When the guns fell silent and the blood-soaked ruins of Badahose lay under British control, the last obstacle between Wellington and Spain was gone. The fortress had been the key, the final lock on the door that led into Napoleon’s empire. Now, the British held that key, and there would be no turning back. The invasion of Spain had begun: not as a probing raid, not as a cautious advance, but as a declaration of war against the French occupation itself. The road to Madrid lay open, and with it, the future of the entire Peninsular War.

Badajoz. March 17 - April 6, 1812.
British Forces: 51,000 Infantry, 52 Siege Guns.
French Forces: 4,700 Infantry, 140 Guns.

Additional Reading and Episode Research:

• Lawrence, James. The Iron Duke.
• Myatt, Frederick. British Sieges of the Peninsular War.
• Glover, Michael. Wellington's Peninsular Victories.

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