Anglo-Spanish Collaboration or Local Resistance?
The Response of Santander to a New Role during the Peninsular War: British Logistics Centre, 1813-1814
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20318/hn.2025.7706Keywords:
Peninsular War, Santander (Cantabria), logistics base, Wellington, George Collier, Anglo-Spanish relationsAbstract
In 1813 references to Santander began to multiply in Wellington’s dispatches as a result of his preparations for the new Anglo-Spanish-Portuguese offensive into Spain. As the Army supply deliveries could not depend on the inadequate road infrastructure in the Peninsula, Wellington turned to the Royal Navy to ensure them. A contact point was thus essential, and Santander met the requirements to become a British logistics base. That responsibility was difficult to handle for civil authorities due to its impact on everyday life, and their management of the issues that arose turned the relationship with the allies strained. This article examines the references to Santander mainly in Wellington’s dispatches, and also the allusions to British presence and performance in local primary sources. This critical revision aims to reveal the importance of the Cantabrian port for the war’s final campaign and its consequences on the population.
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