Battles & Campaigns · 1808
Battle of Tudela
Tudela, Navarre, Spain
What happened
French troops under Marshal Jean Lannes attacked a Spanish army under General Castaños. Napoleon himself had come to Spain to crush the uprising against French rule. Near Tudela the French drove Spanish divisions off their ridges, and cavalry broke through a gap in the Spanish line. The Spanish withdrew after dark.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It opened the way for Napoleon's march on Madrid. The Spanish forces split up, with some falling back to Zaragoza.
What came next
Napoleon won at Somosierra a week later and Madrid surrendered on 4 December. The second siege of Zaragoza began on 20 December.
Did you know?
The battle's name is carved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Timeline
- 10–11 November 1808Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros.
- 23 November 1808Battle of Tudela.
- 30 November 1808Battle of Somosierra.
- 4 December 1808Madrid surrenders.