Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . he faults of his enemy, he never hesitated,but brought to a triumphant issue a defence whichastounded soldiers and statesmen throughout thecivilised world. A limit had now been placed onNapoleons conquests; a French army never enteredPortugal again ; Spain was thenceforward to be thetheatre of the Peninsular War. No impartial mindcan doubt but that in this contest the British Generaleclipsed and defeated Napoleon: not that he was theequal in war of the modern Hannibal, but that heconducted his operations with
Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . he faults of his enemy, he never hesitated,but brought to a triumphant issue a defence whichastounded soldiers and statesmen throughout thecivilised world. A limit had now been placed onNapoleons conquests; a French army never enteredPortugal again ; Spain was thenceforward to be thetheatre of the Peninsular War. No impartial mindcan doubt but that in this contest the British Generaleclipsed and defeated Napoleon: not that he was theequal in war of the modern Hannibal, but that heconducted his operations with admirable skill and re-source on the spot while the Emperor, by directingthem from an immense distance, made a whole seriesof palpable mistakes, which inevitably led to por-tentous failures; in fact seemed to be, in more thanone instance, like the blind leading the blind. Wel-lington, too, owed something to the disputes of theFrench commanders; but this was not the maincause of what happened in the campaign of 1810-1811, decidedly the finest exhibition of his superi-ority in CHAPTER VI CIUDAD RODRIGO, BADAJOZ, SALAMANCA,BURGOS Wellingtons defence of Portugal again stirs opinion on the Conti-nent against Napoleon—Discontent in France, especially withthe Peninsular War—Policy of Napoleon—Weakness of theposition of the French in Spain—Joseph resigns his crown—Napoleon, intent on war with Russia, menaces the Continent,and tries to restore the situation in the Peninsula, to little pur-pose—The Empire apparently at its height in the eyes of mostmen—Distress in England—Confidence of Wellington—State ofthe armies in the Peninsula—First siege of Badajoz—Battle ofAlbuera—Second siege of Badajoz—It is raised—Junction ofSoult and Mannont—Wellington on the Caya—The marshalsseparate—Wellington purposes to take Ciudad Rodrigo andBadajoz—His preparations—He is in danger at El Bodon—Progress of the French army in the East—Siege and fall ofTarrago
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