Bussaco 1810: Wellington defeats Napoleon's Marshals: No. 97 (Campaign)

By 1810 Viscount Wellington had been forced onto the defensive. Napoleon was not about to give up and ordered a third massive invasion of Portugal. Wellington was now faced by 80,000 men of the Army of Portugal under Marshal Massena. At Bussaco on 27 September the British/Portuguese force offered battle. They had taken up a strong defensive position on high ground. Massena was perhaps too confident; the determined attacks of the French were all repulsed with the loss of 4500 French casualties against less than 1300 for the Anglo-Portuguese. This title shows how Bussaco was both a stinging defeat for the French army, and a demonstration of the courage and quality of the newly reorganized Portuguese army. It includes coverage of the construction of the defence lines around Lisbon - a masterpiece of military engineering.