Key Facts
- Dates
- 16–18 January 1836
- Location
- Heights of Arlabán, between Álava and Guipúzcoa
- Liberal allies
- British Legion, French Legion, Espartero's units
- Initial Liberal gain
- Arlabán and Legutiano (Villarreal de Álava) captured
- Final result
- Carlists pushed Liberals back on 18 January
Strategic Narrative Overview
Between 16 and 17 January 1836, Liberal forces under Luis Fernández de Córdova, reinforced by the British Legion, French Legion, and units commanded by Baldomero Espartero, advanced along three fronts against Carlist positions at the heights of Arlabán. They succeeded in dislodging the Carlists and also captured the nearby town of Legutiano, appearing to secure a meaningful foothold in the contested mountain corridor.
01 / The Origins
The First Carlist War (1833–1840) arose from a dynastic dispute in Spain following the death of Ferdinand VII. Supporters of the infant Queen Isabella II (Liberals/Isabelinos) clashed with supporters of Infante Carlos, who contested the succession. The northern Basque provinces and Navarre became the principal theater of conflict, with Carlist forces holding significant highland territory that Liberal armies sought to dislodge.
03 / The Outcome
On 18 January 1836, Carlist forces counterattacked and drove the Liberal army back from Arlabán, inflicting a large number of casualties. The brief Liberal occupation of the pass and Legutiano was reversed, leaving the strategic heights under Carlist control once more and underlining the difficulty Liberal commanders faced in consolidating gains in the mountainous Basque terrain.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Luis Fernández de Córdova, Baldomero Espartero.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.