Battle of Bailén
Bailén, Jaén Province, Andalusia, Spain
What happened
Spanish armies under Francisco Javier Castaños and Theodor von Reding fought a French army under General Pierre Dupont. Napoleon had made his brother Joseph king of Spain, and Spaniards rose up against the French. In the summer heat of southern Spain, Spanish forces cut Dupont's French army in two at Bailén. With his men short of food and water, Dupont surrendered his whole army, about 17,000 soldiers.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first defeat of a Napoleonic army in open battle. It encouraged resistance across Spain and Europe and helped persuade Austria to go to war with France again.
What came next
Joseph Bonaparte fled Madrid, and the French pulled back. Napoleon then came to Spain himself with a large army and retook Madrid by November 1808.
Did you know?
When Dupont said he had never lost a battle before, Castaños replied that this was remarkable, because he had never fought one before.
Timeline
- 1808Spaniards rise against French rule.
- 16-19 July 1808The Spanish win at Bailén.
- 23 July 1808Dupont formally surrenders at Andújar.
- November 1808Napoleon retakes Madrid.