Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Vimeiro (1808) - Peninsular War DOCUMENTARY 

Fun fact: Portugal and the UK have the longest lasting alliance in the world , it was signed in 1373. Now that is truly amazing

The Spanish & Portuguese expedition was Napoleon's Vietnam War. You cannot win a war without winning the hearts and minds of the people. Great video and look forward to see more. Cheers!

"You do not conquer Portugal withouth conquering England and you do not conquer England withouth conquering Portugal"

Vive L'Empereur: bit.ly/2nw9YLV A few quick points: 0. The campaign in Spain will be covered in the second episode. We decided to divide two campaigns for the sake of story coherence. 1. Usually, we go with the English versions of the names, e.g. "Charles" and not "Carlos", but in this case, we decided to use the ones most of the researchers of the period use. 2. Technically, using "Wellington" at this point in time is wrong, yet, we decided to go with it to avoid any confusion in the future. 3. Your likes and shares and comments really help. It takes us 100 or so hours to produce these videos, while liking or sharing will take you seconds. A short encouraging comment can be posted in less than 20 seconds, and we read and try to answer to each and every one of them. :-) Thank you for your time!

It's quite amazing how much Napoleon's actions influenced the world, in ways that he couldn't have expected. By invading Iberia he made the Portuguese monarchy flee to Brazil and rule their empire from Rio de Janiero until 1821, helping pave the way for Brazil's independence. Placing his brother on the throne of Spain inadventantly helped trigger the Latin American revolutions, especially in Mexico and Venezuela. He tried and failed to re-establish slavery in Haiti, resulting in the Haitians breaking away entiery from French rule and becoming the world's first black republic. The loss of Haiti led him to cut his losses in the Americas and sell the Loisiana territory to the United States, doubling the size of that country and boosting the emergence of manifest destiny. Destroying the Holy Roman Empire, simplifying the 1000s of principalites into a few dozen states, made it possible for Germany to be united under Prussia. A similar effect happened in Italy. His conquests helped introduce the ideals of the French revolution to oppressive places like Russia and Austria. He briefly resurrected Poland as the Duchy of Warsaw, giving new life to Polish nationalism. The list goes on and on.

It's not the size of the battle, it's its importance. Thumbs up for covering this relatively small but absolute turning point for Napoleon in Iberia, that Roliça and Vimeiro battles were! Napoleon himself said that the Peninsula would be a hard nut to crack. Spain's compliance in allowing French troops to pass - btw, did you know Godoy, that usurped the Portuguese town of Olivença in 1801, is known as the "Prince of Peace"? Go figure! - was compensated in blood and destruction. The majority of operations in the Peninsular War were drove in Spain, but Portuguese campaign allowed a step by step consolidated and successful fight against the French Army. Bottom line, Roliça, Vimeiro, Porto, Linhas de Torres, and Buçaco, may have been small in comparison with monsters like Austerlitz or Jena, but were decisive in Napoleon's defeat in the Iberian Peninsula, by granting the allies a solid base of operations.

Iberia was Napoleon`s smaller Achilles heel (the big one being Russia). Imagine his reign without this mistake/s! Thanks for the video! Never heared of this battle until now.

Portugal played 'in blood' for his auxiliary role in Trafalgar, two years before. Napoleon made it known in Le Moniteur.

Wellington started in a corner of Portugal and started enlarging his allied forces, Portuguese and Spanish. The Spanish were notorious for not following through with supply commitments but the Portuguese were formed into steady, reliable and effective units that stayed the course. Wellington won battle after battle and eventually entered France through the Pyrenees and invaded from the South. This plus the Battle of the Nations in the east brought Napoleon down. The occupation of Spain was a huge mistake and created incredible brutality on both sides. It also created guerrillas as a significant factor in war.

Aspern Essling, Wagram, Massena vs Wellington, Borodino, Dresden, Oudinot & Ney vs Bernadotte (Grossberen and Dennewitz), Leipzig, 6 Day Campaign, Waterloo campaign... can't wait to see what all y'all cover!

