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115-658: The Special Naval Warfare Force is the special forces unit of the Spanish Navy specialized in operations in maritime, land and coastal environments. The unit is composed mainly of members of the Marines . It is composed of a Command and Control unit, a support unit for the Command and Control unit, combat units and their support units, and the services combat units (health, supply, transportation, weapons, material, etc.). Jobs assigned to them: The Special Naval Warfare Force

230-520: A European battlefield. Besieged by 70,000 French troops, a reconstituted national government, the Cortes —in effect a government-in-exile —fortified itself in the secure port of Cádiz in 1810. The British army, under Arthur Wellesley , the future Duke of Wellington, guarded Portugal and campaigned against the French alongside the reformed Portuguese Army and provided whatever supplies they could get to

345-691: A French army corps at Bailén and the loss of Portugal, Napoleon was convinced of the peril he faced in Spain. With his Armée d'Espagne of 278,670 men drawn up on the Ebro, facing 80,000 raw, disorganized Spanish troops, Napoleon and his marshals carried out a massive double envelopment of the Spanish lines in November 1808. Napoleon struck with overwhelming strength and the Spanish defense evaporated at Burgos , Tudela , Espinosa and Somosierra . The Junta

460-643: A bloody war to oust them. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation . It is also significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare . In 1808, the Spanish army in Andalusia defeated the French at the Battle of Bailén , considered the first open-field defeat of the Napoleonic army on

575-525: A man, and answering to the name of Antonio Maria de Soto, enlisted in the 6th company of 11° Battalion of the Navy, being licensed with pension and honors in 1798, when she was discovered to be a woman. The major actions they took part in during this period were: The increasing efficiency of the naval artillery made boarding obsolete after the Napoleonic Wars, the marine infantry and marine artillery

690-478: A measure of acquiescence among the propertied classes. Francisco de Goya , who remained in Madrid throughout the French occupation, painted Joseph's picture and documented the war in a series of 82 prints called Los Desastres de la Guerra ( The Disasters of War ). For many imperial officers, life could be comfortable. Among the liberal, republican and radical segments of the Spanish and Portuguese populations there

805-481: A new French assault on Portugal was imminent, Wellington created a powerful defensive position near Lisbon, to which he could fall back if necessary. To protect the city, he ordered the construction of the Lines of Torres Vedras —three strong lines of mutually supporting forts, blockhouses , redoubts , and ravelins with fortified artillery positions—under the supervision of Sir Richard Fletcher . The various parts of

920-633: A provisional basis and sequester their goods. After a few days, a large force started concentrating at Bayonne . Meanwhile, the Portuguese government's resolve was stiffening, and shortly afterward Napoleon was once again told that Portugal would not go beyond its original agreements. Napoleon now had all the pretext that he needed, while his force, the First Corps of Observation of the Gironde with divisional general Jean-Andoche Junot in command,

1035-559: A regency and the Cortes of Cádiz , which established a permanent government under the Constitution of 1812 . Cádiz was heavily fortified, while the harbour was full of British and Spanish warships. Alburquerque's army and the Voluntarios Distinguidos had been reinforced by 3,000 soldiers who had fled Seville, and a strong Anglo-Portuguese brigade commanded by General William Stewart. Shaken by their experiences,

1150-444: A second siege that had commenced on 20 December. Lannes and Moncey committed two army corps of 45,000 men and considerable artillery firepower. Palafox's second defence brought the city enduring national and international fame. The Spaniards fought with determination, endured disease and starvation, entrenching themselves in convents and burning their own homes. The garrison of 44,000 was left with 8,000 survivors—1,500 of them ill— but

1265-631: A staggering defeat, while the French lost only 1,000. On 27 March, Spanish forces defeated the French at Vigo , recaptured most of the cities in the province of Pontevedra and forced the French to retreat to Santiago de Compostela . On 7 June, the French army of Marshal Michel Ney was defeated at Puente Sanpayo in Pontevedra by Spanish forces under the command of Colonel Pablo Morillo , and Ney and his forces retreated to Lugo on 9 June while being harassed by Spanish guerrillas. Ney's troops joined up with those of Soult and these forces withdrew for

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1380-557: A unit with a high strategic value. Adding to this a high degree of training, and the capability to deploy swiftly in international waters, results in a potent dissuasive force available at a short notice in distant regions. One of the main characteristics of a marine is the uniform that he wears. On the sleeves of the Spanish Marines are the three "Sardinetas", which marks it as a member of the Royal House Corps. This

1495-404: A wide area with a much lower expenditure of men, energy, and supplies and facilitated the conventional victories of Wellington and his Anglo-Portuguese army and the subsequent liberation of Portugal and Spain. Mass resistance by the people of Spain inspired the war efforts of Austria, Russia and Prussia against Napoleon. Hatred of the French and devotion to God, King and Fatherland were not

1610-775: Is an accepted version of this page Coalition victory 1811: April 1813: Coalition 1813: The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Portugal , Spain and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars . In Spain, it is considered to overlap with the Spanish War of Independence . The war started when

1725-619: Is from this conflict that the English language borrowed the word. The guerrillas troubled the French troops, but they also frightened their own countrymen with forced conscription and looting. Many of the partisans were either fleeing the law or trying to get rich. Later in the war the authorities tried to make the guerrillas reliable, and many of them formed regular army units such as Espoz y Mina 's "Cazadores de Navarra". The French believed that enlightened absolutism had made less progress in Spain and Portugal than elsewhere, and that resistance

