Battles in Spain & Portugal

NB. See also Steven Thomas’s excellent site on Luso-Spanish warfare; “Mediaeval Iberia”, “the battles of Portugal” , “battles of Castille and Leon”, “The Napoleon Guide”, La GUERRA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA ESPAÑOLA
1808-1814, and other cited sites, which contain far more detail on these subjects than I am able to record here.

Geographical note: LA ALCARRIA denotes a number of valleys to the ESE of Madrid, draining the Serrania de Cuenca hills, and containing several cities including Cuenca, Huete and Brihuega. I have extended this area slightly to include battles fought nearby but outside the valley, but which do not fall for obvious inclusion into neighbouring regions.

Assistance gladly received with the battlesites I have been unable so far to locate – presently listed as “unlocated”.

PROVINCE	TOWN	DATE YYYY	EVENT	DETAILS
Biscay	All		Basque history discussion forum	a range of good articles here, in the Spanish language
Aragon?		.019bc	Cantabrian revolt	many of the Cantabrians, having been sold into slavery after their earlier defeat, murdered their masters and returned home. Subdued by Agrippa, who killed almost all those of military age and disarmed the others, the tribe was forced from its strongholds and compelled to live in the plains.
Aragon?		.022bc	Cantabrian revolt	“Not many of the Cantabri were taken prisoner, for when they saw they had lost all hope of freedom, they lost all desire to preserve their lives either. Some set fire to their forts and cut their own throats, others willingly remained with their companions and died in the flames, while others took poison in the sight of all”
Aragon?		.026-25 BC,	Cantabrian War	fought in the mountains of northern Spain, the first year of the campaign led by Augustus, himself.
Catalonia		.042bc?		Caesar beats Pompeiian contingents in Hispania, in the opening stages of the Roman Civil War.
Catalonia	Lerida	.049 B.C	Ilerda or Illerda	Fought in the Terra Alta district west of the Ebro River.
La Rioja	Soria	.142-133 B.C	Numantia	Numantia was a strongly fortified settlement at the confluence of the Durius (now Douro) River and Merdancho River, in the Iberian Mountains Qnorth of Soria. Founded on the site of earlier settlements by Iberians who penetrated the Celtic highlands about 300 BC, it later formed the centre of Celtiberian resistance to Rome, withstanding repeated attacks. Finally, Scipio Aemilianus (Numantinus) blockaded it (133 BC) by establishing six miles of continuous ramparts around it. After an eight-month siege, Numantia was reduced by hunger, and the survivors capitulated, its destruction ending all serious resistance to Rome in Celtiberia.
Portugal		.147 BC	Lusitanian War	A horseback guerilla resistance succeeded eventually in ambushing 10,000 Romans.
La Rioja	Soria	.153 bc	Numantia	Romans brought elephants up against the city wall – they became frightened and turned upon their masters.
Aragon		.153 BC	Segeda	Celtiberians ambushed 30,000 Romans and killed 6000
Andalusia	Seville	.206 B.C	Ilipa	In spite of his numerical inferiority, Scipio marched his army west to meet the Carthaginians and came upon them near Ilipa (modern Alcalá del Río). Victory was won by brilliant tactics made possible by Scipio's recent reforms and training.
Murcia	Cartagena	.209 B.C	New Carthage
Andalusia	Cordoba	.211 BC	Castulo	Masinissa arrived at the scene in the early morning to begin harrying the Roman flanks. A short while thereafter the armies of Mago and Gisgo showed up to seal the fate of the Romans. Publius' men strove valiantly for a time, and Publius even led a desperate charge, seeking to break through the cordon of Carthaginian troops. But when he was slain the Romans lost heart and took to flight. Few of the fugitives escaped the notice of the roving Numidians. Only the eventual fall of night allowed a handful of survivors to escape.
Andalusia	Granada	.211 BC	ilorca or Illora	Caught by surprise on a hill WNW of present day Granada, Gnaeus had his men erect a palisade of baggage, saddles and other gear. When the armies of Hasdrubal, Mago and Gisgo arrived they were bemused to see the improvised fort. Once the attack began the unusual barricade was quickly pulled down and a grim slaughter commenced.
Murcia	Cartagena?	.219-218 B.C	Saguntum
All		.264 – 19BC	Punic Wars & Roman conquest of Iberia	The Romans fought two wars against the Carthaginians from North Africa to clear them from Iberia, their main colony being Cartago Nova (Cartagena in Murcia) with its fine harbour. Rome then required 20 years to conquer Hispania completely.
All		0711	Muslim conquest of Iberia	The First Phase Of Islam Saw A Very Rapid Arab Expansion Across North Africa And, By Way Of The Straits Of Gibraltar, into Europe: the Moslems were stopped only in France. They left pockets of Christianity in the north of Iberia.
Andalusia	Cadiz	0711	Rio Barbate	In the spring of 711, Tariq marched northward from Gibraltar with 12,000 Muslims. At the salt marshes of the Rio Barbate, on the Cadiz road, the invaders crushed the hastily gathered forces of Spain's Visigoth king, Roderic. Whole units deserted, and the Christian army crumbled. King Roderic was slain; his body was never recovered.
Andalusia	Cordova	0711	Cordova	“When Tarik landed, soldiers from Cordova came to meet him; and seeing the small number of his companions they despised him on that account. They then fought. The battle with Tarik was severe. They were routed, and he did not cease from the slaughter of them till they reached the town of Cordova”
Andalusia	Cordova	0711	Shedunia	“When Roderic heard of the fate of Cordova, he came to their rescue from Toledo. They then fought in a place of the name of Shedunia, in a valley which is called this day the valley of Umm-Hakim [on July 11, 711, at the mouth of the Barbate river]. They fought a severe battle; but God, mighty and great, killed Roderic and his companions"
All		0718 – 1492	La Reconquista	The Christians gradually re-asserted themselves from their mountain bases in the North, culminating in the reconquest of Granada in 1492, the same year Columbus set sail for the Indies.
Asturias	Covadonga	0718 or 722	Alcama	Historians symbolically attribute the defeat of a Moorish army at the Battle of Covadonga to a Christian Visigothic noble, Pelayo. Whatever really happened at Covadonga, it is certain that Pelayo gains fame and is elected King of Asturias
Biscay	San Sebastian	0778	Roncesvalles	Charlemagne attempts to conquer Spain. He penetrates as far as Zaragoza when he is called back to France (not by his mother). On the return trip, his rear guard (including his great captain, Roland) is attacked and killed by Basque troops.