Excelent! Keep going with this productions, this really shows how important was the defeat of Napoleon in Spain and Portugal as a turning point for the colapse of his rulling.

Portugal is small but we always fight like demons to defend our lands and culture! Always with the help of our British friends and allies. Great video. Keep the good work. Great show.

These documentaries are so helpful about the Napoleonic Wars and these videos are what all the people need about recalling history and this is great just GREAT! Thank You!

Curious fact: The Portuguese were the first whose guns, offered by the British, didn't get captured by the French. British fondly appreciate this value for money.

Finally, a video from the Napoleonic series.. My beloved Emperor has returned!!. Btw , couldn't feel bad and impressed about Junot..still fighting the Brits even though he know he's not going to win against them..Cheers for him..and keep it coming guys.. Great job.!

I would say Napoleon was too ambitious when he tried to make his brother king of Spain

Fantastic video! I appreciate you covering the Peninsular War, and pointing out it's role on the overturn of the tide on the Napoleonic Wars. Excellent!

João VI from Portugal is the most hold my beer guy of all time. He deceived Napoleon, and fled with his family to Brazil. "Do you want to take the throne from me? Come here and get it, you sucker!"

Great that you're doing the peninsular war. You're the only channel have done a video on it when doing a series about the Napoleonic wars btw.

Best history channel in RU-vid hands down. Super vid AGAIN and top quality.. Keep up the awesome work guys, cant wait until a new vid comes out.. Cheers from Hellas!!!

*YES!* I've been waiting for what has felt like a year!! I can barely believe it's finally here. Well done lads.

I’m doing the time of the Reconquista in Medieval Spain and its funny how many times this battle comes up when I am searching the history of Toledo.

And it was at that moment that I realized, I've watched all the videos of this channel. Panic sets in, denial, apathy, some tears and ending up constantly checking this channel for new videos.

I just wanna say thank you for this channel. The many videos have provided me with a lot of knowledge that would’ve taken me countless hours to read, and you delivered it in an entertaining way. Keep up the good work, cos you’ve made a fan for as long as you make videos

Good old Nosey wins his first victory. Awesome video again Kings and Generals

Excellent presentation - good musical score (not too loud and distracting to the description of the events), great use of CGI imagery, very informative and strangely enough - in line with what I learned at the War College (RI, USA) as a young officer years, ago. Thank you for such great research and production, Ciao, L

Ah. Peninsular war episode. There is a lack of videos on this topic. Good to see a high quality one.

The Napoleonic wars is my favorite war to study in history

I love the wide range of historic periods you guys cover. I love this channel

Great episode, I cannot wait to see if you cover the battle of Bailén, the actual first defeat of the Grand Armée and a very interesting clash!

What a great service & learning experience you provide! Thanks many times over!

This channel is growing farely fast, I bet you'll be at a million by the end of next year.

YES PORTUGAL!!! Uk & Portugal, the world’s oldest lasting alliance.

Great video, glad you took interest in Napoleon's Iberian campaign. Hope you talk about the linhas of torres vedras in the upcoming episodes! :)

Honestly as a Brit I fucking love Portugal, the most loyal ally in history imo, absolutely amazing

The sound effects on the gunfire and cannon in the battles is really well done. Great content.

Grabbing my beer and bag of doritos,it’s time to binge watch this channel.

Man your voice is great... But please narrate in such a way so that the suspense doesn't get over before the engagement is over

