Napoleon's cursed war : Spanish popular resistance in the Peninsular War, 1808-1814 / Ronald Fraser.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fraser, Ronald, 1930-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Peninsular War, 1807-1814.

Spain--History--Napoleonic Conquest, 1808-1813.

Spain.

History.

Physical Description:

xxxviii, 587 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Other Title:

Subtitle on jacket: Popular resistance in the Spanish Peninsular War

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Verso, 2008.

Summary:

A magisterial history of "Napoleon's Vietnam," by the highly acclaimed author of "Blood of Spain: An Oral History of the Spanish Civil War," In this definitive account of the Peninsular War (1808-14), Napoleon's six-year war against Spain, Ronald Fraser examines what led to the emperor's devastating defeat against the popular opposition- the guerrillas- and their British and Portuguese allies. As well as relating the histories of the great political and military figures of the war, Fraser brings to life the anonymous masses- the artisans, peasants and women who fought, suffered and died- and restores their role in this barbaric war to its rightful place while overturning the view that this was a straightforward military campaign. This vivid, meticulously researched book offers a distinct and profound vision of "Napoleon's Vietnam" and shows the reality of the disasters of war: the suffering, discontents and social upheaval that accompanied the fighting.

Contents:

1 Spain and the French Connection 7

2 Preliminaries of War 27

3 The First Shots of the War 56

4 Declaration of War: The National Rising 82

5 New Self-Government: The Juntas 124

6 Early Victories and Defeats: Lessons of the Popular War 154

7 Soldiers at the Front and Rural Conflict in the Rear 178

8 Fatherland and Nation: A National Patriotic Government 189

9 Napoleon's 1808 Offensive 210

10 The Contagion of Defeat: Popular Revolts and Local Resistance 234

11 1809 250

12 Popular Territorial Liberation Struggles: Galicia and Cataluna 284

13 The Church at War 316

14 Origins of the Guerrilla 335

15 From the Battle of Talavera to the Suprema's Demise 348

16 1810-1811 364

17 The Invisible Army: Guerrilla Successes and Failures 390

18 1812-1814 432

19 Military Victory and Political Defeat 464.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [561]-574) and index.

ISBN:

1844670821

9781844670826

OCLC:

70264501