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Battle of Toulouse (1814)

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Battle of Toulouse
Part of the Peninsular War

Bataille de Toulouse, 10 avril 1814 by Théodore Jung.
Date April 10, 1814
Location Toulouse, France
Result Indecisive
Belligerents
Flag of France French Empire Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of Spain Spain

Flag of Portugal Portugal
Commanders
Nicolas Jean Dieu Soult Marquess of Wellington
Manuel Freire
Strength
42,430[1] 49,446[2]
Casualties and losses
3,236 dead or wounded[3][4] 593 dead,
4,054 wounded[3]
v • d • e
Peninsular War

Vitoria and the Pyrenees, 1813–1814

The Battle of Toulouse (April 10, 1814) 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. The hundreds of soldiers killed during the storming of Toulouse died unnecessarily, as the war was already over, though news had yet to reach the south of France. Marshal Soult held Toulouse until April 12 when, learning of Napoleon's abdication, and under menace of encirclement, he orchestrated an escape from the town with the better part of his army.

Contents

[edit] Prelude

Following their successful invasion of France earlier in the year, an allied army of the Sixth Coalition, composed of British, Portuguese and Spanish troops under the supreme command of the Field Marshall Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington, laid siege to the city of Toulouse, one of the few remaining urban centres in France still loyal to Napoleon.

The city of Toulouse was garrisoned by around 42,000 French troops, under the command of Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia. French forces across southern France were greatly demoralised by fighting the allied forces in their own country, and were further demoralised by news of repeated Coalition victories in northern and eastern France. Allied campaigning had gradually pushed French forces out of Spain during 1813, after endless guerrilla wars which had resulted in more than 300,000 French casualties between 1808 and late 1813. The French suffered greater losses in manpower in southern France, as Napoleon diverted many southern forces to bolster his troops facing the Coalition armies invading northern and eastern France after an allied victory at Leipzig in October, 1813.

[edit] The battle

When the siege of Toulouse began, Soult commanded approximately 40,000 troops, who were ordered to fortify the city, preparing for what Soult believed to be his last chance to inflict a defeat on the allied armies and buy time for French reinforcements from Italy to arrive. The allied army, around 55,000 strong, aimed to take the heights to the east of the city before attacking the fortifications; Marshal William Beresford was tasked with this mission while a diversionary attack was made against the city by Lieutenant General Rowland Hill's troops. British military intelligence underestimated the morale of French defenders, resulting in heavy casualties amongst the allied troops. Despite the casualties, British and Spanish troops succeeded in capturing the heights, allowing for an artillery bombardment of the city and its fortifications. Allied troops began to encircle the city and launched sporadic attacks against the hastily-constructed French defences.

In the evening of April 10th, Soult received an official communiqué from Paris informing him that Napoleon had surrendered to the Coalition forces in northern France. Unsure of what to do, Soult's generals advised him to surrender the city, as reinforcements were unlikely to arrive and further news reached Toulouse informing Soult of the surrender of French armies across France. The French suffered some 3,200 casualties while the British, Portuguese and Spanish suffered over 4,500 dead and wounded.

Toulouse monument to THE BRAVES WHO DIED FOR THE FATHERLAND.

With the surrender, French resistance in the south collapsed and the defeated Napoleon, who had already surrendered, was exiled to the island of Elba. The city was briefly placed under Coalition control during the summer of 1814, with the withdrawal of allied troops in September 1814.

[edit] Preliminary operations

After Soult's defeat by Wellington at the Battle of Orthez in late February 1814, the French Marshal retreated north behind the Adour River to Saint-Sever. Soult was on the horns of a dilemma. He could defend Bordeaux to the northwest or Toulouse to the east, but he could not protect both. The French army would have difficulty obtaining food near Bordeaux and it would place the Garonne River in their rear. Therefore, Soult elected to base himself on Toulouse.[5]

With Soult moving east, Wellington sent Beresford with two divisions to seize Bordeaux, the third-largest city of France. To make up for this subtraction of strength, the British general called up 8000 Spanish infantry and the British heavy cavalry as reinforcements. Fearful that the Spanish would plunder the French countryside and incite a guerilla war, Wellington put his allies on the British payroll and supply system. Meanwhile, the British-Portuguese-Spanish army pushed the French out of Aire-sur-l'Adour on March 2 in a skirmish. Soult pulled back to Plaisance and Maubourget, facing west. A ten day lull followed, during which time Wellington's reinforcements began to arrive.[6]

