In this episode, we examine the Battle of Talavera (July 27–28, 1809), a hard-fought clash of the Peninsular War where Sir Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, won his first major battlefield victory over Napoleon’s marshals in Spain. Facing the French armies of Marshal Victor and King Joseph Bonaparte, British and Spanish forces held firm against repeated attacks under brutal summer conditions.

Special guest Josh Provan discusses the key phases of the battle, including the fighting on Cerro de Medellín, French night assaults, and Wellington’s disciplined defensive tactics. Learn why Talavera earned Wellesley his peerage, exposed the limits of Spanish cooperation, and revealed the challenges Britain would face in Iberia—despite tactical success.

Ideal for listeners interested in the Napoleonic Wars, Wellington, Spanish campaigns, and 19th-century warfare.

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