The Battle of Valmaceda took place on November 5, 1808, during Lieutenant-General Blake's retreat from superior French armies in Cantabria. Reinforced by veteran regular infantry from General la Romana's Division of the North (Spanish: Division del Norte), Blake suddenly turned on his pursuers and defeated a division of General Victor's army at Valmaceda. The Peninsular War (1808–1814) (known as War of Independence in Spain as French Invasions in Portugal and as Guerre dEspagne in France) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the Iberian Peninsula with Spanish, Portuguese, and the British forces fighting against Napoleonic French. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Location of Bilbao in Spain Cityscape of Bilbao, with the Guggenheim Museum on the bottom right Bilbao from satellite (NASA World Wind Landsat) LIZ Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo) in the North of Spain, is the largest city in the Pais Vasco and the capital of the province of Vizcaya (Basque: Bizkaia). ... Casus belli is a Latin expression from the international law theory of Jus ad bellum. ... Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno (7 December 1764 – 1 March 1841) was a marshal of France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. ... The Peninsular War (1808–1814) (known as War of Independence in Spain as French Invasions in Portugal and as Guerre dEspagne in France) was a major conflict during the Napoleonic Wars, fought in the Iberian Peninsula with Spanish, Portuguese, and the British forces fighting against Napoleonic French. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Charles de Lefebvre Joaquín Blake Strength 24,000 19,000 Casualties 300 dead or wounded 600 dead or wounded The Battle of Pancorbo was one of the opening engagements in Napoleons invasion of Spain. ... The Battle of Burgos was fought on November 7, 1808, and resulted in a French victory under Marshall Soult against the Spanish under General Belveder. ... The Battle of Espinosa was fought on November 10, - 11, 1808 at Cantabrian mountains and resulted in a French victory under General Victor against the Spanish under Lieutenant General Blake, leading his army of Galicia. ... The Battle of Tudela was a battle during the Peninsular War fought on November 23, 1808 near Tudela, Spain. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Napoleon I of France Benito de San Juan Strength 45,000 20,000 infantry 16 guns Casualties Unknown 250 dead or wounded The Battle of Somosierra was a battle of the Peninsular War that took place on November 30, 1808 at the Somosierra pass in the... The Battle of Ciudad-Real was fought on March 27, 1809, and resulted in a French victory under General Sebastiani against the Spanish under General Cartojal. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Louis Gabriel Suchet Joaquín Blake Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties 1,500 dead or wounded 300 dead or wounded The Battle of Alcañiz resulted in the defeat of General Suchets French army on May 23, 1809 by a Spanish force under General Blake. ... Combatants France Spain Commanders Michel Ney Unknown Strength 12,000 regulars Unknown Casualties 2,000 dead or wounded 300 captured Unknown The Battle of Tamames was a sharp reversal suffered by part of Marshal Neys French army under General Marchand in the Peninsular War. ... In the Peninsular War, the Battle of Ocana was fought on November 19, 1809 and resulted in a victory of the French under Marshall Soult against the Spanish under General Don Juan de Arizagua. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in almost every country in the world. ... Capital Santander Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th  5 321 km²  1. ... Lieutenant-General Caro y Sureda, Marquis de La Romana. ... Claude Victor-Perrin, duc de Belluno (7 December 1764 – 1 March 1841) was a marshal of France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. ...

The Spaniards captured 300 men and one gun.

Upon learning of the battle, Napoleon, shocked that his Grande Armée should suffer even a minor defeat by "an army of bandits led by monks," severely reprimanded Victor for his imprudence. Victor redeemed himself six days later when he finally defeated Blake at the Battle of Espinosa. Napoleon I of France, by Jacques-Louis David Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, and the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from 11 November 1799 to 18 May 1804, then as Emperor of the... La Grande Armée (in English, the Big or Grand Army) is the French military term for the main force in a military campaign. ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ... The Battle of Espinosa was fought on November 10, - 11, 1808 at Cantabrian mountains and resulted in a French victory under General Victor against the Spanish under Lieutenant General Blake, leading his army of Galicia. ...