Battle record of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
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Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
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Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
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(1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852), was one of the leading British military and political figures of the 19th century. Often referred to as "The Duke of Wellington", he led a successful military career during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Starting his career in 1787 as a commissioned officer in the infantry, before seeing his first action in the Flanders Campaign
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
, Wellesley rose in rank by purchasing
Sale of commissions
The sale of commissions was a common practice in most European armies where wealthy and noble officers purchased their rank. Only the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army never used such a system. While initially shunned in the French Revolutionary Army, it was eventually revived in the...
his first four commissions, as was common practice in the British Army for wealthy officers. His continued rise in status and fame thereafter was the result of his ability as a commander.
Between 1794 and 1815 Wellesley participated in a number of military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
s where he achieved tactical
Tactical victory
A tactical victory may refer to a victory that results in the completion of a tactical objective as part of an operation or a victory where the losses of the defeated outweigh those of the victor.-Concepts:...
, strategic
Strategic victory
A strategic victory is a victory that brings long-term advantage to the victor, and disturbs the enemy's ability to wage a war. When a historian speaks of a victory in general, it is usually referring to a strategic victory....
, and decisive
Decisive victory
A decisive victory is an indisputable military victory of a battle that determines or significantly influences the ultimate result of a conflict. It does not always coincide with the end of combat...
victories in India and across six countries of western Europe. He faced many of Napoleon's marshals
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, but his best known battle was at Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in 1815 where he led an Anglo-Allied force to a decisive victory over Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. It was to be his last battle.
Military career
There is speculation as to how many battles Wellington actually participated in during his career, by historians and biographers. Military historian, Ian Fletcher, identifies twenty-four major battles and sieges involving the British Army between 1808 and 1815 with Wellington was in command of seventeen of those engagements. Military historian, Mark Adkin, comments that "Wellington had fought in some twenty-four battles and sieges prior to WaterlooBattle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
". Although this is easily contested, the precise number of battles may never be known. It can be established from records, dispatches and reports dating back to the events that he was present in at least fifty separate military actions, including an assortment of meeting engagement
Meeting engagement
A meeting engagement, a term used in warfare, is a combat action that occurs when a moving force, incompletely deployed for battle, engages an enemy at an unexpected time and place.-Description:...
s, pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
s, sieges, skirmishes and minor engagements
Engagement (military)
A military engagement is a combat between two forces, neither larger than a division and not smaller than a company, in which each has an assigned or perceived mission...
, throughout his career. He also ordered countless other remote engagements mostly whilst serving in the Napoleonic Wars, during which Britain played a major role in securing Europe against French occupation, between 1805 and 1815.
Commissions and promotions
Wellington was gazetted ensignEnsign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
on 7 March 1787, in the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot, and became an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
in October. He purchased his commission to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 25 December 1787, in the 76th Regiment. As a junior officer he transferred to the 41st Regiment soon after to avoid duty in the East Indies, and in June 1789 transferred again, to the 12th Light Dragoons cavalry regiment. He obtained his commission to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 30 June 1791, in the 58th Regiment, having served the regulation minimum of three years, and again to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 30 April 1793, in the 33rd Regiment of Foot
Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
, having served six years. He purchased his final commission to lieutenant-colonel on 30 September 1793, at the age of 24. From there on further promotion could only be attained through seniority
Seniority
Seniority is the concept of a person or group of people being in charge or in command of another person or group. This control is often granted to the senior person due to experience or length of service in a given position, but it is not uncommon for a senior person to have less experience or...
, per Army Regulations.
In September 1794, Wellesley experienced his first battle, against the French, at the Battle of Boxtel
Battle of Boxtel
The Battle of Boxtel was a battle fought during the First Coalition in the Dutch province North Brabant, on the 15 September 1794. It was part of the Flanders Campaign of 1793-94 in which British, Dutch and Austrian troops had attempted to launch an invasion of France through Flanders...
with the 33rd. His promotion to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, on 3 May 1796, came by seniority, and in June he was sent with the 33rd to India. In 1799 he fought in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington....
