Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

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However, one night was far from enough for Talavera to build a strong defense line.

Early the next morning, led by the most elite 43rd Light Infantry Regiment under Wellesley, the Anglo-Portuguese Army launched a full-scale attack on the Spaniards.

The Marquis Talavera personally commanded the defense line, but the British new army had an overwhelming advantage in both equipment and training, leaving the Spaniards with no power to fight back.

By midday, Talavera’s remaining 17,000 soldiers were pushed into a very narrow area by the riverbank.

British gunfire surrounded them, while behind them raged the rushing river.

The Marquis Talavera was almost in despair, drawing a cross in prayer, and was already considering whether to surrender.

On the other side of the battlefield, Dossantos mounted his horse, preparing to personally command the final charge, when he saw a British hussar approaching to report to Wellesley: “General, we’ve spotted French cavalry activity to the northeast.”

Wellesley frowned immediately: “How many are there?”

“Not clear yet,” the cavalry scout replied, “Their defense is very tight, we could never get close.”

Wellesley hesitated for a few seconds, then turned and waved to the order officer: “Order Colonel Lai Keer to keep an eye on the Spaniards here, the rest retreat to Coimbra immediately.”

“Yes, General!”

Dossantos’ eyes widened instantly, trying to dissuade: “General, we only need two hours, no, an hour and a half to completely defeat the Talavera corps, withdrawing at this moment…”

The British officer looked at him coldly: “I believe I made myself clear, General, retreat immediately.”

“This, is, I understand.”

Half an hour later, the Anglo-Portuguese forces began to orderly withdraw in batches from the battlefield, retreating along the Mondego River to Coimbra City.

The Marquis Talavera was surprised to find the British had stopped their attack, but did not dare to pursue hastily—in fact, his troops no longer had the morale to launch a counterattack.

About an hour later, more than ten columns of the French Army launched a fierce attack on the British Lai Keer corps left behind, while the French cavalry, dressed in white double-breasted uniforms, slipped past the British defense line’s flank, directly chasing southward.

The two thousand Anglo-Portuguese troops in the rear guard persisted for only over 20 minutes before they scattered to the sides under the fierce shooting of the French infantry line.

Immediately, Juno arrived at Talavera’s temporary command post with his guards, and upon meeting he shouted angrily, “What are you doing here, why didn’t you hold back the British?!”

The gratitude words were just about to leave his mouth, but he swallowed them back awkwardly: “I, I was worried this was a British trap.”

Juno glared at him, mounted his horse, and continued to chase southward.

He had been waiting for an opportunity further north in Tondela when he heard yesterday afternoon that the British finally launched an attack, he excitedly led his troops to advance.

His army took less than a day to march 30 kilometers to the south of Mortagua Town.

However, all he saw was a rear detachment of about two thousand enemy troops.

In other words, nearly 30,000 Spanish troops did not even manage to hold the Anglo-Portuguese Army for a day…

When Juno reached the outskirts of Coimbra City, he saw the flashes from British cannons outside the city, indicating the latter had evidently prepared for defense.

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The Peninsular War, as the name suggests, was a war fought on the Iberian Peninsula. This war involved not only Portugal and France but also Spain and England, which implied that the war was not merely about conquering land but was more about contending for European hegemony, closely linked to the Anti-French Alliance War in Europe.

In 1807, Napoleon launched an attack on Portugal, and by the end of the year (December 1st) had captured Lisbon (then the capital of Portugal). By 1808, nearly the entire Iberian Peninsula’s Portuguese mainland was under French occupation, and the Portuguese Kingdom’s Braganza Dynasty Royal Family had to transfer the capital to its colony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Portuguese mainland only got rid of French rule in 1812 with British assistance.

Beginning in 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Family and most nobles from Lisbon fled to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, until 1821, Rio de Janeiro served as Portugal’s “new capital,” making it the only European capital at the time not located in Europe. It was one of the rare periods in Portuguese history with two capitals, but living in a colony did not really count—had Portugal planned to establish itself in South America? Would Brazil merge with Portugal? Thus, by 1812, Portugal, united with Britain, attacked the French Army, and eventually, after a series of military maneuvers, successfully resolved the crisis in the Portuguese mainland.

Spain, as another major force on the Iberian Peninsula, held apprehension about France’s intentions. To appease Spain, Napoleon promised to use its territory merely as a passage to Portugal, but in reality, he had more far-reaching plans—to bring the entire Iberian Peninsula under his control. The hesitation and internal conflicts within the Spanish Royal Family provided Napoleon with an opportunity, eventually leading King Charlie IV of Spain to acquiesce in allowing the French Army passage.

As Napoleon’s forces approached Lisbon, Portugal faced an unprecedented crisis. To avoid a bloody conflict, Regent John VI of Portugal made a difficult decision: to lead the royal family members and numerous nobles and wealthy merchants to evacuate the mainland and take refuge in Brazil. This move, although temporarily ensuring the safety of the Portuguese royal family, left the country in a state of anarchy, laying the groundwork for subsequent social unrest.

Occupying Portugal was merely the first step in Napoleon’s grand vision. He promptly turned his attention to Spain, aiming for full control of the Iberian Peninsula. However, things did not go as planned; Napoleon encountered unprecedented resistance on the Iberian Peninsula, leading to the outbreak of the Peninsular War. The fierce resistance of the Spanish people, along with the support of the British Expeditionary Force, made Napoleon expend a vast amount of manpower and financial resources in this war, ultimately failing to achieve total conquest.

Napoleon’s advance into Portugal marked a bold and risky move in his quest for European dominance. While in the short term it resulted in effective control of Portugal, this strategy set off a chain of events, triggering the years-long Peninsular War, draining the empire’s valuable resources, and escalating discontent both domestically and internationally. In the long run, this military action, although demonstrating Napoleon’s temporary majesty, also sowed the seeds of the empire’s decline, highlighting that any attempt to defy the popular will and forcibly change a nation’s fate is bound to pay a heavy price.

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