Siege of Tortosa (1810–1811)

The siege of Tortosa (16 December 1810 – 2 January 1811) pitted an Imperial French army under General Louis Gabriel Suchet against the Spanish defenders of Tortosa led by General Lilli, Conde de Alacha.

Siege of Tortosa (1810)
Part of Peninsular War

Le général de division Suchet, commandant le 3ème corps de l'armée d'Espagne, reçoit la capitulation de la ville de Tortosa, 2 janvier 1811. Oil painting by Jean-Charles-Joseph Rémond, 1837 (Palace of Versailles)
Date19 December 1810 – 2 January 1811[1]
Location
Tortosa, Catalonia, Spain
40.8114°N 0.5194°E / 40.8114; 0.5194
Result French victory[1]
Belligerents
France First French Empire Spain Kingdom of Spain
Commanders and leaders
France Louis Gabriel Suchet Spain Conde de Alacha
Strength
12,000[1] 11,000[1]
Casualties and losses
1,000[1] 11,000[1]
Peninsular war: Aragón Catalonia
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Background

The French conquest of Aragon started with the siege of Tortosa.

Siege

The siege progressed swiftly and Alacha surrendered on 2 January 1811. Tortosa is a city that lies on the Ebro River about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Tarragona. The action took place during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars.[2]

Colonel Rouelle was employed at the siege of Tortosa, where he defeated two sorties by the besieged on the December 24 and December 28, 1810. These two feats were mentioned in dispatches.

Aftermath

The French conquest of Aragon proceeded with the Battle of El Pla.

Notes
  1. Bodart 1908, p. 421.
  2. Esdaile 2003, p. 336.

References
  • Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  • Esdaile, Charles J. (2003). The Peninsular War. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9781403962317. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
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