Castile		0844	Clavijo
Castile		0844 – 1521	Battles of Castile and Leon
Leon		0844 – 1521	Battles of Castile and Leon
Castile		0846?	Albelda
Castile		0866	La Morcuera
Leon		0870 or 0888	Padura – Arrigorriaga	Possibly imaginary battle between on the one side the Basques, commanded by Lope Fortún, first lord of Biscay and Sancho de Estigiz, lord of Durango, and on the other prince Ordoño, son of the king Alfonso "el Magno" of Leon. Arrigorriaga means the "Place of red stones" in the Basque language.
Castile		0878	Polvoraria
Leon		0917	S. Esteban de Gormaz	The Leonese king, Ordoño II, defeats the Moslem armies of Caliph Abd el-Rahman III.
Castile		0918	Talavera
Leon		0920	Valdejunquera	The troops of Abd el-Rahman III defeat the Leonese & Navarrese.
Castile		0933	Osma	The Castilian-Leonese troops, commanded by the count Fernán González, defeat again the troops of Abd el-Rahman III.
Leon	Valladolid	0939	Simancas	The new king of Leon, Ramiro II, defeats Abd el-Rahman III.
Leon	Zamora	0939	Zamora
Castile		0974	Deza	Count García Fernández of Castile defeat the Moors of general Galib.
Castile		0981	Medinaceli	Al-Mansur (Almanzor) defeats and kills the rebel general Galib, and his ally, García Fernández of Castile.
Leon		0981	Rueda	The Moorish leader Al-Mansur (Almanzor) defeats king Ramiro III of León.
Leon		0982	Portela	Battle between two pretenders to the throne of León, Ramiro (III) and Vermudo (II).
Catalonia	Cervera	1000	Cervera	Moslems defeat the first army assembled by the united Christian kingdoms of Spain.
Leon		1002	Calatañazor	A coalition of Christians, led by Vermudo II of León, defeats the armies of Al-Mansur, who dies a few days later.
Andalusia	Malaga	1010	River Guadiaro	The Catalan army defeats Sulayman's Berbers again, in June, near Ronda in the hills
Unlocated		1010	Aqabat al-Baqar	"The year of the Catalans" Having fled to Toledo Muhammad II seeks the aid of the counts of Barcelona (Ramón Borrell) and Urgel. The Catalan army defeats Sulayman's Berbers
Leon		1016		Norman raiders ascend the Rio Miño/Minho and destroy Tuy in León
Castile		1037	Tamarón	1037 -. The first Castilian king, Fernando I, defeats, and kills his father-in-law, the Leonese Vermudo III, heiring his kingdom.
Leon		1037	Támara or Tamarón	The first Castilian king, Ferdinand I, defeats and kills his father-in-law, Vermudo III of León, thus inheriting his kingdom.
Castile, Old	Burgos	1054	Atapuerca	The army of Ferdinand I of Castile defeats that of  his brother García IV of Navarra at Atapuerca 12 miles to the east of Burgos (1 Sep).  Several disaffected Navarrese knights join the Castilians before the battle and one of these men is believed to have killed Garcia.  Garcia's son Sancho is proclaimed King on the field of battle and the war continues.
Catalonia	Tortosa	1060	Tortosa	Emir Al-Muktadir ibn Hud of Zaragoza drives Slavs from Tortosa when the Tortosans rise against their Slav ruler
Aragon	Saragossa	1063	Graus	During the spring Ramiro I of Aragon besieges Muslim Graus in Zaragozan territory.  The Emir Al-Muktadir of Zaragoza leads his army north accompanied by a Castilian contingent under Prince Sancho (the future Sancho II).  Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (later known as "El Cid") is probably in the Castilian contingent.  The opposing armies meet and after a protracted struggle Ramiro I is killed and the Aragonese flee (8 May).
Unlocated		1067	Viana	War of the three Sanchos: Castile versus Aragon and Navarre. Aragon severely mauls the Castilians at Viana, however status quo is restored when the Zaragozan Vali of Huesca invades Aragon from the south.
Castile, Old		1068	Llantada	On the plain of Llantada, Sancho of Castile, with El Cid at the head of the army, routed the army of Leon. Sancho and his brother Alfonso of Leon had agreed that the battle would decide everything and the winner would take the other's kingdom, but Alfonso changed his mind and fled into Leon.
Leon, and Old Castile		1068	Llantada	The Battle of Llantada was arranged to be fought on 19 July by the banks of the Pisuerga River on the boundary between León and Castile. The Castilians under Sancho II and Rodriego Diaz defeat the Leónese and Alfonso flees.
Portugal	Oporto	1071	Braga	Battle of Braga (18 Jan between Braga and the River Cávado) where Garcia of Galicia suppresses  the rebellion of his Portuguese subjects under Nuno Mendes (Livermore, 1966; Menéndez, 1934). Nuno Mendes is killed.
Castile, New	Toledo	1072	Golpejera	(early Jan) Sancho II of Castile defeats his brother, Alfonso VI of León over the Carrión River (9 miles south of the city of Santa Maria de Carrion - the capital of the Beni-Gomez - Christian counts of Saldaña, Liebana, Carrion, and Zamora). The battle starts at dawn and after a hard fight the Castilians are driven from the field.  Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar manages to encourage both King and army, and leads them in a new attack the following morning.  Alfonso is captured and seeks refuge in Toledo. But Sancho is then assassinated when attacking Alfonso's men in Zamora.  Alfonso inherits the joint Kingdom of Leon-Castile.
Andalusia	Granada	1079	Cabra	West of Granada, Rodrigo Díaz defeats King Abd Allah of Granada, who was helped by the Castilian Count García Ordíñez.
Extremadura	Plasencia	1079	Coria	Alfonso VI (now king of Castile & León, after the death of Sancho) defeats the Muslim king of Badajoz, Al-Mutawakkil.
Valencia		1081	Alcocer	Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, now serving Al-Mutamin of Zaragoza, For almost four months he lies encamped on that little plain until he provoked Abu Bakr of Valencia into an attack which ended with the latter's defeat.