On March 12, Beresford captured Bordeaux without resistance. Leaving the 7th Division as a garrison, he rushed back to join Wellington with the 4th Division. Meanwhile, on March 17-18, in a raid with 100 French cavalrymen, Captain Dauma circled the Allied army's south flank and attacked Saint-Sever where he captured 100 men. At the same time, Wellington launched his offensive, hoping to ensnare Soult's army. By rapidly marching east to Saint-Gaudens and northeast to Toulouse, the French avoided the British flanking columns. Reaching Toulouse, Soult placed his soldiers behind the city's walls and fortifications.[7]

[edit] Forces

Anglo-Allied Army: General Wellington[8][9] Wellington's Command:

Manuel Freire's Command:

  • Spanish Division Marcilla: (3959)
  • Spanish Division Espeleta: (3576)
  • Other: (381)

Rowland Hill's Command:

  • 2nd Division: William Stewart (6940)
    • Brigade John Byng: 1/3rd and 1/57th Foot, 1st Provisional (2/31st and 2/66th)
    • Brigade Edward Barnes: 1/50th, 1/71st and 1/92nd Foot
    • Brigade Richard O'Callaghan: 1/28th, 2/34th and 1/39th Foot
    • Brigade Harding: 6th and 18th Portuguese Line, 6th Port Caçadores
  • Portuguese Division: Carlos Le Cor (3952)
    • Brigade Almeida: 2nd and 14th Port Line
    • Brigade John Buchan: 4th and 10th Port Line, 10th Port Caçadores

William Beresford's Command:

French Army: Marshal Soult[10][11]

  • 1st Division: Augustin Darricau (3490)
    • Brigade Fririon: 6th Light (1 battalion), 76th (1 bn) and 69th Line (2 bns)
    • Brigade Berlier: 36th (2 bns), 39th (1 bn) and 65th (2 bns) Line
  • 2nd Division: Jean Darmagnac (4456)
    • Brigade Leseur: 31st Light (2 bns), 51st (1 bn) and 75th (2 bns) Line
    • Brigade Menne: 118th and 120th Line (3 bns each)
  • 4th Division: Eloi Charlemagne Taupin (4864)
    • Brigade Rey: 12th Light, 32nd and 43rd Line (2 bns each)
    • Brigade Gasquet: 47th (2 bns), 55th (1 bn) and 58th (1 bn) Line
  • 5th Division: Jean-Pierre Maransin (3196)
    • Brigade Barbot: 4th Light (1 bn), 40th (2 bns) and 50th (1 bn) Line
    • Brigade Rouget: 27th, 34th and 59th Line (1 bn each)
  • 6th Division: Eugene-Casimir Villatte (4270)
    • Brigade Saint-Pol: 21st Light, 86th, 96th and 100th Line (1 bn each)
    • Brigade Lamorandière: 28th Light (1 bn), 103rd (1 bn) and 119th (2 bns) Line
  • 8th Division: Jean Isidore Harispe (4250)
    • Brigade Dauture: 9th, 25th and 34th Light (2 bns each)
    • Brigade Baurot: 10th Light (2 bns), 45th, 81st, 115th, 116th and 117th Line (1 bn each)
  • Reserve Division: Jean-Pierre Travot (7267)
    • Brigade Pourailly: 4 bns conscripts
    • Brigade Vuillemont: 4 bns conscripts
  • Cavalry: Pierre Soult (2700)
    • Brigade Berton: 2nd Hussars, 13th and 21st Chasseurs
    • Brigade Vial: 5th, 10th, 15th and 22nd Chasseurs
  • Artillery, Engineers, Other: (4350)

[edit] Geography

Toulouse lies on the Garonne, which runs into the city from the southwest, then turns and leaves to the northeast. Just east of the Garonne, the smaller Hers River runs past the city from the southeast to the northeast, forming a narrow corridor. To attack the city from the north, Wellington's main force would have to cross the Garonne, then drive south down the corridor between the two rivers.

[edit] Battle

On April 4, Wellington's engineers threw a pontoon bridge across the flooding Garonne north of the French city. After 19,000 Anglo-Allies crossed, the bridge gave way, trapping the men for three days. But Soult failed to take advantage of his opportunity to defeat Wellington's army in detail. On April 8, in a fine charge, the British 18th Hussars seized the bridge at Croix d'Orade on the Hers.[12] Meanwhile, on April 7 at midnight, the official couriers left Paris with news that Napoleon had abdicated and that the war was over.[13]

West of the Garonne lies the fortified suburb of St-Cyprien. To the north, Soult's outer defense line rested on the Languedoc Canal. Three bridges crossed the canal, at Pont Jumeaux to the northwest, Pont des Minimes to the north and Pont de Matablau to the northeast. Each crossing was commanded by a powerful redoubt. The Heights of Calvinet (Mont Rave) rose east of the city and west of the Hers River. The Heights were crowned with several redoubts.[14] Soult held St-Cyprien with one division and the canal line with another division. Travot's conscripts lined the city walls. Darmagnac's division stood between the Heights and the canal, while the divisions of Harispe and Villatte defended the Heights with Taupin's division in reserve. Pierre Soult's cavalry screened to the east and south.[15] Note that the battlefield is now within the modern city of Toulouse.