, commanding three victorious actions with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. After winning the war, and serving as governor of Seringapatam and Mysore, Wellesley was promoted to major-general on 29 April 1802, although he did not receive the news until September. Whilst in India he wrote of his regiment "I have commanded them for nearly ten years during which I have scarcely been away from them and I have always found them to be the quietest and best behaved body of men in the army."
Wellesley gained further success in India during the Second Anglo-Maratha War
Second Anglo-Maratha War
The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.-Background:...
of 1803–05, and in 1806 Wellesley succeeded the Marquis Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
as Colonel of the 33rd, which he held until 1813. By 1807, Napoleon's attempt to prevent continental Europe from trading with Britain had resulted in all but Sweden, Denmark and Portugal closing their ports. In June 1807, Napoleon pressured Denmark further, resulting in the British naval bombardment of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
and seizure of the Danish fleet to prevent it from falling into French hands. Wellesley's brief role against Danish land forces at the Battle of Køge
Battle of Køge
The Battle of Køge was a battle on 29 August 1807 between British troops besieging Copenhagen and Danish militia raised on Sjælland. It ended in British victory and also known as the 'Træskoslaget' or 'Clogs Battle', since the poorly-equipped Danish militia threw their heavy wooden clogs away when...
helped secure Denmark. Wellesley later disapproved of the bombardment, saying "we might have taken the capital with greater ease". He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 25 April 1808, and in June was given command of 9,000 men set to invade revolutionary Spanish America. But in 1807, Napoleon had invaded Portugal, via Spain, intent on preventing its continued trade with Britain, but replaced the Spanish royal family with his own brother, Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
, in May 1808. In Madrid, the Spanish resisted the French occupation, leading the Portuguese to call on British support. In August 1808, Wellesley entered the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
with 15,000 men.
When the head of the British forces in the Peninsula, Sir John Moore, was killed in the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
in January 1809, the British Army having been driven from the Peninsula in disarray, Wellington sent the Secretary of War a memo insisting that a British force of no less than 30,000 British troops should be sent to defend and rebuild Portugal's military strength. His proposal was approved and he re-embarked to Lisbon on 16 April 1809, where he was appointed to head of the forces in Portugal – a motion supported by the government and Prince Regent George IV, as Wellington did not hold seniority.
On 31 July 1811, he was promoted to general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
, although it only applied in the Peninsula. His final promotion to field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
came on 21 June 1813, following his success at the Battle of Vitoria
Battle of Vitoria
At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after...
which had broken the remaining French hold in Spain. Wellington was awarded with a Marshal's baton
Baton (symbol)
The ceremonial baton is a short, thick stick, carried by select high-ranking military officers as a uniform article. The baton is distinguished from the swagger stick in being thicker and less functional . Unlike a staff of office, a baton is not rested on the ground...
– partially designed by the Prince Regent himself – the first of its kind in the Britain Army.
Allied commander
Wellington was appointed head of all British forces from April 1809, following the death of Sir John Moore, and due to the second invasion of Portugal by the French he remained to continue the Peninsular War for a further five years, engaging the French armies across Portugal, Spain, and north into France until Napoleon's abdication in 1814. He returned to Europe in 1815 appointed overall commander of the Anglo-Allied forces of the Seventh Coalition, better known as the Hundred DaysHundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, following Napoleon's escape from exile and attempt to retain power.
Despite many battles to his name, over twenty-one years of duty, it would be shortly after the battle at Waterloo upon hearing of approximately 50,000 casualties dead or dying that he wept, saying "I hope to God I have fought my last battle". It had been a close victory at such great cost that it broke his fighting spirit, and marked the end of his long service overseas with a notable military career. He returned to British politics and became a leading statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. He was appointed Master-General of the Ordnance
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance was a very senior British military position before 1855, when the Board of Ordnance was abolished.-Responsibilities:...
(1819–27) and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
The Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, or just the Commander-in-Chief , was the professional head of the British Army from 1660 until 1904, when the office was replaced by the Chief of the General Staff, soon to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff . From 1870, the C-in-C was subordinate to...