Aragon?		1082	Almenar	Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, defeats a combined army of the kings of Valencia (Abu Bakr), Lleida (Al-Hayib), Aragón (Sancho Ramírez) and the Count of Barcelona (Berenguer Ramón II).
Valencia	Valencia	1084	Olocau	NW of Valencia, Rodrigo Díaz defeats Al-Hayib and Sancho Ramírez.
Castile, New	Toledo	1085	Toledo
Extremadura	Badajoz	1086	Zallaka	The Almoravids, a Purita nical Berber sect, were called into Spain by the Abbasids to help in the defense against the Christians. Their manoeuvrability enabled the defeat of the larger Castilian army of Alfonso at Zallaka (1086) and they proceeded to annex Moorish Spain, with the exception of Toledo and Saragossa.
Catalonia?		1090	Tébar	Rodrigo Díaz defeats the Count of Barcelona, Berenger Ramon II.
Andalusia		1091	Almodóvar del Río.	Yusuf returns to Spain and defeats the Castilian army, commanded by Alvar Yáñez, which tried to help the Muslim kings of southern Spain.
Aragon	Huesca	1091	Alcaraz	The new king of Aragon, Pedro I, defeats the king of Zaragoza, Al-Mustain, and conquers the city of Huesca. Castilian Counts García Ordóñez and Gonzalo Núñez fought with the king of Zaragoza. It is probable that El Cid fought in the Aragonese side.
Valencia		1094	Valencia	The Almoravid Yusuf brought a huge army after Rodrigo El Cid, onto the plain of Valencia. On the night of Oct. 25, 1094, Rodrigo's forces moved out. Parties of knights hid in the ravines around the Moorish camp, and at dawn Rodrigo's main force was on the plain, facing the Moors. Yusuf's army charged, Rodrigo's retreated, and the rest of the Castilians charged down from the ravines. The Moors broke and tried to run, and the Christians rode into them, routing them.
Aragon	Huesca	1096	Huesca
Valencia		1096	Valencia	Late in 1096 Rodrigo took an expedition to secure his outer fortresses and met a Moorish army of 30,000. He maneuvered to catch them in a narrow place and again won a great battle.
Castile		1097	Consuegra	The Almoravids (Muhammad ben AlHach) defeat the Castilian-Leonese armies (Alfonso VI). The son of Rodrigo Díaz (Diego Rodríguez) dies in the battle.
La Alcarria	Cuenca	1097	Cuenca	A second army under the command of Yusuf's son, Ibn-Aisa, the governor of Murcia, attacked the eastern end of the Christian line in the Cuenca district and there defeated Alvar Fáñez.
Valencia	Valencia	1097	Bailén	The unstoppable Almoravids decide to attack Valencia again, but Rodrigo Díaz and his ally, Pedro I of Aragón make a pre-emptive strike from Valencia and find the Moslems unprepared (they tought El Cid was going to wait for them inside the walls of Valencia).
Valencia	Valencia?	1102	Cullera	Alfonso VI goes to help Valencia, besieged by Almoravids. The battle ends in a draw.
La Alcarria	Cuenca	1108	Uclés	The Almoravids defeat the Castilian-Leonese armies. The heir to the throne (Sancho) dies at the battle, and the local cities of Consuegra, Cuenca, Ocaña and Hueste fall to the Moslems. The linked text is in Spanish.
Castile		1111	Campo de la Espina, or Candespina.	The king of Aragon, Alfonso I "the battler", and the count Enrique of Portugal, defeat the Castilian Queen Urraca (wife of Alfonso I). The defeat turns into a victory when Enrique turns against his ally after the battle.
Castile?		1111	Viadangos	A Galeg (Galician) army, commanded by Count Pedro Froilaz and Bishop Gelmírez is ambushed and defeated by Alfonso of Aragón. The greatest prize (the young king Alfonso) escaped the victor: seeing the battle turning into a rout, Bishop Gelmírez fled, and delivered him safely to his mother Urraca in Galicia.
Extremadura?		1112	Astorga	The Count of Portugal changes sides to assure his client of victory in a Castilian war of succession
Andalusia	Cordoba	1115	Baeza	The lord of Ávila defeats the Moors of Ibn-Idhâri, east of Jaen at the head of the Guadalquivir valley.
Aragon	Saragossa	1118	Saragossa
Portugal		1128	Sao Memede
Castile, Old	Segovia	1132	Lucena	Militas of Segovia & Ávila defeat an Almoravid army, under the command of prince Tâshfin.
Galicia		1135	Cerneja	D. Alfonso Enriquez defeats Count Fernando Pérez de Trava and Rodrigo Vela. Four years later he would become King of Portugal.
Portugal		1139	Ourique	the victory of Count Alfonso I of Portugal over the Moors
Portugal	Lisbon	1147	Lisbon
Portugal	Santarem	1147	Santarem
Castile		114x	Montiel	After a raid into Muslim Spain, Munio Alfonso is intercepted by a Moorish army, but manages to defeat them.
Portugal		1158	Alcacer do Sal
Leon	Salamanca	1162	Valmuza	-. King Fernando II of León defeats the militias of Salamanca, who tried to destroy the new built fortifications of Ciudad Rodrigo.
La Alcarria	Cuenca	1164	Huete	Battle between the families Castro and Lara for the regency of Castile, during the childhood of Alfonso VIII.
Castile, Old	Ávila	1173	Caracuel	After a raid into Muslim Spain, militias of Ávila, commanded by Sancho Jimeno "the Hunchback" (known in Muslim chronicles as "Abú Bardaca", "the Packsaddler") are intercepted and defeated by an Almohad army. Sancho Jimeno is killed in the battle.
Leon	Tierra de Campos	1179	Castejón	-. The Leonese defeat the Castilians, recovering the control of Tierra de Campos.
Portugal	Algarve	1189	Silves
Extremadura	Badajoz	1195	Badajoz	Castilian King Alfonso VIII (1158-1214) challenges Almohad emperor Yacub to battle. It ends in the defeat of the Christian army at Badajoz.
