First Siege of Girona (Peninsular War) 1808
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 20 June 1808 – 21 June 1808 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1808 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | Spain | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Peninsular War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | First French Empire, Kingdom of Spain | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 41.9831, 2.8249 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The first siege of Girona during the Peninsular War, also called the battle of Gerona, took place from 20 to 21 June 1808, when an Imperial French division led by Guillaume Philibert Duhesme try to overrun a Spanish garrison commanded by Lieutenant Colonels O'Donovan and O'Daly. The French assault failed and the attackers withdrew.
As part of his plan to overthrow the Spanish ruling family, Emperor Napoleon ordered his soldiers to seize Barcelona in February 1808. The city's fortress was successfully occupied, but a few weeks later the Spanish people rebelled against Imperial French rule. Duhesme and his soldiers soon found themselves in difficulties. Hemmed in by Catalan militia and regular Spanish troops, the French general attempted to capture Girona in order to open up a secure supply line from France to Barcelona. The Franco-Italian force attempted to storm the city but they were repulsed by the city militia and two small battalions of Irish regular infantry in Spanish service. Duhesme fell back to Barcelona, but he returned to mount the second siege of Girona five weeks later.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article First Siege of Girona (Peninsular War) (revision 1370619626), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
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Other battles of the Peninsular War
- Battle of Alcolea Bridge 1808
- Battle of Bailén 1808
- Battle of Benavente 1808
- Battle of Cabezón 1808
- Battle of Cardedeu 1808
- Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros 1808
- Battle of Gamonal 1808
- Battle of Medina de Rioseco 1808
- Battle of Molins de Rei 1808
- Battle of Roliça 1808
All 124 battles of the Peninsular War →
Browse more: battles in Spain · Europe · 19th century battles