Yeaaahhh!! The best serie on youtube!! Insuperable 💪💪

Wellesley can't be blamed for the Convention of Cintra. He was outranked by Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Hew Dalrymple, who had arrived shortly after the battle, and he thought it his duty to agree to what they proposed. All three were recalled; all three were exonerated by a military board of inquiry; but only Wellesley was ever offered another command. A contemporary jingle: Sir Arthur and Sir Harry, Sir Harry and Sir Hew, Sing cock-a-doodle-doodle, Doodle-doodle-do. Sir Arthur was a fighting cock, But of the other two, Sing doodle-doodle-doodle, Doodle-doodle-do. Nevertheless, that recall resulted in Sir John Moore being put in charge. He made an appalling mistake in dividing his army when Napoleon invaded Spain; but he somehow deduced Napoleon's plans, reunited his contemptibly small army, and - instead of falling back along his lines of communication, as a conventional commander would have done - made one of the most remarkable flank marches in history, ending at Corunna. It threw Napoleon's plans for invading Portugal completely out of joint. Moore fell at Corunna. Napoleon left Spain. When French troops next tried to invade Portugal, Wellesley was back in command, and Sir William Beresford had done wonders with the Portuguese army. And the rest (to coin a phrase), is history.

The spanish combined themselves with Napoleon to conquer Portugal. They even had a treaty - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Fontainebleau_(1807) . It was sweet, sweet irony what happened to them. "De Espanha nem bons ventos nem bons casamentos".

Finally some line battles

So excited for this! I've been waiting since the end of season 1! Thank you guys for continuing to cover the Napoleonic wars!

When Portugal had capital in Rio De Janeiro.

Superb....you have started Napoleonic wars again....may success be yours......good luck...

Portugal never declared war on Britain! They were and still are allies! The Portuguese Monarch tough was a coward and should have stayed in Lisbon organising the defence of his country instead of fleeing for Brazil to drink coconut milk! Also it’s humiliating when your own country gets invaded by foreign army and doesn’t even defend itself! I’m ashamed of that, and if it wasn’t for the Brits we’d be speaking french!

[Insert short, encouraging comment here] Seriously, love your videos. Thanks for all the time and effort that goes into these.

Viva Portugal!🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹

Amazing work as always. Good to have the little French Emperor back!

Napoleon one of my favorite general in the history

You guys makes the best history videos I have ever seen

Great video you guys are one of my favorite channels on youtube

Fantastic didn't think you would be covering more napoleon

Same Duke of Wellington who would defeat Napoleon at Waterloo?

Ufff, never get bored binge watching these awesome videos.

As a french, I really like studying the Peninsular War, it really reminds me of a tug of war, especially when Soult comes up. However, I really, really believe you should have make a long video about the battle of Bailen instead of this one. Bailen is truly the defeat that would lead to the resurgence of Austria in 1809 and the rise of german patriotism, as the french were for the first time really defeated in the field with an equal number of combattants with the opponents. Aye, Vimeiro is a decisive french defeat, but it was Bailen that really sounded the end of french invincibility. Great as ever, nonetheless.

This is the perfect background for playing european war 6. Thanks.

Yess... Waited months for this

Portugal, finally! :D

i love sundays and a notification from kings and generals what a combo

Portugal And UK. The Strongest Duo. 🇵🇹❤🇬🇧

Man, your videos are the reason I started to enjoy Sundays. (It's sunday afternoon in my place) Again great job guys!

Not even 1 mention on the battle of Bailen, the first imperial defeat...

Love the video! You guys never let me down!

Here is where Wellington invented a new way of winning war by sitting on his butt - Napoleon

Yeeeeees!!! Thank you i was waiting for this :) btw i like the new animation

I DONT BELIVE IT I WATCHED EVERY BATTLE FROM MARENGO TO FRIEDLAND TODAY AGAIN AND NOW THIS!

"The came on in the same old way, and we beat them back in the same old way" - Wellington on Waterloo.

When Portugal decided not to follow with the continental system Napoleon: So you have chosen death.

Interesting to see a lesser known battle, hurrah for this series coming back! I can’t wait to watch the 1809 bavarian campaign.

*NOBODY EXPECTS THE FRENCH INVASION*

Thanks!

Really good absolutely loved this, keep up the great work!

Portugal 💪💪💪

I LOVE these series on my man Napoleon. Greatest general and politician who ever lived.

when your documentary is so accurate that you cant hear the narrator over the sound of musket and cannon fire LMAO loved the video

A very detailed and entertaining video, keep it up guys!

