Key Facts
- Duration
- 16 March – 6 April 1812 (22 days)
- Allied casualties (storming)
- ~4,800 killed or wounded
- Civilian casualties (aftermath)
- 200–300 killed or injured
- Days to restore order
- 3 days
- Also known as
- Third Siege of Badajoz
Strategic Narrative Overview
The siege began on 16 March 1812 with Allied forces digging approach trenches and battering the walls with artillery. After weeks of siege works, Wellington ordered a general assault on the night of 6 April. Attacking columns suffered devastating fire at the breaches, resulting in catastrophic losses within hours. The city was ultimately taken through a secondary escalade attack at the castle while the main breaches remained unforced.
01 / The Origins
Badajoz, a strategically vital fortress city on the Spanish-Portuguese border, had fallen to French forces earlier in the Peninsular War. Control of the city gave France a key gateway between Spain and Portugal. In early 1812, Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army moved to retake the fortress, recognising that capturing Badajoz was essential to securing the Iberian Peninsula and enabling a broader Allied offensive into Spain.
03 / The Outcome
The French garrison surrendered on 6 April 1812 after the castle was seized. Following the costly assault, Allied troops, enraged by their losses, broke into the city and went on a violent rampage lasting three days, killing or injuring an estimated 200–300 civilians before officers restored order. The capture opened the road for Wellington's subsequent advance into Spain.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.