1840-582: Is the military band of the Marine Infantry and the larger Spanish Navy. For this, it has the Music Band, created in 1950, it is made up of a select group of non-commissioned officers and professional musicians. Its first performance was in the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid on 1 April 1951. It marches in both military ceremonies and parades, as well as in civil events. Based in Madrid it serves as

1955-613: Is the special operations force of the Spanish Navy specializing in maritime, land and coastal environments. It is made up of the former Special Naval Warfare Command, which comprised the Special Operations Unit (UOE) of the Tercio de Armada and the Special Combat Divers Unit (UEBC). These units are grouped into elements with the following main tasks: The Compañía Mar Océano de la Guardia Real

2070-833: Is under the command of a colonel or a ship-of-the-line captain who receives the title of Commander of the Special Naval Warfare Force. As a force integrated into the Spanish Marines, it is under the purview of the General Commander of the Marines. The FGNE has been deployed across several operations, including Atalanta in Somalia , United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and Hispaniola in Haiti . The Special Naval Warfare Force also took part during

2185-526: The Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles (Old Sea Companies of Naples ) to the Escuadras de Galeras del Mediterráneo (Mediterranean Galley Squadrons). But it was Philip II who established today's concept of a landing force . This was a pure naval power projection ashore by forces deployed from ships that could maintain their ability to fight despite being based on board. This is the period of

2300-550: The Grande Armée did not advance beyond the Ebro . On 20 February 1809, the garrison capitulated, leaving behind burnt-out ruins filled with 64,000 corpses, of which 10,000 were French. The Junta took over direction of the Spanish war effort and established war taxes, organized an Army of La Mancha, signed a treaty of alliance with Britain on 14 January 1809 and issued a royal decree on 22 May to convene at Cortes. An attempt by

2415-604: The Bidasoa River into Spain at Irun . Junot was selected because he had served as ambassador to Portugal in 1805. He was known as a good fighter and an active officer, although he had never exercised independent command. By 1800, Spain was in a state of social unrest. Townsfolk and peasants all over the country, who had been forced to bury family members in new municipal cemeteries rather than churches or other consecrated ground, took back their bodies at night and tried to restore them to their old resting-places. In Madrid ,

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2530-497: The Cortes of Cádiz in the summer of 1809. The Junta came up with what it hoped would be a war-winning strategy, a two-pronged offensive to recapture Madrid, involving over 100,000 troops in three armies under the Duke del Parque , Juan Carlos de Aréizaga and the Duke of Alburquerque . Del Parque defeated Jean Gabriel Marchand 's VI Corps at the Battle of Tamames on 18 October 1809 and occupied Salamanca on 25 October. Marchand

2645-732: The Grupo Mecanizado Anfibio del Tercio de Armada (the Mechanized Amphibious Group of the Navy Tercio). The Marines of Spain are not only a fleet force, as the Spanish Royal Marine Guard Company are responsible for the defense and security forces of naval bases and facilities, naval schools and training units, and all facilities that support the Marines themselves. In June 2009, the Special Naval Warfare Force (FGNE)

2760-462: The Mutiny of Aranjuez and Charles IV was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, Ferdinand VII . In the aftermath of the abdication, attacks on godoyistas were frequent. On 23 March, Murat entered Madrid with pomp. Ferdinand VII arrived on 27 March and asked Murat to get Napoleon's confirmation of his accession. Charles IV, however, was persuaded to protest his abdication to Napoleon, who summoned

2875-631: The Philippine Revolution and the Spanish–American War the marines fought as part of army divisions. Though Spain's empire was dismembered in the nineteenth century the marines continued to be active abroad. Its most important actions in this period were: These actions were carried out by the Batallones Expedicionarios (Expeditionary Battalions), some of them campaigning abroad for up to ten years. At

2990-690: The Russian Empire allied with the First French Empire , Napoleon expressed irritation that Portugal was open to trade with Britain. Pretexts were plentiful; Portugal was Britain's oldest ally in Europe , Britain was finding new opportunities for trade with Portugal's colony in Brazil, the Royal Navy used Lisbon's port in its operations against France, and he wanted to deny the British the use of

3105-472: The Spanish Navy responsible for conducting amphibious warfare . Fully integrated into the Spanish Navy's structure, the branch's history dates back to 1537 when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor formed the Compañías Viejas del Mar de Nápoles , making it the oldest marine unit in existence. The Infantería de Armada (Navy Infantry) was created by Charles V in 1537, when he permanently assigned

3220-591: The Army, and the main body remained in the Navy becoming the Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina (Navy Battalions Corps). The battles that the marines served in during this period included: In 1717, the Cuerpo de Batallones de Marina was definitively settled and organized into a 12-battalion corps with a corresponding regimental HQ overseeing the supervision of these units. The first ones were named: Armada, Bajeles, Marina, Oceano, Mediterráneo and Barlovento . Their mission

3335-745: The British army, reinforced with Portuguese regiments trained by General Beresford . These new forces turned Soult out of Portugal at the Battle of Grijó (10–11 May) and the Second Battle of Porto (12 May), and the other northern cities were recaptured by General Silveira. Soult escaped without his heavy equipment by marching through the mountains to Orense. With Portugal secured, Wellesley advanced into Spain to unite with Cuesta's forces. Victor's I Corps retreated before them from Talavera. Cuesta's pursuing forces fell back after Victor's reinforced army, now commanded by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Jourdan , drove upon them. Two British divisions advanced to help

3450-696: The British had made a substantial contribution to the Spanish cause by helping to evacuate some 9,000 men of La Romana 's Division of the North from Denmark. In August 1808, the British Baltic fleet helped transport the Spanish division , except three regiments that failed to escape, back to Spain by way of Gothenburg in Sweden. The division arrived in Santander in October 1808. After the surrender of

