Grant, Charles S. Wellington Invades France 1813-1814

With the fall of St.Sebastian all seemed set for Wellington to take the initiative and invade France, and yet he waited. The principle reason for the delay was his need to clarify the situation in the rest of Europe. By 15 September 1813 Wellington knew that the situation was right for the invasion of France. Crossing the Bidassoa, Wellington drove back the French army under Marshal Soults command. In a series of battles between November and February at Nivelle, Nive, St Pierre and Orthez the Allies defeated the French pushing them further into France. The final battle came at Toulouse. The two armies that were locked in battle on 10 April were unaware that the war was already over. Napoleon had abdicated on 4 April and renounced all rights of his family to the throne of France on 6 April. Wellington entered Toulouse to the greetings of a large pro royalist crowd on 12 April. Late that afternoon Colonel Ponsonby, who had been sent by Dalhousie from Bordeaux, brought news of the Emperors abdication. For Wellington a series of campaigns and major battles through the Iberian Peninsula and into France, which had begun in Portugal in 1808, was ended.

In a series of battles, the Allies defeated the French at Nivelle, Nive, St Pierre and Orthez between November 1813 and February 1814, forcing the enemy further and further into France. The last battle took place near Toulouse on 10 April 1814, without the opponents knowing that the war was already over. Napoleon I had abdicated on 4 April and resigned all his family's rights to the French throne on 6 April. On 12 April, Wellington entered Toulouse to the cheers of a large pro-royalist crowd. In the late afternoon, Colonel Ponsonby, who had been sent from Bordeaux by Dalhousie, brought the news of the emperor's abdication. For the Duke of Wellington, this marked the end of a series of campaigns, battles and sieges across the Iberian Peninsula as far as France, which had begun in Portugal in 1808.