Second Siege of Badajoz (1811)

The Second Siege of Badajoz (22 April – 12 May and 18 May – 10 June, 1811) saw an Anglo-Portuguese Army, first led by William Carr Beresford and later commanded by the Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington, besiege a French garrison under Armand Philippon at Badajoz, Spain. After failing to force a surrender, Wellington withdrew his army when the French mounted a successful relief effort by combining the armies of Marshals Nicolas Soult and Auguste Marmont. The action was fought during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Badajoz is located 6 km from the Portuguese border on the Guadiana River in western Spain.

While Wellington faced Marshal Andre Massena's Army of Portugal in the north, his lieutenant Beresford attempted to capture French-held Badajoz in the south. Beresford invested the city in April but Philippon's garrison successfully fended off his attacks. The siege was briefly lifted while the Battle of Albuera was fought on 16 May. Though both sides suffered horrific casualties, Beresford emerged the victor and Soult retreated to the east. Wellington brought reinforcements from the north, but Massena's replacement Marmont also brought large forces south to join Soult. Wellington's efforts to capture Badajoz proved unavailing and he lifted the siege after being menaced by the large French army led by Soult and Marmont.