3565-529: The French picquets at Sahagún on 21 December. Abandoning plans to immediately conquer Seville and Portugal, Napoleon rapidly amassed 80,000 troops and debouched from the Sierra de Guadarrama into the plains of Old Castile to encircle the British Army. Moore retreated for the safety of the British fleet at La Coruna and Soult failed to intercept him. The rearguard of La Romana 's retreating force

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3680-517: The French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807 by transiting through Spain, and it escalated in 1808 after Napoleonic France occupied Spain, which had been its ally. Napoleon Bonaparte forced the abdications of Ferdinand VII and his father Charles IV and then installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne and promulgated the Bayonne Constitution . Most Spaniards rejected French rule and fought

3795-566: The French army shot hundreds of Madrid's citizens. Similar reprisals occurred in other cities and continued for days. Bloody, spontaneous fighting known as guerrilla (literally "little war") broke out in much of Spain against the French as well as the Ancien Régime 's officials. Although the Spanish government, including the Council of Castile , had accepted Napoleon's decision to grant the Spanish crown to his brother, Joseph Bonaparte ,

3910-416: The French enjoyed several victories in battle, they were eventually defeated, as their communications and supplies were severely tested and their units were frequently isolated, harassed or overwhelmed by Spanish partisans fighting an intense guerrilla war of raids and ambushes. The Spanish armies were repeatedly beaten and driven to the peripheries, but they would regroup and relentlessly hound and demoralize

4025-410: The French infantry. In March 1809, Soult invaded Portugal through the northern corridor, with Francisco da Silveira 's 12,000 Portuguese troops unraveling amid riot and disorder, and within two days of crossing the border Soult had taken the fortress of Chaves . Swinging west, 16,000 of Soult's professional troops attacked and killed 4,000 of 25,000 unprepared and undisciplined Portuguese at Braga at

4140-557: The French occupation; the uprising was put down by Joachim Murat's elite Imperial Guard and Mamluk cavalry, which crashed into the city and trampled the rioters. In addition, the Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard of Napoleon fought residents of Madrid, wearing turbans and using curved scimitars, thus provoking memories of Muslim Spain . The next day, as immortalized by Francisco Goya in his painting The Third of May 1808 ,

4255-518: The French troops. This drain on French resources led Napoleon, who had unwittingly provoked a total war , to call the conflict the "Spanish Ulcer". War and revolution against Napoleon's occupation led to the Spanish Constitution of 1812 , promulgated by the Cortes of Cádiz , later a cornerstone of European liberalism . Though victorious in war, the burden of war destroyed the social and economic fabric of both Portugal and Spain; and

4370-581: The French. In August 1808, 15,000 British troops—including the King's German Legion —landed in Portugal under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley , who drove back Henri François Delaborde 's 4,000-strong detachment at Roliça on 17 August and smashed Junot's main force of 14,000 men at Vimeiro . Wellesley was replaced at first by Sir Harry Burrard and then Sir Hew Dalrymple . Dalrymple granted Junot an unmolested evacuation from Portugal by

4485-527: The Marine Infantry), also known as the Himno de la Infantería de Marina is the official march of the Spanish Marines. It was authored by J. Raimundo and composed by Colonel Don Agustín Díez Guerrero. The text is as follows:   Marines let's go fight The Homeland enlarge and its glory increase nobility and bravery our emblems are: not abandon the ensign to the noise of

4600-424: The Portuguese fleet. Furthermore, Prince John of Braganza , regent for his insane mother Queen Maria I , had declined to join the emperor's Continental System against British trade. Events moved rapidly. The Emperor sent orders on 19 July 1807 to his Foreign Minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord , to order Portugal to declare war on Britain, close its ports to British ships, detain British subjects on

4715-886: The Royal Navy in the controversial Convention of Cintra in August. In early October 1808, following the scandal in Britain over the Convention of Cintra and the recall of the generals Dalrymple, Burrard, and Wellesley, Sir John Moore took command of the 30,000-man British force in Portugal. In addition, Sir David Baird , in command of an expedition of reinforcements out of Falmouth consisting of 150 transports carrying between 12,000 and 13,000 men, convoyed by HMS Louie , HMS Amelia and HMS Champion , entered Corunna Harbour on 13 October. Logistical and administrative problems prevented any immediate British offensive. Meanwhile,

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4830-524: The Section was dismantled and its members assigned to other units. Even though the ranks of the Marine Infantry are similar to Spanish Army ranks they wear also sleeve and cuff insignia to recognize them as part of the naval establishment, aside from shoulder rank insignia. The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . The Marcha Heroica de la Infanteria de Marina (Heroic March of

4945-618: The Spain's Army of the Centre to recapture Madrid ended with the complete destruction of the Spanish forces at Uclés on 13 January by Victor's I Corps . The French lost 200 men while their Spanish opponents lost 6,887. King Joseph made a triumphant entry into Madrid after the battle. Sébastiani defeated Cartaojal 's army at Ciudad Real on 27 March, inflicting 2,000 casualties and suffering negligible losses. Victor invaded southern Spain and routed Gregorio de la Cuesta 's army at Medellín near Badajoz on 28 March, where Cuesta lost 10,000 men in

5060-474: The Spaniards had abandoned their earlier scruples about a British garrison. Victor's French troops camped at the shoreline and tried to bombard the city into surrender. Thanks to British naval supremacy, a naval blockade of the city was impossible. The French bombardment was ineffectual and the confidence of the gaditanos grew and persuaded them that they were heroes. With food abundant and falling in price,