Portugal		1195	Alarcos
Andalusia		1212	Las Navas de Tolosa	The Christian armies of León, Castile, Navarre and Aragon defeat the Almohads in the decisive Battle of Navas de Tolosa, a mountain pass that guaranteed Christian forces passage into Southern Spain. The great defeat marked the beginning of the downfall of the Almohades, the last Muslim dinasty that ruled southern Spain and North Africa
Portugal		1217	Alcacer do Sal	Campaigns of Sancho
La Alcarria	Cuenca?	1225	Aspe	A Castilian army (militias of Cuenca, Huete, Moya & Alarcón), under the command of Alfonso Téllez and the bishop of Cuenca defeats the Muslim kings of Seville & Murcia (Ali Ibn-Aarki).
Andalusia	Cadiz	1231	Jerez	-. Don Alvar Pérez de Castro defeats a Moorish army of the king Aben-Hut.
Andalusia?	Cordoba	1236	Cordovo
Castile?		1255	Lebrija	A rebel army, commanded by the prince Enrique (brother of the king Alphonse X) is defeated by Royal troops, under the command of Nuño González de Lara & Rodrigo Alfonso.
Andalusia	Toledo	1275	Martos	- The same Abu Yusuf defeats and kills the Archbishop of Toledo, Sancho de Aragón.
Castile?		1275	Ecija	- Merinid invaders, under the command of Abu Yusuf, defeat the Castilian army of Nuño de Lara (the winner of Lebrija), who dies in the battle.
Andalusia	Granada	1319	Granada	Prince Pedro conducts his second attack against Granada. His troops are surprised by a well-prepared king, Ismail. He destroys their army and the prince dies.
Portuguese waters	Algarve waters	1327	Cape Saint Vincent I
Navarre	Pamplona	1335	Tudela	A Navarrian-Aragonese army plans to invade Castile. They are forestalled and defeated on the Ebro by Martín Fernández de Portocarrero
Andalusia	Seville	1337	Villanueva de Barcarrota	-. An army of Castilian noblemen & militias of Seville defeats a Portuguese invasion (Pedro Alonso de Sousa).
Andalusia	Granada	1340	Salado	-. In the final battle against Merinids, Alfonso XI of Castile & Leon, helped by the Portuguese Afonso IV, defeats their last invasion. Merinids were leaded by the king of Fez Abdul Hassan, and helped by the King of Granada.
Gibraltarian waters		1344	Algeciras	Moorish fleet defeated near Gibraltar
Biscay		1355	Gordejuela & Ochandiano	King Peter I orders the prince Juan de Aragón to fight the rebel Lord of Biscay, Tello (half-brother of the king). He is defeated by the Basques (Juan de Avendaño) in a couple of battles.
Andalusia	Seville	1357	Trigueros	-. The rebel Juan de la Cerda is defeated by the town milita of Seville, under the command of Juan Ponce de León & Gil Bocanegra.
Castile		1359	Araviana	-. Henry of Trastámara, half brother of the Castilian king Peter I "the cruel" invades Castile and defeats the royal troops.
Castile		1360	Nájera (1st battle).	- After an uncertain battle, Henry leaves Castile, looking for refugee in France.
Aragón	Saragossa	1362	Catalayud	King Peter I starts his great offensive inside the territory of Aragón, down the Jalon tributary to the Ebro
Aragón?	Murviedro	1364	Alcublas	-. The Master of Alcántara, sent to help the Castilian garrison of, is defeated and killed.
Castile		1367	Nájera (2nd battle).	- Henry of Trastámara (now, king Henry II of Castile) is defeated by the English Black Prince. Peter returns to the power, while Henry refugees once more in France.
Castile		1369	Montiel	-. Final victory of Henry II over his brother, who is killed in the following days.
Portuguese waters		1381	Naval battle of Saltes
Portugal		1384	Atoleiros
Portugal		1385	Valverde
Portugal		1385	Trancoso
Portugal		1385	Aljubarrota	Definitive victory of Portugal over the Castilians
Andalusia	Granada	1406	Quesada/Los Collejares	Indecisive battle between Castilians (Pedro Manrique) and Granadians (Mohammed VII).
Andalusia	Granada	1410	Antequera	-. The regent of Castile & León (future king of Aragon), Fernando de Trastámara, defeats the king of Granada, Mohammed VII. After that, he will be known as Fernando "de Antequera".
Andalusia	Granada	1419	La Higueruela	-. The constable of Castile, Alvaro de Luna, defeats the Granadian army.
Portugal		1449	Alfarrobeira
Portugal		1459	Alcacer Ceguer
Portugal		1476	Toro
Las Canarias	Gran Canaria	1478	Guiniguada	Castilians finally conquer the island of Gran Canaria
Extremadura	Badajoz	1479	Albuera	Portuguese claim the throne of Castile, but are defeated.
Andalusia	Granada	1482	Alhama de Granada	Against the Moslems, in the hills to the west of the city
Andalusia	Granada	1483	Ajarquía/Axarquía.	- The (future) king of Granada, Mohammed "el Zagal" defeats the Castilians.
Andalusia	Granada	1485	Moclín	-. Mohammed "el Zagal" defeats again the Castilians.
Andalusia	Granada	1486	Loja	One of the final battles of the Reconquista, WSW of Granada
Andalusia	Málaga	1487	Málaga
Andalusia	Granada	1489	Baza	NE of Granada, and against the Moslems of that city.
Andalusia	Granada	1491 – 2	Campaign against Granada	Leading to the final reconquest of Spain from the Moslems
Las Canarias	Tenerife	1495	Peñuelas and Acentejo	-. Castilians conquer the island of Tenerife (Canary islands) from the native Guanches, who have fought a tenacious guerilla war
Castile		1521	Villalar	The army of the "comuneros" rebels in Castile is defeated by the royalist army.
Navarre	Pamplona	1521	Noain	In May a Franco-Navarrese army under André de Foix, Lord of Asparrós and Count of Foix, penetrates Navarre and reconquers the kingdom for Enrique de Albret. It continues towards Castile and surrounds Logroño, capital of La Rioja. Castilian troops then rally on behalf of the Emperor Charles, and Asparrós is forced to flee and take refuge in the Mountain range of the Pardon. 30,000 Imperial troops occupy the river basin of Pamplona, closing off the retreat of the French army. Asparrós decided to fight and appeared in Noain on 30 June 1521. In the beginning the Navarrese-French artillery dominated the field, but the Admiral of Castile and Duke of Enriquez with his cavalry turned the combat, and the Castilian infantry decided it. The Navarrese had to surrender, after suffering more than 5,000 losses. Asparrós was released by the Emperor after paying a ransom. This battle gave possession of Navarre to the Castilians, who quickly seized all the strongpoints. Don Juan II Albret and Doña Catherine, the last kings of the Navarrese monarchy, took refuge on the other side of the Pyrenees, and would never return.
