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Siege of Saragossa (1808)
Encyclopedia
The First Siege of Saragossa was a bloody struggle in the Peninsular War
. A French
army under General Jean-Antoine Verdier
besieged, repeatedly stormed, and was repulsed from the Spanish
city of Saragossa over the summer of 1808.
Verdier commanded one of several bodies of French troops deployed by Napoleon
to restore order to Spain after the spread of the Dos de Mayo uprisings. In June, Captain-General José de Palafox y Melzi
declared war on the French and led the people of Aragon
into mass revolt. Verdier advanced on Saragossa with about 6,000 men.
Spanish detachments attempting to ward-off the approaches to the city were easily thrown back by the disciplined French soldiers. General Palafox personally intercepted the French with a small force at Alagon
but his men were swiftly put to flight and he raced off to command the defence of the city.
Saragossa's fortress was in deplorable condition and proved no obstacle. Verdier then subjected the city to bombardment and assault, neither of which, however, made much impression. Although Palafox's army numbered little more than 6,000, the people's hatred for the invader had driven them to arms in mass, swelling his ranks.
At the end of June, the French received 3,500 reinforcements and several fresh batteries. A month of carnage followed in which the French demolished large sections of the city and captured others by storm, only to be forced out again in furious street fighting
. A Polish cavalry squadron of the Vistula Uhlans battled its way into the heart of the city but unsupported by infantry it fell back.
On August 13, the French were compelled to lift the siege and retreat north, their 61-day effort ending in defeat. By then the unconquerable Palafox had become legendary in Spain.
Palafox's resistance made him a national hero
, a glory he shared with ordinary civilians such as Agustina de Aragón
. Saragossa would endure a second
, longer, more famous siege starting in late December. When it finally fell to the French in 1809, Saragossa had become a city of corpses and smoking rubble: 12,000 people would remain of a prewar population of over 100,000.
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...
. A French
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...
army under General Jean-Antoine Verdier
Jean-Antoine Verdier
Jean-Antoine Verdier was a French General during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.Born in Toulouse, he enlisted into the Régiment de la Fère on 18 February 1785...
besieged, repeatedly stormed, and was repulsed from the Spanish
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...
city of Saragossa over the summer of 1808.
Verdier commanded one of several bodies of French troops deployed by Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
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...
to restore order to Spain after the spread of the Dos de Mayo uprisings. In June, Captain-General José de Palafox y Melzi
José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa
José Rebolledo de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa was a Spanish general who fought in the Peninsular War.-Biography:...
declared war on the French and led the people of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
into mass revolt. Verdier advanced on Saragossa with about 6,000 men.
Spanish detachments attempting to ward-off the approaches to the city were easily thrown back by the disciplined French soldiers. General Palafox personally intercepted the French with a small force at Alagon
Alagón
Alagón may refer to:*Alagón , a river in Spain, tributary of the Tagus*Alagón, Zaragoza, a municipality in Spain...
but his men were swiftly put to flight and he raced off to command the defence of the city.
Saragossa's fortress was in deplorable condition and proved no obstacle. Verdier then subjected the city to bombardment and assault, neither of which, however, made much impression. Although Palafox's army numbered little more than 6,000, the people's hatred for the invader had driven them to arms in mass, swelling his ranks.
At the end of June, the French received 3,500 reinforcements and several fresh batteries. A month of carnage followed in which the French demolished large sections of the city and captured others by storm, only to be forced out again in furious street fighting
Urban warfare
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level...
. A Polish cavalry squadron of the Vistula Uhlans battled its way into the heart of the city but unsupported by infantry it fell back.
On August 13, the French were compelled to lift the siege and retreat north, their 61-day effort ending in defeat. By then the unconquerable Palafox had become legendary in Spain.
Aftermath
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
, a glory he shared with ordinary civilians such as Agustina de Aragón
Agustina de Aragón
Agustina Raimunda María Saragossa Doménech, or Agustina de Aragón was a Spanish heroine who defended Spain during the Spanish War of Independence, first as a civilian and later as a professional officer in the Spanish Army...
. Saragossa would endure a second
Siege of Saragossa (1809)
The Second Siege of Saragossa was the French capture of the Spanish city of Zaragoza during the Peninsular War.It is particularly noted for its brutality.-Prelude:...
, longer, more famous siege starting in late December. When it finally fell to the French in 1809, Saragossa had become a city of corpses and smoking rubble: 12,000 people would remain of a prewar population of over 100,000.