(1827–28/1842–52), but Wellington did not fight again.
Generalship
Wellington's understanding of logistics was to prove valuable in leading an expeditionary forceExpeditionary warfare
Expeditionary warfare is used to describe the organization of a state's military to fight abroad, especially when deployed to fight away from its established bases at home or abroad. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of Rapid Deployment Forces...
against the French invasion of Portugal and Spain. He was adept at planning long marches through unknown territory, understanding that he not only had thousands of men to manage efficiently, but that a huge amount of supplies were required to adequately feed and sustain his army. Secure supply lines to the Portuguese coast were of vital importance if he was to maintain his ability to fight the French.
In April 1809, Wellington returned to Portugal with 28,000 British and 16,000 Portuguese troops under his command – the French Army of Spain numbered 360,000. Despite many French troops having been dispersed to garrisons across Spain or located to protect supply and communication lines, even with the Portuguese Army and militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, and remnants of the Spanish Army and guerillas to support him, Wellington faced overwhelming odds. Throughout the Peninsular War the number of British soldiers never exceeded 40,000, including the King's German Legion
King's German Legion
The King's German Legion was a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel, 1803–16. The Legion achieved the distinction of being the only German force to fight without interruption against the French during the Napoleonic Wars....
(KGL) and British trained Portuguese Army. At Waterloo, of his roughly 73,000 strong army, only around 26,000 (36 percent) were British. Many British politicians were opposed to the war in Europe and favoured withdrawal, which hampered its will to muster a larger force to defeat Napoleon. This served in sharpening Wellington's awareness that a defensive strategy was essential, initially, to ensure the British Army survived.
Wellington faced armies formed from the disbanded French Grande Armée, once an overpowering force, having conquered Europe and expanded the French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, led by Napoleon and his marshals since 1804. It had been reformed into smaller armies from October 1808, under the command of his brother Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph Bonaparte
Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte was the elder brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, who made him King of Naples and Sicily , and later King of Spain...
and several marshals, in order to secure Portugal and Spain. Wellington arrived in Lisbon, in 1809, with an army composed mostly of volunteers, "the scum of the earth" as he termed them. But, unlike French troops, British troops were better trained and were required to practice firing with live rounds before encountering combat. Napoleon only personally visited Spain once, between October 1808 and January 1809, taking most of his Guard and élite troops with him when he left – the remaining troops became a second line in quality, experience and equipment – new recruits were often not French.
Wellington's army consisted of four combat arms
Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a multiplayer game, free-to-play modern first-person shooter developed by the South Korea-based developer Doobic Studios, and published by Nexon. The game uses the Lithtech game engine to produce its graphics.- Gameplay :...
: Infantry, cavalry and artillery. Engineers also played a valuable role in the Peninsula, such as the building of the Lines of Torres Vedras
Lines of Torres Vedras
The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, constructed by Sir Richard Fletcher, 1st Baronet and his Portuguese workers between...
– a defensive line of forts built to protect Lisbon – and making preparations for any sieges throughout the war. Wellington's main combat arm was his well-trained infantry. He never had more than 2,000 cavalry before 1812, and his cannons, although highly competent, were inferior to French guns in both number and quality. It was with this force that Wellington aimed to defend Portugal until he took to an offensive strategy in 1812, beating the French at the Salamanca
Battle of Salamanca
The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War....
. He advanced on to Madrid, arriving on 12 August 1812 – Joseph Bonaparte had abandoned the capital after the defeat at Salamanca.
The Spanish government made Wellington commander-in-chief of all allied armies, providing an extra 21,000 Spanish troops after Salamanca. Although not completely undefeated he never lost a major battle. His greatest defeat came at the Siege of Burgos
Siege of Burgos
At the Siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Jean-Louis Dubreton. The French repulsed every...
in 1812, where he had hoped to prevent French forces concentrating. After losing 2,000 men and causing only 600 French casualties he was forced to raise the siege and retreat, calling it "the worst scrape I was ever in." Retiring to winter quarters, where he received reinforcements that brought his regular army up to 75,000 men, Wellington began his final offensive in June 1813. He advanced north, through the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and into France itself. The French were no longer fighting to keep Spain, but to defend their own border.