5175-408: The Spaniards under Conde de Caldagues and Theodor von Reding at Molins de Rei . By November 1808, the British army led by Moore was advancing into Spain with orders to assist the Spanish armies' fight against Napoleon's forces. Moore decided to attack Soult's scattered and isolated 16,000-man corps' at Carrión , opening his attack with a successful raid by Lieutenant-General Paget 's cavalry on

5290-559: The Spanish population rejected Napoleon's plans. The first wave of uprisings were in Cartagena and Valencia on 23 May; Zaragoza and Murcia on 24 May; and the province of Asturias , which cast out its French governor on 25 May and declared war on Napoleon. Within weeks, all the Spanish provinces followed suit. After hearing of the Spanish uprising, Portugal erupted in revolt in June. A French detachment under Louis Henri Loison crushed

5405-539: The Spanish, while the Spanish armies and guerrillas tied down vast numbers of Napoleon's troops. In 1812, when Napoleon set out with a massive army on what proved to be a disastrous French invasion of Russia , a combined allied army defeated the French at Salamanca and took the capital Madrid . In the following year the Coalition scored a victory over King Joseph Bonaparte 's army at the Battle of Vitoria paving

5520-568: The Spanish. On 27 July at the Battle of Talavera , the French advanced in three columns and were repulsed several times, but at a heavy cost to the Anglo-Allied force, which lost 7,500 men for French losses of 7,400. Wellesley withdrew from Talavera on 4 August to avoid being cut off by Soult's converging army, which defeated a Spanish blocking force in an assault crossing at the River Tagus near Puente del Arzobispo . Lack of supplies and

5635-525: The actions of allied forces. The current base for the Spanish Marines is in San Fernando . The Spanish Marine Infantry have been deployed to various NATO operations such as Afghanistan. The Spanish Marine Infantry is an elite corps, highly specialised in amphibious warfare , that is, to project an amphibious force onto a hostile, or potentially hostile, coast. Its ability to embark on a short term notice with (land, air and naval) Navy assets, makes it

5750-423: The apparatus extant under the old regime, while placing responsibility for local government in many provinces in the hands of royal commissioners. After much preparation and debate, on 2 July 1809 Spain was divided into 38 new provinces, each headed by an Intendant appointed by King Joseph, and on 17 April 1810 these provinces were converted into French-style prefectures and sub-prefectures . The French obtained

5865-567: The assault. Owing to its high-profile action in the unpopular Rif Wars , the Spanish Navy Marine corps was branded as a leftover of the Spanish colonial era . After the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, the reforms of the armed forces introduced by newly nominated Republican Minister of War Manuel Azaña within the first months of the new government sought to disband the corps. Before it

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5980-466: The bombardment was hopeless despite both hurricane and epidemic—a storm destroyed many ships in the spring of 1810 and the city was ravaged by yellow fever. Once Cádiz was secured, attention turned to the political situation. The Junta Central announced that the cortes would open on 1 March 1810. Suffrage was to be extended to all male householders over 25. After public voting, representatives from district-level assemblies would choose deputies to send to

6095-469: The brave that by sea and land heroically they died defending his flag Let's follow their example of unparalleled bravery that the Marines gloriously they know how to succeed Its official motto is "Valientes por Tierra y por Mar" ("Braves by Land and Sea"), which is similar to other mottos used by marine units such as the Royal Marines . The Music Band of the Marines

6210-416: The cannon why die for it It is our obligation. Don't cry to me, my mother if in the fight I have to stay what is the duty of the Spanish for my country! your blood spill To fight, to fight brave Marines to win or die for defending the noble Spain For his honor, for his honor let's all fight incessantly until we achieve our soil the admiration of

6325-427: The central government, they were unsure how to treat the French troops, who marched openly as allies with flags flying and bands announcing their arrival. Some commanders opened their fortresses to them, while others resisted. General Guillaume Philibert Duhesme , who occupied Barcelona with 12,000 troops, soon found himself besieged in the citadel; he was not relieved until January 1809. On 20 February, Joachim Murat

6440-433: The city . After defeating Spanish counterattacks, Moncey retreated. At the Battle of Medina de Rioseco on 14 July, Bessières defeated Cuesta and Old Castile returned to French control. Blake escaped, but the Spaniards lost 2,200 men and thirteen guns. French losses were minimal at 400 men. Bessières's victory salvaged the French army's strategic position in northern Spain. Joseph entered Madrid on 20 July; and on 25 July he

6555-611: The cost of 200 Frenchmen. At the First Battle of Porto on 29 March, the Portuguese defenders panicked, many attempting to flee alongside the city's residents south over the river Douro, to die in the Porto Boat Bridge disaster . Between 6,000 and 20,000 Portuguese soldiers were dead, wounded or captured. Suffering fewer than 500 casualties, Soult had secured Portugal's second city and, with its valuable dockyards and arsenals intact, captured immense quantities of supplies. Soult halted at Porto to refit his army before advancing on Lisbon. Wellesley returned to Portugal in April 1809 to command

6670-403: The course of the expedition. The French occupied the most populated region in Spain, including the important towns of Lugo and La Corunna. The Spanish were shocked by the British retreat. Napoleon returned to France on 19 January 1809 to prepare for war with Austria, giving the Spanish command back to his marshals. Zaragoza, already scarred from Lefebvre 's bombardments that summer, was under

6785-401: The end of the World War I , the Battle of Gallipoli made almost all countries abandon the idea of amphibious assault. The world's marine corps fell into a deep crisis, with the Spanish Marine Infantry being no exception, though it enjoyed success during the Third Rif War in its innovative Alhucemas amphibious assault in 1925, when it employed coordinated air and naval gunfire to support