All		1525 - 1704	The Spanish “Tercios”	The Spanish “Tercios were innovative and elite military units which played a large role in warfare across the whole of Europe as well as in the Peninsula.
Andalusia	Malaga	1580	Alcántara
Andalusia	Cadiz	1587	Cadiz	The English privateer Sir Francis Drake “singed the King of Spain’s beard” with his audacious naval raid on the treasure port.
Extremadura	All	1640-68	“War of Portugal”
Portugal		1640-68	“War of Portugal”
Catalonia		1640s	Catalan Revolt	…with French aid
Extremadura	Badajoz	1644	Montijo	To the east of Badajoz, the Portuguese were forced to retreat when their left caved in in the face of Spanish tercios and cavalry. The Spaniards were distracted with baggage looting, permitting the Portuguese to rally and retire over the border in good order.
La Alcarria	Brihuega	1665	Villa Viciosa I
All waters		1701 - 1805	Naval battles fought by the English in Spanish waters	Many battles were fought off the coast of Iberia, which was the gateway to the Mediterranean but also the point of departure for many transatlantic voyages to the rich lands of the West Indies and the Americas.
Galician waters	Vigo	1702	Naval battle of Rande/Vigo Bay	A Franco-Spanish bullion fleet met an Anglo-Dutch fleet at the end of the Vigo Estuary (Rande area) with 28 boats sank as a result. The English took four million 'pesos' together with thirteen ships. There were 2,000 Hispanic-French and 800 Anglo-Dutch casualties, 26 ships lost, and 3,000 injured.
All		1702-14	War of the Spanish Succession	The powerful Bourbon dynasty of France and Spain were resisted by an alliance of their neighbours which included Austria, England, Portugal and Piedmont – Savoy. A good paper source: Francis, A.D.: “The First Peninsular War 1700-1713” London 1975
Andalusian waters	Gibraltar	1704	Naval battle off Marbella
Andalusian waters	Málaga	1704	Naval battle off Málaga	13 August 1704
Gibraltar	Gibraltar	1704	Gibraltar
Catalonia	Barcelona	1705	Barcelona	The Catalan capital captured by the Allies with strong popular support. The Prince of Darmstadt killed in the fighting.
Extremadura	Badajoz	1705	Albuquerque	North of Badajoz
Valencia	Valencia	1705 - 6	Skirmishes around Valencia de Alcantara	The Allies, supplied by the British fleet, sought to defend and expand from their base at Valencia city.
Balearic islands	Majorca	1706	Majorca	25 May 1706
Castile	Madrid	1706	Madrid	Madrid fell briefly to the Anglo-Portuguese Allies, but they were then cut off by a popular anti-Portuguese uprising, and had to evacuate.
Valencia	Castellon	1706	San Mateo	A fight over this strategic town between the Allied strongholds of Catalonia and Valencia
Valencia	Valencia	1707	Pass of Almansa	A contest for the strategic pass between Albacete and the coastal ports of Valencia and Alicante, on 25 Apr 1707. A Franco-Spanish army of 25,400 (Marshal Berwick) defeats an Anglo-Portuguese army of 15,500 (Earl of Galway; Das Minas). The Portuguese horse are swept away, but the Allied infantry fight stubbornly.
Balearic islands	Minorca	1708	Mahon	The British Secured The Best Fortified Harbour In The Islands, As A Base For Their Western Mediterranean fleet.
Murcian waters	Cartagena	1708	Naval battle of Cartagena	28 May 1708
Portugal		1709	Val Gudina	In April, the Franco-Spanish defeat the Anglo-Portuguese
Extremadura	Badajoz	1709	Gaia or La Caya	On May 7^th1709 the Anglo-Portuguese army, under command of the Marquis de Frontera, lay on the side of the Caya west of Badajoz, and the army of the Duke of Anjou, commanded by the Marquis de Bay, on the other. De Bay made a motion with the whole body of his horse toward Fort St. Christopher, near Badajoz. The Portuguese crossed the river to oppose the designs of the enemy, although a defensive posture would have sufficed. A detachment of foot and artillery, and the whole of the horse, passed the river and commenced to bombard the enemy. De Bay advanced with his horse and attacked the right wing of the Portuguese cavalry, who fled. But their foot repulsed three successive charges, with great order and resolution. Pearce’s British brigade then attacked giving the Portuguese infantry time to retire in good order, behind the river. But Pearce’s brigade was surrounded by the enemy, and three regiments had to surrender.
Aragon	Saragossa	1710	Saragossa	Following up the previous victory of Almenara, James Earl of Stanhope defeats a Franco-Spanish force of 20,000 under De Bay, taking 5,000 prisoners and 36 guns
La Alcarria	Brihuega	1710	Villa Viciosa II	11 Dec 1710 Vendome defeats Guido von Starhemberg and the British main body, taking 2,000 prisoners and 22 guns. The battle is hard fought with heavy casualties on both sides. Starhemberg manages to keep his army together and continue the retreat.
La Alcarria	Guadalajara	1710	Brihuega I	The Allies are surrounded, isolated and defeated by the Franco-Spanish.
Catalonia	Lerida	1710	Almenara	The Bourbon Philip V of Spain had 22,000 on the Rio Segre inland from the Catalonian coast, while Stanhope and Starhemberg had 18,000 men. Stanhope crossed the Segre at Balaguer (north of Lerida) marching to the bridge of Alfarras, crossing it on 27 July. Both armies then met at Almenara, a few kilometers from the bridge, where the Allies inflicted a defeat, the French retreating to Saragossa.
