What was the name of the British victory in 1813 that broke French power in Spain?

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The British victory that broke French power in Spain in 1813 was the Battle of Vittoria, also commonly spelled the Battle of Vitoria.

Fought on 21 June 1813 near Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque Country, the battle pitted an Allied army led by the Duke of Wellington against Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and the French-installed king of Spain. The Allies included British, Portuguese, and Spanish troops, together with German units serving with the British army.

The French defeat shattered Joseph’s army and forced it to retreat toward the Pyrenees, abandoning most of its artillery, supplies, and looted Spanish treasure. Wellington’s victory effectively ended French control over Spain and opened the way for the Allied invasion of southern France.

It is sometimes confused with Salamanca, another major British victory in Spain, but Salamanca took place in 1812. Vittoria was the decisive 1813 battle that finally drove the French from the Iberian Peninsula.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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