6900-594: The exercise of their functions they will have the character of agents of the authority. The Compañía de Reconocimiento y Adquisición de Blancos (Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance, TAR) was created in 2012, replacing the Reconnaissance Unit (URECON) assigned to the Headquarters Battalion. Its mission is the reconnaissance for the Marine Infantry Brigade (BRIMAR) operations. Its tasks are observation and reconnaissance, target acquisition, control of fire support (artillery and air strikes), close air support (helicopter precision marksmanship), direct action and mobility. For this,

7015-615: The famous Tercios (literally "One Third", due to its organisation: one third of musketeers , one third of swordsmen and the final third of pikemen ): Of the Tercios above, the first is considered the core of the Spanish Marine Infantry, and it bears in its coat of arms two crossed anchors that became the Corps' coat of arms until 1931. In 1704, the Tercios became regiments: Regimiento de Bajeles (Vessel's Regiments), Regimiento de la Armada (Navy Regiment), R. del Mar de Nápoles (Naples' Sea Regiment), and R. de Marina de Sicilia (Sicily's Navy Regiment), detaching some small units to

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7130-433: The fleet, protected by the British, and fled to Brazil. He was joined in flight by many nobles, merchants and others. With 15 warships and more than 20 transports, the fleet of refugees weighed anchor on 29 November and set sail for the colony of Brazil . The flight had been so chaotic that 14 carts loaded with treasure were left behind on the docks. As one of Junot's first acts, the property of those who had fled to Brazil

7245-417: The following civil wars between liberal and absolutist factions ushered in revolts in Spanish America and the beginning of an era of social turbulence, increased political instability, and economic stagnation. The Treaties of Tilsit , negotiated during a meeting in July 1807 between Emperors Alexander I of Russia and Napoleon , concluded the War of the Fourth Coalition . With Prussia shattered, and

7360-470: The growing numbers of afrancesados (Francophiles) at court were opposed by the majos : shopkeepers, artisans, tavern keepers, and laborers who dressed in traditional style, and took pleasure in picking fights with petimetres , the young who styled themselves with French fashion and manners. Spain was an ally of Napoleon's First French Empire; however, defeat in the naval Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805, which had decimated Spain's navy, had removed

7475-417: The gunners manned the ship cannons. As needed landing parties were formed. Both corps also garrisoned the navy's coastal fortresses. During the War of Spanish Independence both the marine infantry and the marine artillery was reorganized as an administrative division of seven regiments, mainly fighting on land as part of army divisions in an operational role. In a 1793, a woman, Ana Maria de Soto, disguised as

7590-402: The hands of the enemy. The result was revolution. On 23 January the Junta Central at Seville decided to flee to the safety of Cádiz. It then dissolved itself on 29 January 1810 and set up a five-person Regency Council of Spain and the Indies, charged with convening the Cortes. Soult cleared all of southern Spain except Cádiz, which he left Victor to blockade. The system of juntas was replaced by

7705-538: The hijack of the fishing vessel Alakrana in Somali waters. The main fighting Force of the Spanish Marine Infantry is the Marine Infantry Brigade, which includes the following units: The Protection Force (FUPRO) is in charge of ensuring the security of naval and other designated facilities and contains around 2000 troops. FUPRO is commanded by a brigadier general and is made up of the following battalion sized Tercios (En:Thirds): See article: Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial The Fuerza de Guerra Naval Especial (FGNE)

7820-401: The hijacking of the Spanish fishing vessel Alakrana in October 2009, parachuting into Somali waters and being recovered after by the frigate Canarias . They have also seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as being deployed to Senegal and Cape Verde. Spanish Navy Marines The Marine Infantry ( Spanish : Infantería de Marina ) is the naval infantry branch of

7935-405: The hitherto unbeatable Imperial armies—a Bonaparte had been chased from his throne; tales of Spanish heroism inspired Austria and showed the force of national resistance. Bailén set in motion the rise of the Fifth Coalition . Britain's involvement in the Peninsular War was the start of a prolonged campaign in Europe to increase British military power on land and liberate the Iberian peninsula from

8050-568: The last time from Galicia in July 1809. In Catalonia, Saint-Cyr defeated Reding again at Valls on 25 February. Reding was killed and his army lost 3,000 men for French losses of 1,000. Saint-Cyr began the third siege of Girona on 6 May and the city finally fell on 12 December. Louis-Gabriel Suchet 's III Corps was defeated at Alcañiz by Blake on 23 May, losing 2,000 men. Suchet retaliated at María on 15 June, crushing Blake's right wing and inflicting 5,000 casualties. Three days later, Blake lost 2,000 more men to Suchet at Belchite . Saint-Cyr

8165-420: The lines communicated with each other by semaphore , allowing immediate response to any threat. The work began in the autumn of 1809 and the main defences were finished just in time one year later. To further hamper the enemy, the areas in front of the lines were subjected to a scorched earth policy: they were denuded of food, forage and shelter. 200,000 inhabitants of neighbouring districts were relocated inside

8280-537: The main amphibious unit and has experienced several restructures that led to the E-01 Plan, which defines the requirements and structures from the year 2000 for the Spanish Marine Infantry. The Spanish Marines have been present in Europe, Central America and Asia in an anonymous role as an "emergency force" ready to evacuate civilians in conflict areas, or as a deterrence force in providing cover for