Catalonia	All	1718-1721	Catalonian Civil War	Taking advantage of an invasion, Catalonian patriots loot and set fire to the properties of Castilians
Galician waters	Finisterre	1747	1st Battle of Cape Finisterre	3 May 1747
Galician waters	Finisterre	1747	2^nd Battle of Cape Finisterre	14 October
Balearic islands	Minorca	1756	Minorca	20 May 1756 Battle of Minorca: this may be the occasion of the shooting of the infamous British Admiral, Byng
Portugal		1762	Portuguese campaign
Portuguese Waters	Algarve waters	1780	Cape St. Vincent II	16 January 1780 (The Moonlight Battle)
Balearic islands	Minorca	1782	Minorca	During the European operations of the American Independence War
Gibraltar	Gibraltar	1782	Gibraltar	Sep. - Oct. 1782 The Great Attack on Gibraltar During the European operations of the American Independence War
Galician waters	Ferrol	1805	Cape Finisterre	Prior to the great battle at Trafalgar, French Admiral Villeneuve encountered Calder’s British squadron of 15 battleships on 22nd of July. They fought an abortive action in poor visibility. Calder captured two French ships, and several of the British ships were damaged. Calder failed to press home the action, for which he was severely criticized.
Gibraltarian waters		1805	Cape Trafalgar	Lord Nelson’s greatest and final battle – he split the Franco-Spanish line but died from a musket wound which struck him on deck.
Andalusia	Cordoba	1808	Batalla de Bailén	19 de Julio de 1808, north of Jaen
Cantabria	Santander	1808	Batalla de Espinosa	Espinosa de las Monteros, 10 de Noviembre de 1808, around the towns of Quintana and Reinosa, on the Trueba river.
Castile, Old?	Burgos?	1808	Batalla de Gamonal o de Burgos	10 de Noviembre, in the valleys of Piso and Arlanzon
Catalonia	Barcelona	1808	Batalla de Llinás o de Cardedeu	16 de Diciembre de 1808, near Sarria, Gerona and the Besós river
Catalonia	Barcelona	1808	Batalla de Molins de Rey	21^st December. French general Saint-Cyr, with about 40,000 infantry and 3000 cavalry, overturned a Spanish position in front of Barcelona whose right was at Molins de Rey, center in San Feliú, and left in Cornellá. Failure to sieze a key bridge at the crucial moment prevented the complete envelopment of the Spaniards, who numbered only half of the French, but this did not prevent the Spanish commander being sentenced to death for his failure!!
Leon	Valladolid	1808	Batalla de Rioseco	Medina de Rioseco, 14 de Julio de 1808
Navarre	Tudela	1808	Batalla de Tudela	23 de Noviembre de 1808
Portugal	Obidos	1808	Rolica	The French occupied hills blocking Wellington’s route south to Lisbon, and were duly assaulted.
Portugal	Lisbon	1808	Vimiero	Junot failed in his attempt to break the Lines of Torres Vedras, and agreed a deal whereby his troops were ferried back to France in British ships!!
Andalusia	Cordoba	1808?	Jaen	A French division surrendered to Spanish regulars and guerillas who had encircled them in the hills to the east of Cordoba halfway to Granada
All		1808-14	La GUERRA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA ESPAÑOLA 1808-1814,	A very detailed site, in the Spanish language, on the French invasion of 1808 and the subsequent years of quasi-guerilla warfare which accompanied British operations from Portugal.
Aragon	Saragossa	1809	Batalla de Alcañiz	23^rd May
Aragon	Saragossa	1809	Batalla de Belchite	18^th June
Castile, New	Toledo	1809	Batalla de Talavera	28 de Julio de 1809
Castile, New	Madrid	1809	Batalla de Ocaña	19 Nov
Castile, New	Toledo	1809	Batalla de Almonacid	After the action of Aranjuez on 5 August, General Venegas directed his Army of La Mancha towards Toledo, uniting all his forces on the 10^thin Almonacid, consisting of 22.000 infantry, more than 3,000 horse and 29 pieces of artillery. The French had passed the previous day through Toledo and the fords of Añover, arriving on the 20^th in the town of Nambroca, one league from Almonacid. The Spanish Caudillo, despite knowing of the retirement of the Allied army from Talavera towards Extremadura, had determined to attack the French on the 12^th. But on the 11^th the French made the first move, with 26,000 infantry, 4,000 horse and 40 guns. The Army of La Mancha was moved hastily in front of Almonacid: the Vigodet division, a little delayed, occupied the extreme right, with the greater part of the cavalry. Other forces occupied the hills of Utrera, Santo, and Lacy, next to the Guazalate stream. The 3ª (Girón) regiment was distributed between the key height of the Cerrojones, and the Castle of De la Cruz on its hill, where the reserve was located. The Spanish left was first attacked, by General Lewal with the Polish and German divisions after a very violent fire of artillery, answered well by the Spanish guns. The battalions of Bailén and Jaén twice repulsed the Poles; however reserves arrived late and could not prevent the French occupying the important positions of the Cerrojones, although with heavy losses. The Spaniards were forced to take refuge on Castle Hill and then retire, covered by shrapnel fire and by the charges of the Vigodet division and the Spanish Grenadiers against enemy cavalry, which prevented the encirclement of the Spanish left by Polish and German troops. The French, who had 2,500 losses, did not pursue beyond Moor, and many of the Spanish therefore arrived in good order at Manzanares, although some were dispersed as far as the Brown Mountain range. Spanish losses were not more than 4,000 men total.
Catalonia	Tarragona	1809	Batalla de Valls	25^th February. Saint-Cyr seized the bridge at Goy over the Francolí river, the Spaniards retreating in panic back towards Tarragona.
