Battle of Somosierra
Peninsular War · Somosierra Pass, Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain
Summary
To open the road to Madrid, Napoleon ordered an attack on Spanish redoubts defending the Somosierra pass. After several unsuccessful infantry assaults, he ordered a bold charge by the Polish Guard chasseurs. They broke enemy lines, captured the guns, and forced the Spanish to retreat. The road to the capital was cleared.
Historical context
Napoleon intervened personally in Spain after the May 1808 revolt and Bailén defeat. He marched on Madrid with 45,000 men. Benito de San Juan defended Somosierra defile with 9,000 Spaniards and 16 guns positioned on the steep road heights.
Tactics
French infantry attempted to advance under fire from Spanish batteries positioned on high ground but was checked. Napoleon, impatient, ordered a frontal cavalry charge by the Polish Guard. In less than 15 minutes the four lines of Spanish guns were successively assaulted.
Consequences
Madrid fell on 4 December 1808; Joseph Bonaparte was reinstalled on the throne. Somosierra became a symbol of Polish bravery in Napoleon's service. The charge was painted by Horace Vernet and entered Napoleonic legend, though historians debate its real tactical utility.