8395-556: The marine infantry academy, the Academia General Central de Infantería de Marina was founded. The colonial wars in the Philippines and on Cuba, with constant landing operations, lead to a reorganization of the marines into three brigades of two regiments each. In 1886 the marines contained four brigades, each with four tercios, while the reorganization of 1893 created three regiments of two battalions each. During

8510-421: The most veteran marines train in insertion / extraction using skydiving and diving techniques. While she remained active, the Spanish aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias (R11) had an assigned section of embarked Marines who were responsible for the security and control of the vessel, conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) using helicopters or RIBs . Once the ship began its decommissioning process,

8625-647: The northern part was to become the Kingdom of Northern Lusitania , under Charles II, Duke of Parma . The southern portion, as the Principality of the Algarves, would fall to Godoy. The rump of the country, centered on Lisbon, was to be administered by the French. According to the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Junot's invasion force was to be supported by 25,500 Spanish troops. On 12 October, Junot's corps began crossing

8740-437: The occupation because of the violence and brutality it brought. Marxians wrote that there was a positive identification on the part of the people with the Napoleonic revolution, but this is probably impossible to substantiate by the reasons for collaboration being practical rather than ideological. The Peninsular War is regarded as one of the first people's wars, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare. It

8855-546: The old Hanseatic League and Spanish troops marched into Denmark in early 1808. Napoleon instructed Junot, with the cooperation of Spanish military troops, to invade Portugal, moving west from Alcántara along the Tagus valley to Portugal, a distance of only 120 miles (193 km). On 19 November 1807, the French troops under Junot set out for Lisbon and occupied it on 30 November. The Prince Regent John escaped, loading his family, courtiers, state papers and treasure aboard

8970-474: The only reason to join the Partisans. The French imposed restrictions on movement and on many traditional aspects of street life, so opportunities to find alternative sources of income were limited—industry was at a standstill and many señores were unable to pay their existing retainers and domestic servants, and could not take on new staff. Hunger and despair reigned on all sides. Because the military record

9085-579: The overseas territories. Unrest erupted in Quito and Charcas , which saw themselves as the capitals of kingdoms and resented being subsumed in the larger "kingdom" of Peru . The revolts were suppressed (See Luz de América and Bolivian War of Independence ). Throughout early 1809 the governments of the capitals of the viceroyalties and captaincies general elected representatives to the Junta, but none arrived in time to serve on it. Convinced by intelligence that

9200-638: The population. By January 1808, there were executions of persons who resisted the exactions of the French. The situation was dangerous, but it would need a trigger from outside to transform unrest into revolt. Between 9 and 12 February, the French divisions of the eastern and western Pyrenees crossed the border and occupied Navarre and Catalonia , including the citadels of Pamplona and Barcelona . The Spanish government demanded explanations from their French allies, but these did not satisfy and in response Godoy pulled Spanish troops out of Portugal. Since Spanish fortress commanders had not received instructions from

9315-525: The proclamation. However, it was too late to avert Napoleon's suspicions. Napoleon planned from that moment to deal with his inconstant ally at some future time. In the meantime, the Emperor forced Godoy and Charles IV into providing a division of Spanish troops to serve in northern Europe. The Division of the North spent the winter of 1807–1808 in Swedish Pomerania , Mecklenburg , and towns of

9430-553: The provincial meetings that would be the bodies from which the members of the cortes would emerge. From 1 February 1810, the implementation of these decrees had been in the hands of the new regency council selected by the Junta Central. The viceroyalties and independent captaincies general of the overseas territories would each send one representative. This scheme was resented in America for providing unequal representation to

9545-601: The reason for alliance with France. Manuel Godoy, the favorite of King Charles IV of Spain , began to seek some form of escape. At the start of the War of the Fourth Coalition , which pitted the Kingdom of Prussia against Napoleon, Godoy issued a proclamation that was obviously aimed at France, even though it did not specify an enemy. After Napoleon's decisive victory at the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt , Godoy quickly withdrew

9660-555: The rebels at Évora on 29 July and massacred the town's population. The deteriorating strategic situation led France to increase its military commitments. By 1 June, over 65,000 troops were rushing into the country to control the crisis. The main French army of 80,000 held a narrow strip of central Spain from Pamplona and San Sebastián in the north to Madrid and Toledo in the centre. The French in Madrid sheltered behind an additional 30,000 troops under Marshal Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey . Jean-Andoche Junot 's corps in Portugal

9775-499: The regimental HQ, as well as support units and the band. The marine artillery was abolished in 1857. The five battalions of marine infantry were reorganized in 1869 to three regiments, one for each naval station. By this time, the mission of the marines changed from naval garrison troops, to a landing force serving mainly in the colonies. During the Third Carlist War 1872–1876 the marines fought as field infantry. In 1879,

9890-522: The royal family, both kings included, to Bayonne in France. There on 5 May, under French pressure, the two kings both abdicated their claims to Napoleon . Napoleon then had the Junta de Gobierno—the council of regency in Madrid—formally ask him to appoint his brother Joseph as King of Spain. The abdication of Ferdinand was only publicised on 20 May. On 2 May, the citizens of Madrid rebelled against

10005-647: The sea. Photographer Robert Capa took pictures of the Spanish Marine Infantry in the Battle of the Segre . Republican Infantería de Marina Lieutenant Colonel Ambrosio Ristori de la Cuadra , killed in action during the Siege of Madrid , was posthumously awarded the Laureate Plate of Madrid . After the civil war, during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco , the strength of the Infantería Marina