Kingss and Generals I would like to point out something to understand better the situation because the context was more complicated. Do you really think that the British would land his army in Portugal without an uprising in Spain? In my opinion, without the uprising success in Spain would be impossible to land this troops because they would be exposed to a potential 50000 men operational French army. The uprising in all the Spanish cities distract troops from Madrid to fight in Valencia and to attack Andalusia. Moncey's French army with more than 10000 troops attacked Valencia and Dupont moved more than 20000 men to Andalusia. Spaniards defeated Moncey in the siege of Valencia heading to Madrid afterwards. In the other hand, Dupont had 21000 men against 23000 Spaniards. The better quality of French army made Dupont confident to defeat the Spaniards. As you know, nobody had defeated a Napoleon's French Army in a camp battle at the moment. Unfortunately for Dupont and the French army, the Spaniards destroyed the whole 21000 French army in Bailen on July 2018. Spanish army entered in Madrid on 1st August 2018. In this situation, British could land their 15000 men against Junot's army one month later than Bailen battle. As you can see better now, Junot was isolated because of the Spanish victories and he did not have any other possibility but to fight against a stronger enemy. In my opinion, after the battle of Vimeiro, British transported Junot's Army back to France because they wanted to reduce their potential casualties attacking a very veteran and professional French army. This was very intelligent but not well appreciated in London.

very nice animations !! keep up the great work

I have a big man crush on wellington, love the iron duke

Pleaaaaaaase do more videos on napoleonic wars please !!!!!!! I just love this series. This was a fantastic video !!!

Great work guys, thanks for sharing!!!

Can you make more Napoleonic Wars - episodes please :D they are good. Very good work.

A superb and enlightening presentation. Well done.

Someone should do / reference some content on why Portugal is a thing. As a dumb American with no understanding of the geopolitical situation of the Iberian Peninsula currently or historically, just looking at the map, Portugal makes no sense. It's like some ancient school kid was so into soccer that they decided to draw a little goal box on their school textbook map and everyone was like, "yeah.. that's cool." ...I guess Russia slacked off and forgot to draw one on the other side (*of Europe)? -Jake

I love your videos, keep doing this great work!!!! God bless you!

Your videos really help me in my academics thanks

You said it takes ~100 hours to make a video. You release one every 4 days. 4 days=96 hours. Do you have something to say?:)

Great start to a new season!

All hail the emperor, great job as always

Oh yes, second season of Napoleonic Wars is here!

I'm salute Great Napoleon from Turkey.

For people who like comparaison . Napoleon has more millitary victory than Pompey, Caesar, Alexander, Genghis Khan meets. Moreover his high-facts extend over a period of more than 20 years. In front of it was all of Europe united against only him. Incomparable. This is by far the best of all.

The least you could do is say the names with the correct pronunciation, it’s not that difficult, especially Évora. It’s Évora and not Eivura like you pronounce it. Next time out of respect for your viewers you should research the correct pronunciation. Thank you

This takes "You're Going To Brazil" To a Whole new Level.

Junot was close friends with Napoleon and was his direct subordinate at Tulon and is reported to have saved Napoleon's life at the siege. Anyways, his loss of reputation with Napoleon due to failings in Spain is considered by some as the reasons to why he'd later take his own life.

Is this some kind of British-centric joke? Invincible napoleon's army's never defeated before safe for the glorious Wellington's British army??? Are you kidding me?? This battle took place 21th august 1808, and took the outnumbered and outgunned 13.000 french army 2016 casualties, but most of their army withdraw in good order. 19th july 1808, just a month before Vimeiro, the rests of the Spanish regular army, 27.000 men, crushingly defeated a not outgunned, neither outnumbered French army of 25.000, in Bailen, causing the total destruction of this army, with 19.000 death o prisoners. That was the actual first defeat of an Napolean army. A month before. And you even failed to mention Bailen in your intro!! Shame on you!!

Awesome as always!

At 6:01 i thought the thrones was going to Fernando in a peaceful way but oh napoleon, crowning his brother, what a move

Long live the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance