The Peninsular War of 1808 to 1814 remains unique in Napoleonic History. On
canvas, Francisco Goya painted its brutality. Napoleon blamed it for his defeat.
Historians assent to both assessments with passing references to the guerrilla conflict’s
terrible nature and its negative effect upon the French. Commonly, these brief references
turn on such points as the harassing effect of guerrillas upon strung out forces in Spain,
the difficulty of foraging for the French, the allied intelligence advantage and finally the
notoriously low morale of the French army of occupation. These brief comments on the
guerrilla war are, however, buried in the traditional histories of campaigns and generals,
of Bailens and Salamancas, of Wellingtons and Soults. Peninsular historiography is
almost totally devoid of any information about how French soldiers themselves regarded
the guerrilla conflict. By and large, this human element is ignored. This oversight leaves
important questions unanswered: How did the French and imperial troops experience the
guerrilla war? What exactly did poor morale mean for a soldier who suffered from its
effects? Many memoirs of imperial veterans specifically center on the Spanish conflict
and provide excellent material with which to illustrate the experience of guerrilla war.
By looking into the accounts left by soldiers of all ranks, this work will show how for the
troops charged with the conquest and occupation of Spain and Portugal, poor morale
created a complex weave of isolation, frustration, and exhaustion that affected their
ability to perform their duties