Ultimately, between the battles of Roliça (August 1808) and Toulouse (April 1814), the war against the French lasted for six years, with Wellington finally managing to drive the French from the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Shortly thereafter, on 12 April 1814, word reached Wellington that Napoleon had abdicated on 6 April. The war on the Peninsula was over. Wellington and his army had marched over an estimated 6000 miles (9,656 km) and fought in many engagements through Portugal and Spain, the consequences of which helped bring the downfall of Napoleon, resulting in peace across Europe.
Battle record
There are a large number of battles attributed to Wellington. Although many of them leave the impression that he was present or in command it was sometimes the case that he entrusted other officers to engage the enemy at remote locations, but did not attend them in person. Similarly, Wellington was not usually in command of rear guardRear guard
A rear guard or rearguard is that part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal...
actions, during advances or retreats, despite his army engaging in them often. Engagements where the direct lack of his presence is established, or where his presence is unconfirmed, are not included in his battle record.
Key to opponent flags
 French First RepublicFrench First Republic The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I... (1792–1804) |
First French Empire First French Empire The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France... (1804–1814/1815) |
 Kingdom of Mysore |
 Maratha Empire |
 Denmark |
Key to outcome
* Indicates a decisive victory
| Date | War | Action | Opponent | Type | Country | Rank | TacticalOutcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1794 | Flanders Campaign Flanders Campaign This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War... |
Battle of Boxtel Battle of Boxtel The Battle of Boxtel was a battle fought during the First Coalition in the Dutch province North Brabant, on the 15 September 1794. It was part of the Flanders Campaign of 1793-94 in which British, Dutch and Austrian troops had attempted to launch an invasion of France through Flanders... |
|
Battle | 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... |
Lieutenant-Colonel | Indecisive | |
| 27 Mar 1799 | Fourth Anglo-Mysore War Fourth Anglo-Mysore War The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was a war in South India between the Sultanate of Mysore and the British East India Company under the Earl of Mornington.... |
Battle of Mallavelly Battle of Mallavelly The Battle of Mallavelly was fought on 27 March 1799 between forces of the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War... |
|
Battle | Kingdom of Mysore Kingdom of Mysore The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire... |
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
Victory | |
| 5 Apr – 4 May 1799 | Fourth Anglo-Mysore War | Battle of Seringapatam Battle of Seringapatam The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's... |
|
Siege | Kingdom of Mysore | Colonel | Victory* | |
| 6 Apr 1799 | Fourth Anglo-Mysore War | Battle of Sultanpet Tope Battle of Sultanpet Tope The Battle of Sultanpet Tope was fought on 6 April 1799 between forces of the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The British forces, led by Colonel Arthur Wellesley, failed to gain a critical position outside Seringapatam due to stiff Mysorean... |
|
Battle | Kingdom of Mysore | Colonel | Defeat | |
| 8–12 Aug 1803 | Second Anglo-Maratha War Second Anglo-Maratha War The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India.-Background:... |
Battle of Ahmednuggur | |
Siege | Maratha, India Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km².... |
Major-General | Victory | |
| 23 Sep 1803 | Second Anglo-Maratha War | Battle of Assaye Battle of Assaye The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company... |
|
Battle | Maratha, India | Major-General | Victory* | |
| 28 Nov 1803 | Second Anglo-Maratha War | Battle of Argaon | |
Battle | Maratha, India | Major-General | Victory | |
| 15 Dec 1803 | Second Anglo-Maratha War | Siege of Gawilghur Capture of Gawilghur The Capture of Gawilghur fort in western India by British East India Company forces under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley on 15 December, 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War was the culminating act in the defeat of the forces of Raghoji II Bhonsle, Rajah of Berar... |
|
Siege | Maratha, India | Major-General | Victory | |
| 29 Aug 1807 | English Wars English Wars (Scandinavia) The English Wars were a series of conflicts between Sweden and Denmark-Norway as part of the Napoleonic Wars. It is named after the most prominent region of its other main participant, the United Kingdom, which declared war on Denmark-Norway due to disagreements over the neutrality of Danish trade... |
