Outpost of empire
Subtitle: the Napoleonic occupation of Andalucía, 1810-1812
By: Charles J. Esdaile
Series: Campaigns & commanders -- v. 33
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Norman
Language: eng
Number of pages: 492
ISBN-13: 9780806142784
Subjects: Travel; History
Description: Napoleon's forces invaded Spain in 1808, but two years went by before they overran the southern region of Andalucía. Situated at the farthest frontier of Napoleon's "outer empire," Andalucía remained under French control only briefly-for two-and-a-half years-and never experienced the normal functions of French rule. In this groundbreaking examination of the Peninsular War, Charles J. Esdaile moves beyond traditional military history to examine the French occupation of Andalucía and the origins and results of the region's complex and chaotic response. Disillusioned by the Spanish provisional government and largely unprotected, Andalucía scarcely fired a shot in its defense when Joseph Bonaparte's army invaded the region in 1810. The subsequent French occupation, however, broke down in the face of multiple difficulties, the most important of which were geography and the continued presence in the region of substantial forces of regular troops.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Conquest; title: The context of conquest; title: The conquered land; title: Selling Joseph Bonaparte; title: Balls, banquets, and bayonets; title: Collaboration and coexistence; title: Resistance; title: Fights and forced marches; title: Conclusion.