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Battle of Toulouse (1814)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Toulouse 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. Having pushed the demoralized and disintegrating French Imperial armies out of Spain in a difficult campaign the previous autumn, the Allied British-Portuguese
and Spanish
army under the Marquess of Wellington
pursued the war into southern France in the spring of 1814.
Toulouse, the regional capital, proved stoutly defended by Marshal Soult
. One British and two Spanish divisions were mauled in the bloody fighting on April 10, with Allied losses exceeding French casualties by 1,400. Soult held the city for an additional day when he orchestrated an escape from the town with his entire army. Wellington's entry on the morning of April 12 was acclaimed by a great number of Royalists
. That afternoon, the official word of Napoleon's abdication and the end of the war reached Wellington. Soult agreed to an armistice on April 17.
, 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
. Imperial forces across southern France were greatly demoralised by fighting the Anglo-Allied forces in their own country, and were further shaken 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.
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.
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.
and 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 guerrilla 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.
. 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.
lists the Allied and French units and organizations that were present at the battle.
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 to the east bank of the Garonne, then drive southeast down the corridor between the two rivers.
's conscripts lined the city walls. Jean Darmagnac's division stood between the Heights and the canal. The divisions of Jean Isidore Harispe
and Eugene-Casimir Villatte
defended the Heights with Eloi Taupin's
division in reserve. Pierre Soult's cavalry screened to the east and south. Note that the battlefield is now within the modern city of Toulouse.
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 Hussar
brigades 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.
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.
road. Soult army, however, still maintained its overall positions and was ready to fight.
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
, caused by the French commander Thouvenot's refusal to accept that the war was lost with the abdication of Napoleon.
before attacking Wellington's army: the taking of Toulouse amounted to very little, whilst the French lost one of their positions but their army was not defeated, causing Wellington to waste supplies and suffer heavy casualties. The British claimed victory because Toulouse ended up in their hands and the French were forced to give up ground.
However, the battle had only just began when it was abruptly cut short by the news of Napoleon's abdication. Soult recognised that because the war had ended there was no point in fighting. He and Wellington agreed on a ceasefire and the allies occupied Toulouse.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, four days after Napoleon's surrender of the French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
to the nations of the Sixth Coalition. Having pushed the demoralized and disintegrating French Imperial armies out of Spain in a difficult campaign the previous autumn, the Allied British-Portuguese
Anglo-Portuguese Army
The Anglo-Portuguese Army was the combined British and Portuguese army that won the Peninsular War, under the command of Arthur Wellesley. The Army is also referred to as the British-Portuguese Army and, in Portuguese, as the Exército Anglo-Luso or the Exército Anglo-Português.The Anglo-Portuguese...
and Spanish
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
army under the Marquess of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
pursued the war into southern France in the spring of 1814.
Toulouse, the regional capital, proved stoutly defended by Marshal Soult
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult
Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia , the Hand of Iron, was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804. He was one of only six officers in French history to receive the distinction of Marshal General of France...
. One British and two Spanish divisions were mauled in the bloody fighting on April 10, with Allied losses exceeding French casualties by 1,400. Soult held the city for an additional day when he orchestrated an escape from the town with his entire army. Wellington's entry on the morning of April 12 was acclaimed by a great number of Royalists
Legitimists
Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
. That afternoon, the official word of Napoleon's abdication and the end of the war reached Wellington. Soult agreed to an armistice on April 17.
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 Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of WellingtonArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, laid siege to the city of Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, 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
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. Imperial forces across southern France were greatly demoralised by fighting the Anglo-Allied forces in their own country, and were further shaken by news of repeated Coalition victories in northern and eastern France. Allied campaigning had gradually pushed French forces out of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
during 1813, after endless guerrilla wars
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
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
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
in October, 1813.
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
. The city was briefly placed under Coalition control during the summer of 1814, with the withdrawal of allied troops in September 1814.
Orthez
After Soult's defeat by Wellington at the Battle of OrthezBattle of Orthez
The Battle of Orthez saw the Anglo-Portuguese Army under Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington defeat a French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult in southern France near the end of the Peninsular War.-Preliminaries:...
in late February 1814, the French Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
retreated north behind the Adour River to Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-History and geography:Saint-Sever stands on an eminence...
. Soult was on the horns of a dilemma. He could defend Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
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.
Bordeaux
With Soult moving east, Wellington sent BeresfordWilliam Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
General William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, 1st Marquis of Campo Maior, GCB, GCH, GCTE, PC , was a British soldier and politician...
and 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 guerrilla 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
Aire-sur-l'Adour
Aire-sur-l'Adour is a commune in the Landes département in Aquitaine in south-western France.It lies on the river Adour in the wine area of southwest France. It is an episcopal see of the Diocese of Aire and Dax. The nearest large towns are Mont-de-Marsan to the north and Pau to the...
on March 2 in a skirmish. Soult pulled back to Plaisance
Plaisance, Gers
Plaisance is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:...
and Maubourget, facing west. A ten day lull followed, during which time Wellington's reinforcements began to arrive.
Allied Offensive
On March 12, Beresford captured Bordeaux without resistance. Leaving the 7th Division as a garrison, he rushed back to join Wellington with the 4th Division4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
. 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.
Forces
The Toulouse 1814 Order of BattleToulouse 1814 Order of Battle
Toulouse 1814 Order of BattleThe Battle of Toulouse saw a French army led by Marshal Nicolas Soult defend the city of Toulouse against the Marquess of Wellington's British, Portuguese, and Spanish army. The fighting took place on 10 April 1814 and Soult evacuated the city late in the evening of 11...
lists the Allied and French units and organizations that were present at the battle.
Geography
Toulouse lies on the Garonne, which runs into the city from the southwest, then turns and exits to the northeast. Just east of the Garonne, the smaller Hers RiverHers-Mort
The Hers-Mort is a 90 km long river in southern France, a right-bank tributary of the Garonne. Its average flow rate is 4 m3/s. The Hers-Mort rises in the Lauragais region, near the village Fonters-du-Razès, in the Aude department...
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 to the east bank of the Garonne, then drive southeast down the corridor between the two rivers.
Initial moves
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. Meanwhile, on April 7 at midnight, the official couriers left Paris with news that Napoleon had abdicated and that the war was over.French defenses
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. Soult held St-Cyprien with one division and the canal line with another division. Jean-Pierre TravotJean-Pierre Travot
Jean Pierre Travot was a French general and nobleman, the son of Philibert Travot and Catherine Guodefin.-Life:...
's conscripts lined the city walls. Jean Darmagnac's division stood between the Heights and the canal. The divisions of Jean Isidore Harispe
Jean Isidore Harispe
Jean Isidore Harispe, 1st Comte Harispe was a distinguished French soldier of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as a of the following period. Harispe was created a Marshal of France in 1851.-Early life:...
and Eugene-Casimir Villatte
Eugene-Casimir Villatte
Eugène-Casimir Villatte, Comte d'Oultremont fought in the French army during the Wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to command a division at many of the important battles in the Peninsular War...
defended the Heights with Eloi Taupin's
Eloi Charlemagne Taupin
General Eloi Charlemagne Taupin became a French soldier before the French Revolutionary Wars, rose in rank to command a division in the armies of Napoleon and was killed leading his troops in battle in 1814...
division in reserve. Pierre Soult's cavalry screened to the east and south. Note that the battlefield is now within the modern city of Toulouse.
British plan
Wellington began his attack on Easter Sunday, April 10. Hoping to divert some of Soult's forces, the British general sent Hill with the 12,600 men of the 2nd Division and Portuguese Division to attack St-Cyprien. The rest of the Anglo-Allied army (36,000) operated east of the Garonne and north of the city. The 3rd Division faced the northwest canal line with the Light DivisionLight Division
The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics...
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 Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
brigades 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
Manuel Freire
Manuel Freire is a Portuguese influential left-wing singer and composer, although he also works as a computer technician. Freire was born in Vagos, Aveiro District in 25 April 1942....
would assault the northern end of the Heights with his two Spanish divisions. Two heavy dragoon brigades waited in reserve.
Initial attacks
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 PictonThomas Picton
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton GCB was a Welsh British Army officer who fought in a number of campaigns for Britain, and rose to the rank of lieutenant general...
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.
Taking the heights
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 despite bitter resistance, then paused to drag up some cannon. Swinging to the north, they began 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. The heights being lost, Soult withdrew his soldiers behind the city's fortifications.Casualties
The Allied army suffered 4558 casualties, including 1900 from Freire's divisions and 1500 from the 6th Division. Brigade commanders Denis Pack, James Douglas, and Thomas Brisbane were wounded. French casualties numbered 231 officers and 3005 men, including Taupin killed. Soult held Toulouse during the day of April 11 but decided to pull out of the city upon detecting allied cavalry moving up the Toulouse-Carcassonne road. At 9 pm that evening, the French withdrew out of Toulouse by the CarcassonneCarcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
road. Soult army, however, still maintained its overall positions and was ready to fight.
Armistice
On the morning of April 12 a delegation of city officials handed over the city to the Allied army. That afternoon, Wellington got news via Bordeaux from Frederick PonsonbyFrederick Cavendish Ponsonby
Major General The Honourable Sir Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby, GCMG, KCB, KCH , styled The Honourable from 1806 to 1837, was a British military officer, the second son of the 3rd Earl of Bessborough and Henrietta Spencer....
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
Battle of Bayonne
In the Battle of Bayonne on April 14, 1814, General of Division Thouvenot's French garrison attacked the Allied besieging force under Lieutenant General John Hope...
, caused by the French commander Thouvenot's refusal to accept that the war was lost with the abdication of Napoleon.
Commentary
Both British and French historians claimed victory for their respective nations. The French claimed victory because Wellington failed to accomplish his aims of entrapping the French army, whilst Soult never intended to hold this position but to merely dispute it, intending to unite with Marshal SuchetLouis Gabriel Suchet
Louis Gabriel Suchet, 1st Duc d'Albufera was a Marshal of France and one of Napoleon's most brilliant generals.-Early career:...
before attacking Wellington's army: the taking of Toulouse amounted to very little, whilst the French lost one of their positions but their army was not defeated, causing Wellington to waste supplies and suffer heavy casualties. The British claimed victory because Toulouse ended up in their hands and the French were forced to give up ground.
However, the battle had only just began when it was abruptly cut short by the news of Napoleon's abdication. Soult recognised that because the war had ended there was no point in fighting. He and Wellington agreed on a ceasefire and the allies occupied Toulouse.
Books
- Chandler, David. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan, 1979. ISBN 0-02-523670-9
- Fierro, Alfredo; Palluel-Guillard, André; Tulard, Jean. „Histoire et Dictionnaire du Consulat et de l'Empire”, Éditions Robert Laffont, 1995. ISBN 2-221-05858-5
- Fletcher, Ian: Wellington's Regiments: The Men and Their Battles, 1808-15. The History Press Ltd. ISBN 1873376065
- 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
- Oman, Charles. Wellington's Army, 1809-1814. London: Greenhill, (1913) 1993. ISBN 0-947898-41-7
- Rothenberg, Gunther E. The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1980. ISBN 0-253-31076-8
- Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9