Extremadura	Merida	1809	Batalla de Medellín	28^th March
Galicia	La Coruna	1809	Batalla de La Coruña	16 de Enero de 1809
Galicia	La Coruña	1809	La Coruña
La Alcarria	Cuenca	1809	Batalla de Uclés	13 de Enero de 1809
Leon	Salamanca	1809	Batalla de Tamames	18 Oct
Murcia	Lorca	1809	Batalla de María	15^th June
Portugal	Oporto	1809	Oporto
Portugal		1810	Bussaco
Portugal	Almeida	1810	Coa river	Masséna issued orders to Marshal Michel Ney on 21st July for the 6th Corps to advance on Almeida. In the face of the French advance, General Robert Crauford, commanding the British Light Division, blew up the isolated Spanish fortress of Fort Concepcion and withdrew across the border into Portugal. Rather incautiously, Crauford chose to attempt to shield Almeida by holding a line east of the Côa river with a force of only 3,500 infantry and 1,200 cavalry
Biscay	Bilbao	1811	Batalla de Santa Engracia	19 Feb
Catalonia	Tarragona	1811	Tarragona
Extremadura	Badajoz	1811	La Albuera
Extremadura	Badajoz	1811	Batalla de Albuera	16 de Mayo de 1811
La Mancha	Valdepenas?	1811	Batalla de Chiclana	5 Mar
Leon	Salamanca	1811	Fuentes de Oñoro	Despite defeating Marshal Masséna's French army at Bussaco, Wellington had been forced to retreat to within a few miles of Lisbon. Here the French encountered a massive line of fortifications stretching from the River Tagus to the sea. With his army on the point of starvation, Masséna was forced to retreat and the scene was set for the climactic action of Fuentes de Oñoro.
Extremadura	Badajoz	1812	Badajoz	British assault on the border fortress
Leon	Salamanca	1812	Ciudad Rodrigo
Leon	Salamanca	1812	Salamanca
Leon	Salamanca	1812	Batalla de los Arapiles	22 Jul
Biscay	San Sebastian	1813	Crossing of the Bidassoa	Wellington forced the crossing at the foot of the Pyrenees
Biscay	Vitoria	1813	Batalla de Vitoria	21 de Junio de 1813
Navarre	Vitoria	1813	Vitoria
Navarre	Pamplona	1813	Batalla de Sorauren-Pirineos	Following the disastrous battle of Vitoria, Marshal Soult took over the French command on 12 July, in San Juan, and marched towards Pamplona, with 33,000 men. He pushed back the Allies near the famous Pass of Roncesvalles, although the Spanish regiment of Leon, under lieutenant colonel Aguier, defended with determination the ammunition factory of Orbaiceta. The Allied retirement of the allies, pushed by Soult, continued in the following days, stopping only on 26 to cover the capital of Navarre. Soult took positions in the mountains that extend from Ostiz to Zubiri. On 27^th the French occupied Sorauren, and on 28^th the combat became general along the line. A French attempt to slip through Tolosa to relieve San Sebastian was blocked by Wellington, and the French attacks were everywhere repulsed. The battle had cost the allies 6,000 losses and more than 8,000 to the French.
Biscay	San Sebastian	1813	Batalla de San Marcial	The French, hoping to lift the siege of San Sebastián, crossed the Bidasoa 31 August, before dawn, by the fords near Hendaya. The French attacked the Spaniards on the heights of San Marcial, hoping to penetrate by the gorge of Ercuti and to seize the important position of Soroya, but were repulsed by the Asturians and others. The French thereupon threw a pontoon bridge across the river and assaulted a position known as the Place of the Baskets, under the protection of artillery which they had planted across the Bidasoa. They were repelled and thrown down the hill by a brigade of the division of Don Juan Diaz Porlier, helped by the IIº Navy Battalion. The French then directed their attacks against the Spanish left, where a brigade of the IIIª division was commanded by Don Jose Maria de Ezpeleta. They were counterattacked and thrown back to the river by the regiments of Guadalajara, Asturias and the Crown, three battalions of Volunteers of Guipúzcoa, sent by D. Juan Ugartemendía, and the Second company of the IVª battalion of Artillery under Don Juan Lóriga. At the same time, another French column was forced to descend from the Irachaval mount, occupied in the first attack, and to recross the Bidasoa by the ford of Saraburo. Further operations were prevented by incessant rain. The French had suffered 3,600 losses and the Spaniards a similar number. The English and Portuguese hardly participated in this battle, although Lord Wellington appeared at the end.
Biscay	San Sebastian	1833	Guernica	The Cristino Baron del Solar de Espinosa attacked the Carlists at Guernica under Fernando de Zabala and Simon de La Torre. In their first victory against army Regulars, the Carlists held the town and inflicted over 300 Cristino casualties, but withdrew when heavy reinforcements approached.
Castile	Madrid	1833	Madrid	Merino, the 64 year old renegade Castilian priest, led 11,000 Carlists south from Logroño towards Madrid.   He got near enough to alarm the inhabitants of the capital but was forced to withdraw to Navarre in the face of superior numbers.
Navarre	Estella	1833	Los Arcos	First battle of Carlist War. The Carlist Field-Marshal Santo Ladrón de la Guevara led a body of Royalist Volunteers from Logroño into Navarre.  There they encountered a much larger government force under General Manuel Lorenzo. Attempting to make a stand, the Carlists were defeated and their commander was captured and shot.
Navarre	Vitoria	1833	Peñacerrada	Following Los Arcos the Cristino Generals Pedro Sarsfield and Manuel Lorenzo crossed the Ebro and routed 1,500 Carlists blocking their way at Peñecerrada. Within a week the Liberals had entered Vitoria and Bilbao unopposed.
Navarre?		1833	Astarta	29 December 1833: Tomás Zumalacárregui's first major battle in which he defeated two Cristino commanders, General Manuel Lorenzo and Colonel Marcelino Oráa (subordinates of Saarsfield).  Zumalacárregui determined to hold a position between Asarta and Nazar.  The half trained Carlists fought bravely and most of the 350 dead are Cristinos.
Catalonia		1834	Mayals	10 April 1834: Battle of Mayals: Determined to spread the Carlist insurrection to Catalonia, Commander Manuel Carnicer crossed the Ebro and was met at Mayals, southwest of Lerida, by General José Carratalá, commanding in Tarragona, and Governor Manuel Breton of Tortosa. Despite a courageous attack by Colonel Ramón Cabrera, Carnicer was defeated and the Carlists suffered a major setback
Navarre	Estella	1834	Peñas de San Fausto	19 August 1834: Peñas de San Fausto: Campaigning against the Carlists northwest of Estella, a Spanish Liberal division under Baron Luis Angel de Carondolet was surprised by General Tomás Zumalacárregui at Peñas de San Fausto on the Urederra River. The Liberals were routed and fled, losing 250 men, including some drowned in the river.
La Rioja	Logrono	1834	Viana	?? August 1834: A triumph for the Carlist horse against Baron Luis Angel de Carondolet. Although they at first refused to charge, Zumalacárregui’s 200 lancers then met and broke the illustrious Cazadores de la Guardia Real, largely because the latter were foolish enough to receive the charge of the lancers when halted. The lancers went on to overwhelm a battalion of the Castilla Regiment (19^th Line) and take its Colour.
