Battles & Campaigns · 1813
Battle of Sorauren
Sorauren, Navarre, Spain
What happened
A British, Portuguese and Spanish army under Wellington fought a French army under Marshal Soult. Napoleon ordered Soult to break the sieges of Pamplona and San Sebastián. Soult pushed through the Pyrenees mountain passes toward Pamplona, but Wellington's troops held the Oricain Ridge. When fresh allied divisions arrived and struck the French flank, Soult ordered a withdrawal.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the key fight of the Battle of the Pyrenees. Soult failed to relieve either besieged town.
What came next
Soult's army fell back into France by 2 August. Wellington prepared to invade southern France.
Did you know?
Before the battle Soult had lunch and a nap, while one of his generals reportedly asked, 'Who could go to sleep at a moment like this?'
Timeline
- 25 July 1813Soult's offensive begins at Maya and Roncesvalles.
- 28 July 1813Battle of Sorauren.
- 2 August 1813Soult's army reaches France.