The Date

JULY 19, 1808. BATTLE BAILÉN

 Bailen, July 19, 1808. A small town that had only 1500 inhabitants would write some of the most important chapters in the history of Spain. For the first time, a powerful army of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, was defeated in battle in the open field. Its echo reverberated throughout Europe being immortalized his name forever.

The Consequences of the Battle of Bailen

Post-Surrender of Bailen days, the surrender of the French army before the troops of General Brown was a historical fact that became official six days later in Madrid, through the presence of Caiptán De Villoutreys who carried a copy of the signed document by Hazel and Dupont. As a result, Joseph I, the brother of Napoleon and who gave the rights after the abdication of Bayonne of kings Charles IV and his son Ferdinand VII.

"This damn war in Spain was the first cause of all my misfortunes of France all the circumstances of my disasters related to this fatal knot. Destroyed my moral authority in Europe, compounded my difficulties, opened a school for English soldiers. damn .. this war has lost me "

Napoleon at St. Helena.

Bailen had numerous consequences.

• Psychologically originated a new hope, a huge enthusiasm overall than increased further to know the resistance shown by the people of Zaragoza and Girona. Until then, every kingdom, every city or town had reacted to the beat of the circumstances with an eminently defensive tendency, resisting the invader. From Bailen began to think of the need for the existence of a single power, observed by all who govern in the name of Ferdinand VII and instead directed the war would bring together and coordinate efforts so far dispersed. The solution was the creation of the Central and Governing Junta of the Kingdom.
• Militarily, the failure of Dupont pitched marked the first defeat of a Napoleonic army and materially, the surrender of 20,000 imperial soldiers. Strategically, Bailen opened the way to Madrid, causing Joseph I had to retreat to Vitoria for their safety. On July 29 knew the attacker bitter new king, and 30 left the Madrid Court, followed by 31 with the rear Moncey quarterback to settle in Miranda de Ebro, near which 60,000 French concentrated. On 1 August the enemy completely free breathing Madrid; entered it 13 General D. Pedro González Llamas with troops Valencia and Murcia, and 23 as effected by Hazel Atocha door with Army Reserve division of Andalusia, being received with the corresponding joy. Imperial also raised the siege they had put Zaragoza.

This retreat was spread joy among Spaniards to believe Bailen was repeatable and could win only with courage and patriotism, conventional war against Napoleon patriots. The joy of victory lasted a few months. Immediately, Napoleon decides to avenge the insult, it takes charge of his Grand Armée, with about 250,000 men in seven army corps, formed a formidable mass crash. The initial idealism that came with victory at Bailen to get expel the French invaders of our fields became a reality after a six-year war.

To Bailen, this victory was a series of awards at national and international level. The first came from the hand of the Supreme Central Boards to grant the title of "Very Noble and Loyal" in 1809, and was confirmed in 1813 by Ferdinand VII. A member of the Corporation existing at the time as well as the neighbors, mostly women, children and elderly who participated in that hot day attending the Spanish army in their needs, risking their lives, they were honored with gold medal, with the motto "By Value and Loyalty".

In 1850, he was awarded a Bailen, the range of City and to the cities of over 10,000 inhabitants are forced to place the name of Bailen one of its three main streets, honor granted by Queen Elizabeth II at a time in which a historical review of the War of Independence by French and Spanish is performed essentially analysts.

The capitulations of Bailen

The defeat of Dupont were drafted, the June 22, 1808, in known as "capitulations of Bailen" signed between the two generals from both sides: Light and Dupont. This 6-page document, stable francesad surrender of troops and the fate of the prisoners of the Battle of Bailen, courts finally repatriated to France, not to Madrid in order to prevent vovieran fight against Spanish troops this city, even in battle against the French army.

The capitulations were signed to end on June 22, after much discussion, the post house that mediates between Andujar and Bailen, near Villanueva de la Reina, where Brown had been established; for them should be a prisoner of war Barbou entire division, with which he had fought Dupont and Vedel evacuate Andalusia, moving both to Rota and Sanlúcar de Barrameda where they would sail to Rochefor embarked in ships manned by Spanish.

In consequence, the legions of Dupont, numbering 8,242 men, the victors of Austerlitz and Friedland, who had walked his victorious eagles throughout Europe, paraded in front of the Spanish army and went to lay down their arms and flags along the Sale Rumble.

The Vedel and Dufour (9,393 men) wards and divisions formed on deposit surrendered their weapons and war material. Other troops missing the corps of General Dupont to the number of 22,475 men, discarded the 2,000 killed in the battle, went to Santa Cruz de la Mudela, Manzanares and other points of communication with Madrid, to comply with the agreement held by their bosses.

Captain d'Villoutreys, who had initiated the first treatment in Bailen, Madrid took the sad news, escorted by a section of Aranjuez Spanish cavalry.

Phases of the Battle of Bailen

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One of the main factors that influenced the victory of the Spanish troops in the French army, was the great support they received from the town of Bailen. Maria Bellido became the local hero of this battle, to supply water in ceramic pitchers the Spanish army in a day where the summer heat was especially intense. The usual high temperatures in the summer in the area, helped even further, to victory against the Spanish to the French, a phenomenon made ​​evident to the artillery of the French army by overheating in their guns.

The phases of the battles were:

• BATTLE 1: Initial deployment and first Spanish attack on the French avant-garde.

  
  

The battle is going to start in the greatest confusion. About three in the morning, the French vanguard, commanded by Teulet, Rumble reaches the bridge. Meanwhile, Brigadier Venegas, had played an hour before target and prepared to march. It was pitch black and you could see just over the horizon. Nobody knew who was ahead. Disoriented the vanguards of both armies, still dark, the strength of the Spanish Teulet overwhelms and compels them to retreat to the foothills of Zumacar Chico. Hearing the shots, the General Reding met with his Generals, to the left of the Camino Real, ordered his units that are situated where they were bivouacked, Venegas, get time to organize and conduct an orderly deployment. From the hill of Cerro San Valentín to haza Walona, arched.