara
Bàscara is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia, Spain....
. After peace was signed, but before word reached the fighting front, Cuesta recaptured Puigcerdà and Bellver from the French on 26 and 27 July.
Western Pyrenees
Digby Smith
Digby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
lists no battles in the western Pyrenees for the year 1793. However, a number of clashes occurred, including actions fought by Colonel Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey's 5th Light Demi-brigade at Chateau-Pignon on 6 June, Aldudes
Aldudes
Aldudes is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-Population:The population has been steadily declining over the years.It is located in the former province of Lower Navarre.-References:* -External links:...
in June, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz on 23 July.
On 5 February 1794, MG Louis Dubouquet successfully defended the fortified Sans Culottes Camp on a hilltop near Hendaye
Hendaye
Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country...
against 13,000 Spanish infantry and 700 cavalry and artillery led by Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(LG) José Urrutia y de las Cases. Spanish casualties numbered 335 while French losses are unknown. On 3 June, a 2,300-man French brigade commanded by General of Brigade (BG) Lavictoire stormed the Casa Fuorte position at Izpegi Pass
Izpegi Pass
The Izpegi Pass is a 672 m high Pyrenean mountain pass located right on the border between Spain and France, linking the Baztan and Baigorri valleys in the Basque Country. The river Bidasoa, called Baztan on its upper stage, rises close-by on the western side of the Iparla mountain range...
(Col d'Ispeguy) 13.5 airline km west of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean foothills....
. The 1,000 defenders, including a battalion of the Spanish Zamora Infantry Regiment, three companies of the Aldudes Rifles, and the French Émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
Légion Royal battalion, lost 94 killed and wounded, plus 307 captured. The losses of the French brigade, part of Mauco's division, were described as "light". The same day, Colonel Jacques Lefranc's 2,000 French republican troops seized the Izpegi Ridge.
Near Bera (Vera) on 23 June, Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
Don Ventura Caro with 8,000 infantry and 500 cavalry and artillery tried unsuccessfully to oust a French force from a fortified position atop Mont Calvari. The Spanish suffered 500 killed and wounded, plus 34 captured. The French admitted 30 killed and 200 wounded. On 10 July, BG Antoine Digonet with a brigade of 4,000 troops overwhelmed the Zamora Infantry and the Légion Royal defending Monte Argintzo (Mont Arquinzu). The height is located at 43°3′23"N 1°29′40"W, 10 km south of Elizondo
Elizondo, Navarre
Elizondo is a town located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. It is located on both banks of the Baztan River. The town is the capital of the Baztan valley and where most service establishments are concentrated. Elizondo is one of fifteen settlements in the valley...
. Spanish losses numbered 314, including French royalist commander LG Marquis de Saint-Simon badly wounded. On this occasion, the French republicans executed 49 French royalist prisoners.
On 23 July, the Army of the Western Pyrenees attacked Spanish fortified positions with the divisions of MG Moncey, MG Henri Delaborde
Henri Delaborde
Henri François Delaborde was a French general in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.-Early career:He was the son of a baker of Dijon. In 1783, Delaborde joined the Regiment of Condé as a private...
, and MG Jean Henri Guy Nicolas de Frégeville. Though MG Jacques Léonard Muller commanded the army at the time, Moncey exercised tactical control of operations during the Battle of the Baztan Valley
Battle of the Baztan Valley
The Battle of the Baztan Valley was fought between 23 July and 1 August 1794 during the French Revolutionary War, between a French force from the Army of the western Pyrenees commanded by Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey and the Spanish forces led by Don Ventura Caro. The French army drove the Spanish...
. In the fighting near Elizondo and Doneztebe
Doneztebe
Doneztebe-Santesteban is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-External links:*...
(Santesteban), Moncey overran the Spanish defenses. The French then followed the Bidasoa
Bidasoa
The Bidasoa is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the small town of Oronoz-Mugairi in the province of Navarre, the river actually results from the merge of several streams near the village Erratzu, with...
River northward in late July to seize the heights of San Marcial and the town of Hondarribia
Hondarribia
Hondarribia is a town situated on the west shore of Bidasoa river's mouth, in Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain. The border town is sited on a little promontory facing Hendaye over the Txingudi bay. The town holds an ancient old quarter with walls and a castle...
(Fuenterrabia) near the coast. In the latter operation, Moncey captured LG Don Vicente de los Reyes, 2,000 Spanish soldiers, and 300 cannon on 1 August. Moncey followed this exploit by capturing San Sebastián on 3 August, with an additional 1,700 Spanish soldiers and 90 cannon falling into French hands. Soon after, the French also captured the town of Tolosa
Tolosa, Spain
Tolosa is a town and municipality to the south of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain. It is located in a valley of the river Oria and overlooked by Uzturre, a white cross-topped mountain.-Famous people from Tolosa:...
. Moncey was soon promoted to army commander.
From 15 to 17 October, Moncey, launched a broad front offensive from the Baztan valley and the Roncevaux Pass
Roncevaux Pass
Roncevaux Pass is a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees near the border between France and Spain. The pass itself is entirely in Spain.According to tradition, it is the site where Roland died during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778, a landmark in Basque history leading to the foundation of the...
to the south in the direction of Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
. The Battle of Orbaitzeta
Battle of Orbaitzeta
The Battle of Orbaitzeta was fought from 15 to 17 October 1794 during the War of the Pyrenees, between the French Army of the western Pyrenees led by Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey and Spanish forces under the command of Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna...
saw clashes at Mezkiritz (Mezquiriz), Orbaitzeta
Orbaitzeta
Orbaitzeta is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.-History:On 15-17 October 1794, the Battle of Orbaitzeta was fought in the area. General Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey led the French Army of the western Pyrenees to victory over General...
