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This page is dedicated to an overview of a book written by one of club members about the Peninsula Campaigns of 1702 to 1712.

Gamers, historians and all with an interest in these campaigns should find something of interest. Readers of the book should find the detailed companion work on the incident packed 1710 Campaign also of interest.

Dust Cover

An often neglected aspect of Marlborough's war is its crucial campaign in Spain and Portugal also known as the First Peninsula War of 1702 - 1712. Whilst this campaign was critical to the outcome of the war, relatively little information is available about it or the army that fought it. This work not only provides a detailed look at the army that fought the Spanish and Portuguese campaigns of Marlborough's war, but it also offers an insight into the course of the war in Iberia. It aims to provide more detail and understanding of a relatively little known part of a war that helped to shape and strengthened Britain's position amongst the main European players. Several chapters look at the national contingents that made up the confederate armies fighting in Spain and Portugal. The work concentrates not only on the reasonably well known British contribution but also on the equally important role of the less well known Austrian, Dutch, Palatine, Portuguese and Spanish contingents. These chapters provide general information about the units involved, their organisation, tactics and other relevant detail. In other chapters the work concentrates in detail on the developments in the Spanish and Portuguese campaigns in each year of the war. Details of the composition of the armies in each campaign, their activities and battles, the size of the units if known, etc, in each year are provided. Attention is paid not only to the most famous engagement at Almanza but also to the other battles and skirmishes of the Iberian campaigns. The book provides a complete guide to the forces fighting in Marlborough's armies in Iberia. It will be a valuable addition to the library of both the casual reader and the serious history student with interest in this important part of British and European history. It not only offers for the first time an overview of all the contributions to the war effort in Iberia, but also presents the reader with a valuable contrast not only to Marlborough's campaigns of the time, but also perhaps to Wellington's later campaign.

List of Contents

1: The British Army

British Organisation and Tactics

Horses

British Uniforms

2: The 1702 Campaign: Cadiz and Vigo

Cadiz

Landing at Vigo

3: The Dutch Army

Dutch Organisation and Tactics

Dutch Uniforms

4: 1703: Portugal enters the war and the Portuguese Army

The Portuguese Army

Portuguese Organisation and Tactics

Army Composition

Portuguese Uniforms

5: The 1704 Campaign: Portugal invaded and Gibraltar Captured.

The Army in Portugal

The Invasion of Portugal

Gibraltar and the Portuguese counter offensive

6: The 1705 Campaign: Frustration at Badajoz and Triumph at Barcelona

Gibraltar

Frustration at Badajoz

The Barcelona Expedition

7: The Carolean Spanish Army

Carolean Spanish Organisation and Tactics

Spanish Uniforms

8: The 1706 Campaign: Barcelona Besieged, Madrid Gained and Lost

Valencia

Barcelona Besieged

Madrid Gained

Das Minas' Army 1706

Madrid Lost

9: The 1707 Campaign: Disaster at Almanza

The Battle of Almanza, 25th April

The Aftermath

A List of the Effective Number of the Queen's Forces in Catalonia.

Portuguese Front 1707

10: The 1708 Campaign: Tortosa and Denia lost, Menorca Gained

Tortosa, Denia and Alicant

Portuguese Front 1708

11: The Palatine Forces

Palatine Organisation and Tactics

Palatine Uniforms

12: The Austrian or Imperial Army

Austrian Organisation and Tactics

Austrian Uniforms

13: The 1709 Campaign: Deadlock in Catalonia, Disaster on the Caya

Forces in Catalonia, Early May

The Battle of La Gudina, 7th May

14: The 1710 Campaign: Last Chance of Victory Lost 194

The Battle of Almenar, July 27th

The Combat at Penalva, August 15th

The Battle of Saragossa, August 20th

Madrid Regained and Lost Again

The Battle of Brihuega, 8th - 9th December

The Battle of Villaviciosa, December 10th 1710

15: The 1711 Campaign: Deadlock at Prats del Rey and Disillusionment

Prats del Rey and Cardona

16: The 1712 and 1713 Campaigns: Peace at last, for some.

Where to get the Book

The book is available from all good bookshops or from Amazon

Contact the author at hwiccee@hotmail.com