Wellington began his attack on Easter Sunday, April 10. Hoping to divert some of Soult's forces, the British general sent Hill with two divisions (12,600) to attack St-Cyprien. The rest of the Anglo-Allied army (36,000) operated east of the Garonne and north of the city. The Third Division faced the northwest canal line with the Light Division to the east. Wellington planned to make his major effort against the Heights of Calvinet. Beresford would take the 4th and 6th Divisions and the Hussars down the west bank of the Hers. Once he reached a point east of the city, Beresford would veer west and attack the Heights with the Hussars protecting his south flank. At the same time, Manuel Freire would assault the northern end of the Heights with his two Spanish divisions. Two heavy dragoon brigades waited in reserve.[16]

To the west, Hill drove in the French outposts but the fighting was not serious. His forces suffered about 80 casualties. Exceeding his orders, Thomas Picton mounted a full scale attack on the Pont Jumeaux with his 3rd Division and was repulsed with 400 casualties. Meanwhile, Beresford's men encountered muddy fields and fell behind schedule. Unable to move his artillery, he ordered the cannons to take a position near the northern end of the Heights and open fire. Freire, thinking this was the signal for the combined attack, sent his men to assault the Heights. The Spanish infantry forged uphill and gained a momentary foothold in a road cut, but they were counterattacked by a cloud of French skirmishers and soon sent fleeing. Covered by the Light Division, the Spanish foot soldiers rallied, then attacked and were defeated a second time.[17]

At last, Beresford's two Anglo-Portuguese divisions reached their jumping off positions, with the 6th Division leading. A French division counterattacked, but was easily driven uphill, and the Allied divisions began to advance up the slope. They fought their way to the top of the Heights before swinging to the north, rolling up the French defenses. Beresford's men captured two redoubts, lost them to a counterattack and finally seized them again after bringing the 4th Division forward. Recognizing defeat, Soult withdrew his soldiers into the city.[18]

[edit] Results

The Allied army suffered 4558 casualties, including 1900 from Freire's divisions and 1500 from the 6th Division. The French army lost 3236 casualties, including Taupin killed.[19] Surrounded by the Allies on the west, north and east, Soult decided to pull out of the city to prevent his army from becoming trapped. On April 11 at 9 pm, the French army marched out on the Carcassonne road.

The next morning a delegation handed over the city to the Allied army. That afternoon, Wellington got news via Bordeaux from Frederick Ponsonby of Napoleon's abdication. A few hours later, this was confirmed when the official couriers arrived from Paris. On April 17, Soult finally agreed to an armistice. In the meantime, there was one more pointless bloodletting at the Battle of Bayonne.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Gates, p.530
  2. ^ Gates, p.529
  3. ^ a b Gates, p.320
  4. ^ Glover, p.333
  5. ^ Glover, 323
  6. ^ Glover, p 324
  7. ^ Glover, p 324-325
  8. ^ Smith, p 519. Note that Smith does not list the regiments suffering no losses.
  9. ^ Glover, p 358-359, p 382-387. Units not listed in Smith are inferred from Glover appendices 2 and 5.
  10. ^ Smith, p 500-501 and 518-519. For Toulouse, Smith lists the same unit totals as for Orthez. The following totals subtract the losses at Orthez given by Smith.
  11. ^ Glover, p 394. To these totals must be added one of Harispe's brigades (Brigade Paris?) which was broken up after Orthez and used to reinforce other units.
  12. ^ Glover, p 329
  13. ^ Glover, 326
  14. ^ Glover, p 330
  15. ^ Glover, p 331
  16. ^ Glover, p 331
  17. ^ Glover, p 332-333
  18. ^ Glover, p 333
  19. ^ Smith, p 519-522

[edit] References

  • Gates, David. The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. Da Capo Press 2001. ISBN 0-306-81083-2
  • Glover, Michael. The Peninsular War 1807-1814. Penguin Books 2003. ISBN 0-141-39041-7
  • Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Battle of Toulouse (1814)

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