Battle of Nivelle

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Battle of Nivelle
Part of the Peninsular War
Gravure of the battle
Date 10 November 1813 Location River Nivelle, France 43°23′15″N 1°40′9″W / 43.38750°N 1.66917°W / 43.38750; -1.66917 (mouth of Nivelle) Result Allied victory
Belligerents
French Empire	United Kingdom Portugal  Spain
Commanders and leaders
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult	Marquess of Wellington Sir John Hamilton
Strength
50,000 (18,000 engaged)[1]	90,000 (50,000 engaged)[1]
Casualties and losses
3,200 killed or wounded 1,300 captured[1]	5,300 killed or wounded 200 captured (2,800 Anglo-Portuguese and 2,700 Spanish)[1]
class=notpageimage| Location within Europe

Peninsular War:
Campaign in south-west France

50km
30miles

Bayonne

7

Toulouse

6

5

4

3

Nivelle

2

1

  

  current battle

The Battle of Nivelle (10 November 1813) took place in front of the river Nivelle near the end of the Peninsular War (1808–1814). After the Allied siege of San Sebastian, Wellington's 80,000 British, Portuguese and Spanish troops (20,000 of the Spaniards were untried in battle) were in hot pursuit of Marshal Soult who had 60,000 men to place in a 20-mile perimeter. After the Light Division, the main British army was ordered to attack and the 3rd Division split Soult's army in two. By two o'clock, Soult was in retreat and the British in a strong offensive position. Soult had lost another battle on French soil and had lost 4,500 men to Wellington's 5,500.