Battle of Køge Battle of Køge The Battle of Køge was a battle on 29 August 1807 between British troops besieging Copenhagen and Danish militia raised on Sjælland. It ended in British victory and also known as the 'Træskoslaget' or 'Clogs Battle', since the poorly-equipped Danish militia threw their heavy wooden clogs away when... |
|
Battle | Denmark | Major-General | Victory* | |
| 17 Aug 1808 | Peninsular War Peninsular War The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its... |
Battle of Roliça Battle of Roliça In the Battle of Roliça an Anglo-Portuguese army under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeated an outnumbered French army under General Henri Delaborde, near the village of Roliça in Portugal. The French retired in good order... |
|
Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 21 Aug 1808 | Peninsular War | Battle of Vimeiro Battle of Vimeiro In the Battle of Vimeiro the British under General Arthur Wellesley defeated the French under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro , near Lisbon, Portugal during the Peninsular War... |
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Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory* | |
| 10–11 May 1809 | Peninsular War | Battle of Grijó Battle of Grijo The Battle of Grijó was a battle that ended up in victory for the Anglo-Portuguese Army commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley over the French army commanded by Marshal Nicolas Soult during the second French invasion of Portugal in the Peninsular War... |
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Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 12 May 1809 | Peninsular War | Second Battle of Porto | |
Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 27 Jul 1809 | Peninsular War | Combat of Casa de Salinas | |
Skirmish | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Indecisive | |
| 27–28 Jul 1809 | Peninsular War | Battle of Talavera | |
Battle | Spain | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 27 Sep 1810 | Peninsular War | Battle of Bussaco | |
Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 11 Mar 1811 | Peninsular War | Battle of Pombal Battle of Pombal The Battle of Pombal was a sharp skirmish during Marshal Masséna's retreat from the Lines of Torres Vedras, the first in a series of lauded rearguard actions fought by Michel Ney... |
|
Skirmish | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Defeat | |
| 12 Mar 1811 | Peninsular War | Battle of Redinha Battle of Redinha The Battle of Redinha was a rearguard action which took place on March 12, 1811, during Masséna's retreat from Portugal, by a French division under Marshal Ney against a considerably larger Anglo-Portuguese force under Wellington. Challenging the Allies with only one or two divisions, Ney's 7,000... |
|
Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Defeat | |
| 15 Mar 1811 | Peninsular War | Combat of Foz de Arouce | |
Skirmish | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 29 Mar 1811 | Peninsular War | Combat of Guarda | |
Skirmish | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 3 Apr 1811 | Peninsular War | Battle of Sabugal Battle of Sabugal The Battle of Sabugal was an engagement of the Peninsular War which took place on 3 April 1811 between Anglo-Portuguese forces under Arthur Wellesley and French troops under the command of Marshal André Masséna... |
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Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Victory | |
| 3–5 May 1811 | Peninsular War | Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro Battle of Fuentes de Onoro In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro , the British-Portuguese Army under Viscount Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida.-Background:... |
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Battle | Portugal | Lieutenant-General | Indecisive | |
| 5 May – 16 Jun 1811 | Peninsular War | Second Siege of Badajoz | |
Siege | Spain | General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.... |
Defeat | |
| 25 Sep 1811 | Peninsular War | Combat of El Bodón | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Indecisive | |
| 27 Sep 1811 | Peninsular War | Combat of Aldea da Ponte | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Indecisive | |
| 7–20 Jan 1812 | Peninsular War | Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo | |
Siege | Spain | General | Victory | |
| 16 Mar – 6 Apr 1812 | Peninsular War | Third Siege of Badajoz | |
Siege | Spain | General | Victory | |
| 17–27 Jun 1812 | Peninsular War | Siege of the Salamanca Forts | |
Siege | Spain | General | Victory | |
| 18 Jul 1812 | Peninsular War | Combat of Castrillo | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Victory | |
