The British nation a history / by George MWrong . y^^^^ ^f Wellington. Spain lacked leaders,discipline, and equipmentfor organized war; she wasrotten at the top, but herpeasantry had courage andcarried on a guerrilla war-fare with resource. TheFrench fought with des-perate tenacity; in theearly part of the war Xa-poleon himself command-ed in Spain an army of250,000 men, and in Soultand Massena had worthysuccessors. Again it wa-the command of the seuthat gave Britain heradvantage. When pressedby the French, Wellington shut himself up between thelines of Torres Vedras and the sea, across which h
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . y^^^^ ^f Wellington. Spain lacked leaders,discipline, and equipmentfor organized war; she wasrotten at the top, but herpeasantry had courage andcarried on a guerrilla war-fare with resource. TheFrench fought with des-perate tenacity; in theearly part of the war Xa-poleon himself command-ed in Spain an army of250,000 men, and in Soultand Massena had worthysuccessors. Again it wa-the command of the seuthat gave Britain heradvantage. When pressedby the French, Wellington shut himself up between thelines of Torres Vedras and the sea, across which he couldalways command supplies. Slowly the French were forcedback out of Spain. WelliDgton won notable victories at Vi-miero (1808), Oporto and Talavera (1809), and Salamanca(1812). He carried the fortresses of Ciudad Kodrigo andBadajos by storm, and after the victory of Yittoria onJune 31, 1813, was able to invade French soil. At thesame time, after Xapoleons disastrous Eussian expedition,in which he lost 300,000 men, the allies were closing in. Aktiiub Welleslet, Duke of Wel-lington (1769-1852). 506 THE BRITISH NATION ^ on France from the north. Finally his own Senate de---^ Rehired against him ; the triumphant allies occupied Paris,^ Cand in 1814 sent the fallen conqueror to eat his heart out^w) in the petty sovereignty of the little island of Elba. The long struggle was chiefly one between Britain andXapoleon for world-wide supremacy, and both had treatedBritains War ^^^^^ high-handed arrogance the young repub-with the United lic of the United States. She was the only im-States. j)ortant neutral trading poAver, and Napoleons Continental System and the British Orders in Councilmade commerce with Europe for her almost in America, Great Britain, not France, aroused thechief anger, since Great Britain alone was strong enoughon the sea to check American commerce. She stoppedand searched American ships, seized the sailors of Britishbirth found upon them, and ruined
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