, Lekunberri
Lekunberri, Spain
Lekunberri is a municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre , northern Spain. It is situated in the northwestern portion of the province, some 30 km from the provincial capital, Pamplona...
, and Villanueva. The 46,000-man French army drove back 13,000 Spanish troops under the command of LG Pedro Téllez-Girón, 9th Duke of Osuna with 4,000 casualties and the loss of 50 cannon. French losses are unknown. The arms foundries at Orbaitzeta and Egui, as well as the Spanish navy's mast store at Irati, fell to the French. However, the onset of winter weather and the outbreak of disease caused operations to be suspended for the year. A final clash occurred at Bergara
Bergara
Bergara is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the north of Spain.An Enlightened center of education operated by the Real Sociedad Bascongada de Amigos del País , it was the place where Faustino Elhuyar discovered wolfram.During the Carlist...
on 7 November when the French inflicted losses of 150 killed, plus 200 men and one cannon captured on a 4,000-man division led by Marquis de Ruby.
During the winter Moncey reorganized his army, which had lost 3,000 men to disease. He finally secured a siege train and, in June 1795 12,000 reinforcements arrived from the Army of the West. Moncey's offensive began on 28 June and it soon drove back LG Crespo's Spanish forces. Vitoria
Vitória
Vitória is the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is located on a small island within a bay where a few rivers meet the sea. It was founded in 1551. The city proper has a population of 313,300 whilst the Greater Vitória metropolitan area has a population of more than 1,612,885 ,...
fell to the French on 17 July and Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
two days later. When news of the Peace of Basel arrived in early August, Moncey had crossed the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
and was preparing to invest Pamplona.
Toulon
Spanish forces took part in the Siege of Toulon, which lasted from 18 September to 18 December 1793. The French were led by Dugommier while the Anglo-Spanish defenders were commanded by Admirals Juan de LángaraJuan de Lángara
Juan Francisco de Lángara y Huarte was a Spanish naval officer and Minister of Marine.-Life and career:He was born at Coruña, Galicia, the son of a renowned Basque family...
, Federico Gravina, and Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
, and General Charles O'Hara
Charles O'Hara
General Charles O'Hara was a British military officer who served in the Seven Years War, American War of Independence, and French Revolutionary War, and later served as Governor of Gibraltar...
. The Allies abandoned the port after a young officer of artillery, Napoleon Bonaparte took the fleet's anchorage under cannon fire. The French navy lost 14 Ships of the line burnt and 15 more captured. French casualties numbered 2,000 while Allied losses were twice as great. Afterward, the victors massacred up to 2,000 French royalists taken as prisoners.
Naval action
The Action of 14 February 1795Action of 14 February 1795
The Action of 14 February 1795 was a minor naval engagement of the French Revolutionary Wars fought in the Gulf of Roses between a ship of the line of Juan de Lángara’s fleet and a French squadron of a frigate and a corvette...
in the Gulf of Roses was a defeat for the French navy.
Conclusion
The Peace of BaselPeace of Basel
The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving France .* The first of the three treaties of 1795, France made peace with Prussia on 5 April; , * The Second was with Spain on 22 July, ending the War of the Pyrenees; and*...
ended the War of the Pyrenees on 22 July 1795. An alliance convention between France and Spain was signed at the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
Second Treaty of San Ildefonso
The Second Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on August 19, 1796 between the Spanish Empire and the First French Republic. Based on the terms of the agreement, France and Spain would become allies and combine their forces against the British Empire.-See also:...
on 19 August 1796. All in all, it was a victory for the French republic. Portugal remained in combat, however, as peace was not concluded with the Portuguese.
Books
- Robert BattyRobert BattyLieutenant-Colonel Robert Batty was a British soldier and artist.He was born 1789, the son of Dr. Batty of Hastings and started to study medicine at Caius College, Cambridge. He left his studies to join the Grenadier Guards , with whom he served in the campaign of the Western Pyrenees and at...
: Campaign of the left wing of the Allied Army, in the Western Pyrenees and South of France, in the years 1813-14, J. Murray, London 1823
Printed materials
- Chandler, DavidDavid G. ChandlerDavid G. Chandler was a British historian whose study focused on the Napoleonic era.As a young man he served briefly in the army, reaching the rank of captain, and in later life he taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Oxford University awarded him the D. Litt. in 1991...
, ed. Napoleon's Marshals. New York: Macmillan, 1987. ISBN 0-02-905930-5- Beckett, Ian F. W. "Moncey: An Honest Man".
- Horward, Donald D. "Lannes: Roland of the Army".
- Ostermann, Georges. "Pérignon: The Unknown Marshal".
- Durant, WillWill DurantWilliam James Durant was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant and published between 1935 and 1975...
and Durant, ArielAriel DurantAriel Durant was the co-author of The Story of Civilization.-Biography:Durant was born in Proskurov as Chaya Kaufman to Ethel Appel Kaufman and Joseph Kaufman. The family emigrated to the United States in 1901. She met her future husband, Will Durant, while a student at Ferrer Modern School in...
. The Age of Napoleon. New York: MJF Books, 1975. ISBN 1-56731-022-2 - Smith, DigbyDigby SmithDigby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9