| 22 Jul 1812 | Peninsular War | Battle of Salamanca Battle of Salamanca The Battle of Salamanca saw Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish armies under the Duke of Wellington defeat Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles south of Salamanca, Spain on July 22, 1812 during the Peninsular War.... |
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Battle | Spain | General | Victory | |
| 19 Sep – 21 Oct 1812 | Peninsular War | Siege of Burgos Siege of Burgos At the Siege of Burgos, from 19 September to 21 October 1812, the Anglo-Portuguese Army led by General Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington tried to capture the castle of Burgos from its French garrison under the command of General of Brigade Jean-Louis Dubreton. The French repulsed every... |
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Siege | Spain | General | Defeat | |
| 25 Oct 1812 | Peninsular War | Combat of Villa Muriel | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Defeat | |
| 10–11 Nov 1812 | Peninsular War | Combat of Alba de Tormes | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Indecisive | |
| 17 Nov 1812 | Peninsular War | Combat of Huebra, San Muñoz | |
Skirmish | Spain | General | Indecisive | |
| 21 Jun 1813 | Peninsular War | Battle of Vitoria Battle of Vitoria At the Battle of Vitoria an allied British, Portuguese, and Spanish army under General the Marquess of Wellington broke the French army under Joseph Bonaparte and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan near Vitoria in Spain, leading to eventual victory in the Peninsular War.-Background:In July 1812, after... |
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Battle | Spain | General | Victory* | |
| 7 Jul – 8 Sep 1813 | Peninsular War | Siege of San Sebastian Siege of San Sebastian In the Siege of San Sebastián Allied forces under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington captured the city of San Sebastián in northern Spain from its French garrison under Brigadier-General Louis Rey... |
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Siege | Spain | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 26–28 Jul 1813 | Peninsular War | First Battle of Sorauren Battle of Sorauren The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the Battle of the Pyrenees in which a combined British and Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley held off Marshal Soult's French forces attempting to relieve San Sebastián.With sizable Anglo-Portuguese forces... |
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Battle | Spain | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 28–30 Jul 1813 | Peninsular War | Second Battle of Sorauren Battle of Sorauren The Battle of Sorauren was part of a series of engagements in late July 1813 called the Battle of the Pyrenees in which a combined British and Portuguese force under Sir Arthur Wellesley held off Marshal Soult's French forces attempting to relieve San Sebastián.With sizable Anglo-Portuguese forces... |
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Battle | Spain | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 2 Aug 1813 | Peninsular War | Combat of Echalar | |
Skirmish | Spain | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 7 Oct 1813 | Peninsular War | Battle of the Bidassoa Battle of the Bidassoa (1813) In the Battle of the Bidassoa on 7 October 1813 the Allied army of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington wrested a foothold on French soil from Nicolas Soult's French army. The Allied troops overran the French lines behind the Bidassoa River on the coast and along the Pyrenees crest between the... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 10 Nov 1813 | Peninsular War | Battle of Nivelle Battle of Nivelle The Battle of Nivelle took place in front of the River Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War . After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops were in hot pursuit of Marshal Soult who only had 60,000 men to place in a 20-mile perimeter... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 9–12 Dec 1813 | Peninsular War | Battle of the Nive Battle of the Nive The Battles of the Nive were fought towards the end of the Peninsular War. Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish army defeated Marshal Nicolas Soult's French army in a series of battles near the city of Bayonne.Unusually, for most of the battle, Wellington... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 15 Feb 1814 | Peninsular War | Battle of Garris Battle of Garris In the Battle of Garris on February 15, 1814, an Allied force under the direct command of Arthur Wellesley, Marquess Wellington defeated General of Division Jean Harispe's French division during the Peninsular War.-Background:... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 27 Feb 1814 | Peninsular War | Battle of Orthez Battle of Orthez The Battle of Orthez saw the Anglo-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington defeat a French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France near the end of the Peninsular War.-Preliminaries:... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 20 Mar 1814 | Peninsular War | Battle of Tarbes | |
