Griffith, Robert So Just and Glorious a Cause

Britain and the Liberation of Portugal-Rolica and Vimeiro, 1808

Volume 131 of the "From Reason to Revolution 17211815" series offers an extremely detailed account of Wellingtons first campaign on the Iberian Peninsula. Drawing on memoirs, letters, and previously unpublished primary sources, the work covers events ranging from Junots invasion in late 1807through the Portuguese uprisings of summer 1808, the deployment of the British expeditionary force, and the battles of Roliça and Vimeiroto the controversial Convention of Cintra and the liberation of Portugal from the French. Having brought most of Europe under his control by 1807, Napoleon turned his attention to the Iberian Peninsula, hoping to complete his hegemony and extend his sphere of influence as far as South America. He dispatched one of his most loyal generals, Jean-Andoche Junot, with 25,000 men to conquer Portugal. The Portuguese had long been caught between the conflicting interests of Great Britain and France. Faced with an invasion he could scarcely avert, the Prince Regent fled to Brazil with the assistance of a Royal Navy squadron, leaving his country to be occupied. When uprisings among the Spanish and Portuguese populations spread across the peninsula in the summer of 1808, Great Britain sent an expeditionary force under Sir Arthur Wellesleythe future Duke of Wellingtonto liberate Portugal. Although Wellesley was still a relatively inexperienced and unknown commander at the time, he conducted an aggressive and successful campaign. He defeated the French first at Roliça and subsequently at Vimeiro, though the arrival of more senior officers prevented him from fully capitalizing on his victory. Under the terms of the Convention of Cintra, the French negotiated generous conditions and were transported back to France, thereby ending their occupation of Portugal. "So Just and Glorious a Cause" draws extensively on primary sources from all levels of the French, Portuguese, and British forces involvedmany of them previously unpublished. The book sheds light on the grueling forced marches undertaken by French troops as they crossed the border into Portugal, the frantic diplomatic efforts in Lisbon, the ensuing brutal occupation and Royal Navy blockade, and Vice-Admiral Cottons endeavors to stoke the insurgency and support the uprisings in Portugal. It also provides a detailed analysis of the French, Portuguese, and British forces, as well as the logistical challenges of Wellesleys campaign. Accounts of the initial skirmish at Óbidos and the battles of Roliça and Vimeiro rely on eyewitness reports from both sides, dispelling numerous misconceptions regarding the engagements. Finally, the book addresses various myths surrounding the controversial Convention of Cintra, including the role Wellesley played in the negotiations.