10120-771: The successor to bands of both that service and the whole of the Navy. The Madrid Marine Corps Battalion (AGRUMAD) Music Band, also based in Madrid, also serves this branch. Since 1990, which was the year of its reestablishment, it has participated in concerts organized by the aforementioned association as well as military festivals in Spain. In 1970, it performed in the International Contest of Military Music Bands held in Valencia in 1970, in which its bandsmen obtained 1st prize. It also has taken part in foreign activities in neighboring countries such as Belgium . Source: Notes War of Spanish Independence This

10235-406: The threat of French reinforcement in the spring led Wellington to retreat into Portugal. A Spanish attempt to capture Madrid after Talavera failed at Almonacid , where Sébastiani 's IV Corps inflicted 5,500 casualties on the Spanish, forcing them to retreat at the cost of 2,400 French losses. The Spanish Supreme Central and Governing Junta of the Kingdom was forced by popular pressure to set up

10350-636: The two successive Combats of El Bruc outside Barcelona , local Catalan militia, the Miquelets (also known as sometents ), defeated François Xavier de Schwarz 's 4,000 troops. Guillaume Philibert Duhesme 's Franco-Italian division of almost 6,000 troops failed to storm Girona and was forced to return to Barcelona. Six thousand French troops under Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes attacked Zaragoza and were beaten off by José de Palafox y Melci 's militia. Moncey's push to take Valencia ended in failure, with 1,000 French recruits dying in an attempt to storm

10465-535: The uprising. Aréizaga's army was destroyed by Soult at the Battle of Ocaña on 19 November. The Spanish lost 19,000 men compared to French losses of 2,000. Albuquerque soon abandoned his efforts near Talavera. Del Parque moved on Salamanca again, hustling one of the VI Corps brigades out of Alba de Tormes and occupying Salamanca on 20 November. Hoping to get between Kellermann and Madrid, Del Parque advanced towards Medina del Campo . Kellermann counterattacked and

10580-544: The way for victory in the war in the Iberian Peninsula. Pursued by the armies of Britain, Spain and Portugal, Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult , no longer getting sufficient support from a depleted France, led the exhausted and demoralized French forces in a fighting withdrawal across the Pyrenees during the winter of 1813–1814. The years of fighting in Spain were a heavy burden on France's Grande Armée . While

10695-414: The whole world Marines let's go fight The Homeland enlarge and its glory increase nobility and bravery our emblems are: not abandon the ensign to the noise of the cannon why die for it It is our obligation Don't cry to me, my mother if in the fight I have to stay what is the duty of the Spanish for my country! your blood spill Glory to

10810-519: Was appointed lieutenant of the emperor and commander of all French troops in Spain, which now numbered 60,000 –100,000. On 24 February, Napoleon declared that he no longer considered himself bound by the Treaty of Fontainebleau. In early March, Murat established his headquarters in Vitoria and received 6,000 reinforcements from the Imperial Guard . On 19 March 1808, Godoy fell from power in

10925-517: Was created on 1 December 1981 as part of the Royal Guard . Its organization is that of a Rifle Company. The Naval Police Units are basically organized for the performance, both in peace and in war, of specific security and order missions. They fulfill the duties of surveillance of units and units of the Navy, custody, escort and regulation of transport and military convoys, protection of authorities, identification of personnel and vehicles, etc. In

11040-630: Was created through the fusion of the Special Operations Unit (UOE) of the Marine Infantry as well as the Special Combat Divers Unit (UEBC) and the Special Explosives Defusers Unit (UEDE) from the Navy Diving Center. The FGNE is organized inside the whole Navy. This unit has taken part in several operations including Atalanta in Somalia , United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon , Hispaniola in Haiti and

11155-477: Was crowned King of Spain. On 10 June, five French ships of the line anchored at Cádiz were seized by the Spanish. Dupont was disturbed enough to curtail his march at Cordoba, and then on 16 June to fall back to Andújar . Cowed by the mass hostility of the Andalusians, he broke off his offensive and was then defeated at Bailén , where he surrendered his entire Army Corps to Castaños . The catastrophe

11270-718: Was cut off by 300 miles (480 km) of hostile territory, but within days of the outbreak of revolt, French columns in Old Castile, New Castile , Aragon and Catalonia were searching for the insurgent forces. To defeat the insurgency, Pierre Dupont de l'Étang led 24,430 men south toward Seville and Cádiz; Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières moved into Aragon and Old Castile with 25,000 men, aiming to capture Santander and Zaragoza. Moncey marched toward Valencia with 29,350 men, and Guillaume Philibert Duhesme marshalled 12,710 troops in Catalonia and moved against Girona . At

11385-521: Was forced to abandon Madrid in November 1808, and resided in the Alcázar of Seville from 16 December 1808 until 23 January 1810. Madrid surrendered on 1 December and Joseph Bonaparte was restored to his throne. In Catalonia , Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr 's 17,000-strong VII Corps besieged and captured Roses from an Anglo-Spanish garrison, destroyed part of Juan Miguel de Vives y Feliu 's Spanish army at Cardedeu near Barcelona on 16 December and routed

11500-551: Was given in recognition for a heroic last stand at the Morro Castle during the siege of Havana in 1762. The only other unit to wear the sardinetas and red trouser stripes is the Spanish Royal Guard . Spanish Marines have modern assets to comply with its mission, having personnel specialised in artillery , sapping , helicopters , special operations , communications, tanks , among others. Some vehicles form

11615-662: Was increased. In 1957, the Grupo Especial Anfibio (Amphibious Special Group) was created, and the Spanish Marine Infantry returned to its primary duty as a Landing Force Mission. In 1958 it established a beachhead in Spanish Sahara and Ifni during the Ifni War . The capabilities and strength of the Spanish Marine Infantry were increased: new amphibious vehicles, anti-tank weapons, individual equipment and artillery. The Tercio de Armada (TEAR) became