Battle | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 8 Apr 1814 | Peninsular War | Combat of Croix d'Orade | |
Skirmish | France | Field Marshal | Victory | |
| 10 Apr 1814 | Peninsular War | Battle of Toulouse Battle of Toulouse (1814) The Battle of Toulouse was one of the final battles of the Napoleonic Wars, four days after Napoleon's surrender of the French Empire to the nations of the Sixth Coalition... |
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Battle | France | Field Marshal | Indecisive | |
| 16 Jun 1815 | Hundred Days Hundred Days The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815... |
Battle of Quatre Bras Battle of Quatre Bras The Battle of Quatre Bras, between Wellington's Anglo-Dutch army and the left wing of the Armée du Nord under Marshal Michel Ney, was fought near the strategic crossroads of Quatre Bras on 16 June 1815.- Prelude :... |
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Battle | Belgium | Field Marshal | Indecisive | |
| 18 Jun 1815 | Hundred Days | Battle of Waterloo Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands... |
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Battle | Belgium | Field Marshal | Victory* |
See also
- Arms, titles, honours and styles of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonArms, titles, honours and styles of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Anglo-Irish soldier and statesman and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century. His military career culminated at the Battle of Waterloo, where, along with von Blücher, he defeated the forces of...
- Batons of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonBatons of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington acquired many titles and honours including the rank of field marshal or equivalent in eight nation's armies. Each one of these nations provided him with a baton as a symbol of his rank...
- British soldiers in the eighteenth centuryBritish soldiers in the eighteenth centuryA redcoat soldier in the British Army during the 18th century would have faced war in a number of theatres throughout the European continent, the Americas and the colonies; the Seven Years' War raged from 1756–63, the American War of Independence from 1775–83, the French Revolutionary Wars in...
- Seringapatam medalSeringapatam medalThe Seringapatam medal, commissioned by the East India Company in 1801, was a Conrad Heinrich-designed military medal distributed to those soldiers who contributed to the British victory in the 1799 Battle of Seringapatam against the armies of Tipu Sultan, ruler of the southern India in the...
- Army Gold MedalArmy Gold MedalThe Army Gold Medal , also known as the Peninsular Gold Medal, with an accompanying Gold Cross, was a British campaign medal awarded in recognition of field and general officers' successful commands in recent campaigns, predominately the Peninsular War...
- Military General Service MedalMilitary General Service MedalThe Military General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1847, for issue to officers and men of the British Army.The MGSM was approved on 1 June 1847 as a retrospective award for various military actions from 1793–1814; a period encompassing the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
- Waterloo MedalWaterloo MedalThe Waterloo Medal was awarded to any soldier of the British Army who took part in one or more of the following battles: Battle of Ligny , Battle of Quatre Bras , and the Battle of Waterloo ....
Footnotes
Part of the Battle of CopenhagenBattle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
.The First Battle of Porto
First Battle of Porto
In the First Battle of Porto the French under Marshal Soult defeated the Portuguese, under General Parreiras, and the British Army, outside the city of Porto during the Peninsular War...
took place on 28 March 1809 when the French initially seized the city from Anglo-Portuguese forces.The skirmish at Casa de Salinas was a preliminary combat action fought prior to the Battle of Talavera.The First Siege of Badajoz took place on 26 January – 11 March 1811 when the French initially besieged the Spanish town.Two attempts were made to storm San Sebastian, in 1813. The first, on 25 July, Wellington was present at to oversee this attempt, but he did not attend the second attempt on 31 August – evident from his dispatches.Part of the Battle of the Pyrenees
Battle of the Pyrenees
The Battle of the Pyrenees was a large-scale offensive launched on 25 July 1813 by Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult from the Pyrénées region on Emperor Napoleon’s order, in the hope of relieving French garrisons under siege at Pamplona and San Sebastián...
.