The area astride the Spanish/Portuguese border between the respective
fortresses of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida was the focus of the Peninsular
War for much of the period from the autumn of 1809 through until 1812.
The fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo that dominated the country between the
Rivers Agueda and Côa, was one of the 'Keys to Spain' for any army
attacking either east or west across the frontier.With the defeat of the
Fifth Coalition at Wagram in 1809, Napoleon was free to turn his
attention to the rebellious Iberian Peninsula and the small British
Army. Tasking a reluctant Marshal Masséna to 'throw the leopard into
sea', preparations started for what proved to be a protracted and
lackluster siege. Marshal Ney, however, champed at the bit and wanted to
press on with the invasion and despite an increasing tempo of outpost
actions, such as the renowned affair at Barbra del Puerco, Napoleon in
attempting to control events from Paris, insisted on an orderly
siege.With the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo, Craufurd's Light Division
remained covering the Army's frontage but after a superbly conducted
withdrawal, Craufurd's judgement erred and he was force into a costly
fighting withdrawal to the River Côa. The British now fell back into
Portugal but by Spring 1811 they were back and with Napoleon stripping
troops from the Peninsular Wellington could prepare to invade Spain and
besiege Ciudad RodrigoPreparations for the siege were almost complete in
December 1811, when further troops were stripped from Marshal Marmont,
an opportunity to presented itself for a lightening operation to take
Ciudad Rodrigo in the 1812 siege, which was of very different character.