11730-591: Was merged in 1827 into a brigade, Brigada Real de Marina with focus on artillery. The brigade that consisted of two battalions was renamed the Real Cuerpo de Artillería de Marina in 1833. In the First Carlist War 1834-39, three battalions of marine infantry were organized, serving as field infantry, with an additional battalion raised to reinforce the Royal Guards in Madrid. In 1839 the corps

11845-546: Was much support for a potential French invasion. The term afrancesado ("turned French") was used to denote those who supported the Enlightenment , secular ideals , and the French Revolution . Napoleon relied on support from these afrancesados both in the conduct of the war and administration of the country. Napoleon removed all feudal and clerical privileges but most Spanish liberals soon came to oppose

11960-734: Was officially disbanded, however, the Spanish Civil War intervened and the corps split and served both sides with the garrisons of Ferrol and Cádiz on the Nationalist side and the garrison of Cartagena , as well as a detachment in Madrid , on the Republican side . During the bitterly fought war the Marines performed garrison duties, led landing parties, and provided expert artillery and machine gun crews. The Republican 151 Brigada Mixta fought mostly inland battles far away from

12075-417: Was overrun at Mansilla on 30 December by Soult, who captured León the next day. Moore's retreat was marked by a breakdown of discipline in many regiments and punctuated by stubborn rearguard actions at Benavente and Cacabelos . The British troops escaped to the sea after fending off a strong French attack at Corunna , in which Moore was killed. Some 26,000 troops reached Britain, with 7,000 men lost over

12190-525: Was prepared to march on Lisbon. After he received the Portuguese answer, he ordered Junot's corps to cross the frontier into the Spanish Empire . While all this was going on, the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau had been signed between France and Spain. The document was drawn up by Napoleon's marshal of the palace Géraud Duroc and Eugenio Izquierdo, an agent for Manuel Godoy . The treaty proposed to carve up Portugal into three entities. Porto and

12305-493: Was relieved of his command in September for deserting his troops. After Corunna, Soult turned his attention to the invasion of Portugal. Discounting garrisons and the sick, Soult's II Corps had 20,000 men for the operation. He stormed the Spanish naval base at Ferrol on 26 January 1809, capturing eight ships of the line, three frigates , several thousand prisoners and 20,000 Brown Bess muskets, which were used to re-equip

12420-399: Was renamed Cuerpo de Artillería and Infanteriá de Marina . In 1841 the infantry was transferred to the army. The marine artillery remained in the navy under the name of Cuerpo de Artillería de Marina . However, in 1848, the naval infantry was re-established by the formation of a new Corps, Cuerpo de Infantería de Marina, , then as an infantry regiment organized into three battalions and

12535-488: Was replaced by François Étienne de Kellermann , who brought up reinforcements in the form of his own men as well as General of Brigade Nicolas Godinot 's force. Kellermann marched on Del Parque's position at Salamanca, who promptly abandoned it and retreated south. In the meantime, the guerrillas in the Province of León increased their activity. Kellermann left the VI Corps holding Salamanca and returned to León to stamp out

12650-553: Was repulsed at the Battle of Carpio on 23 November. The next day, Del Parque received news of the Ocaña disaster and fled south, intending to shelter in the mountains of central Spain. On the afternoon of 28 November, Kellermann attacked Del Parque at Alba de Tormes and routed him after inflicting losses of 3,000 men. Del Parque's army fled into the mountains, its strength greatly reduced through combat and non-combat causes by mid-January. Joseph contented himself with working within

12765-426: Was sequestered and a 100-million- franc indemnity imposed. The army formed into a Portuguese Legion , and went to northern Germany to perform garrison duty. Junot did his best to calm the situation by trying to keep his troops under control. While the Portuguese authorities were generally subservient toward their French occupiers, the ordinary Portuguese were angry, and the harsh taxes caused bitter resentment among

12880-415: Was so dismal, many Spanish politicians and publicists exaggerated the activities of the guerrillas. The French invaded Andalusia on 19 January 1810. 60,000 French troops—the corps of Victor, Mortier and Sebastiani together with other formations—advanced southwards to assault the Spanish positions. Overwhelmed at every point, Aréizaga 's men fled eastwards and southwards, leaving town after town to fall into

12995-482: Was the product of a century's worth of what the French perceived as backwardness in knowledge and social habits, Catholic obscurantism , superstition and counter-revolution. The guerrilla style of fighting was the Spanish military's single most effective tactic. Most organized attempts by regular Spanish forces to take on the French ended in defeat. Once a battle was lost and the soldiers reverted to their guerrilla roles, they tied down large numbers of French troops over

13110-506: Was to form the "Main body of landing columns and ship's soldiers tasks" in a time that boarding was still a critical part of battle at sea. They were also gun crews. In 1728 the battalion Mediterráneo and in 1731 the battalion Barlovento were disbanded. In 1741 there were eight battalions and ten years later another was added. In 1740 a marine artillery corps was founded. At mid 18th century there were 12,000 marine infantry and 3,000 marine gunners. The infantry formed boarding parties while

13225-401: Was total. With the loss of 24,000 troops, Napoleon's military machine in Spain collapsed. Stunned by the defeat, on 1 August Joseph evacuated the capital for Old Castile, while ordering Verdier to abandon the siege of Zaragoza and Bessières to retire from Leon; the entire French army sheltered behind the Ebro. By this time, Girona had resisted a Second Siege . Europe welcomed this first check to

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