Navarre	Mendaza	1834	Mendaza	12 December 1834: Pursued through Navarre by the Spanish Liberal army, Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui with 10,000 men unwisely accepted open battle against 14,000 under General Luis Fernández de Córdova and Colonel arcelino Oráa. After a bloody five-hour action the Carlists were forced to withdraw.
Navarre	Mendoza	1834	Arquijas I	15 December 1834: Following the Battle of Mendaza, the Spanish Liberal army under General Luis Fernández de Córdova pursued the Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui through Navarre and attempted to force the pass at Arquijas, five miles to the northwest of Mendaza.   Córdova suffered a costly repulse and fell back towards Los Arcos.
Navarre	Pamplona	1834	Gulina	17 June 1834: Battle of Gulina: Liberal commander Vicente Jenaro de Quesada in Vitoria ordered Brigadier Linares from Pamplona in an attempt to trap Zumalacárregui. However, just northwest of Pamplona, Zumalacárregui attacked Linares and both sides suffered about 600 casualties before Zumalacárregui was driven off.
Navarre	Salvatierra	1834	Alsasua	2 May 1834: Zumalacárregui attacked and defeated the Cristinos (General Vicente Jenaro de Quesada) as they passed Alsasua on a march from Salvatierra into Navarre.  Despite being rescued by another Cristino force (Jáuregui el Pastor 'The Shepherd'), Quesada left 100 prisoners in the hands of the Carlists and suffered 200 dead and wounded.  Subsequently all the captured Cristino officers were shot.
Navarre	Vitoria	1834	Salvatierra / Alegría	Fought on the plains of Salvatierra near Vitoria (27 Oct). Eluding pursuit after victory at Artaza and Peñas de San Fausto, Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui and Francisco de Iturralde surprised a large Liberal column (3,500 men) under Brigadier O’Doyle at Alegría, between Vitoria and Salvatierra. Zumalacárregui formed his Carlist troops with a skirmishing battalion leading two others in close order and a fourth in reserve; cavalry guarded the flanks. The Cristinos lost very heavily when their lines were broken by a Navarrese bayonet assault. O’Doyle fled to nearby Arrieta, where a relief column from Vitoria under General Joaquín de Osma was beaten next day (28 Oct).
Navarre?		1834	Artaza	31 August 1834: Soon after Don Carlos V arrived in Spain, Liberal General José Ramon Rodil led perhaps 8,000 men into the rugged Améscoa Valley, where he was attacked at Artaza by just 2,000 Carlists under General Tomás Zumalacárregui. In a one-sided action Rodil suffered heavy losses before the Carlists withdrew.  Despite his losses Rodil continued his campaign in pursuit of the pretender.
All		1834-9	Carlist Wars	The first liberal influences sweeping Europe at this time were opposed from the northeast region of Spain by the conservative Catholic supporters of the pretender Don Carlos, who got all the way to the gates of Madrid. Further Carlist wars followed later in the century, and Carlism is still an active political force as at 2004!!
Catalonia		1835	Cervera	25 February 1835: Action at Cervera: The Isabelino Regiment of Ceuta suffered a serious defeat in the neighborhood of Cervera (Sorando, n.d.).
Navarre	Mendaza	1835	Pass of Arquijas	5 February 1835: Second Battle of Arquijas: In a renewed attack on Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui, northeast of Logroño in Navarre near Mendaza, Spanish Liberal forces under General Manuel Lorenzo made a second attempt to force the pass at Arquijas. With only half as many men, Zumalacárregui dealt the Liberals a very costly defeat.
Navarre	Pamplona	1835	Pamplona	March 1835: Taking advantage of Zumalacárregui absence, the Cristinos (General Espoz y Mina) launched a major attack from Pamplona, to try and destroy part of the Carlist army. The attack took place in freezing weather. Mina's plan failed largely because of the extraordinary mobility of the Carlist army, and he was nearly surrounded and destroyed. Although he extricated his army without very heavy losses (partly by forging Zumalacárregui’s signature on an order which he contrived to pass to another enemy general), and some of his forces fought very well, Mina’s reputation suffered irreparable harm, and he was replaced by Valdés in April 1835.
Navarre?		1835	Segura	3 January 1835: Zumalacárregui, in order to halt the Cristino offensive, decided that his army would have to suffer heavy losses. When attacking the enemy columns on the march, the Carlists delivered a rolling fire and then a fire by platoons - which surprised an English observer by its regularity and order. At a later period in the battle the 1^st Navarrese and Guías de Navarra “opened left and right” to allow the general’s squadron of escorting cavalry to charge through at the gallop, a very considerable feat of drill. Unfortunately, the Príncipe regiment (3^rd line), drawn up three deep, halted them with its fire. Following scattered action both sides withdrew.
Navarre?	Beasain	1835	Ormáiztegui	2 January 1835: Following success at Arquijas, Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui marched north and at Ormáiztegui, west of Beasain, met Spanish Liberal Generals Baldomero Espartero and José Carratalá (2 Jan). After costly fighting the Carlists fell back to strong positions at Segura
Navarre?	Maeztu	1835	Orbiso	17 Jan 1835: Carlist commander Tomás Zumalacárregui attempted to intercept a Spanish Liberal army under General Manuel Lorenzo and Colonel Marcelino Oráa marching towards Maeztu. On the heights at Orbiso, Zumalacárregui was driven off at the cost of about 400 men
Navarre, Aragon		1846	Matiners War
All		1868	Spanish Revolution	Queen Isabella overthrown
Navarre?		1868	Alcolea
Navarre, Aragon		1873-6	Second Carlist War
Asturias		192x		Miners revolt savagely put down by the government.
Castille		1936	Toledo
Leon		1936-1937	Corunna Road
All		1936-1939	Spanish Civil War	Conservative Nationalists under Franco, landing initially from the North African colonies, rebelled against an extremist but divided Republican government supported by the Soviets. Franco received much help from Italy and Germany. There is a good Spanish language site too.
Castile		1936-9	Siege of Madrid	The Nationalists, who had approached originally from Extremadura, closed their stranglehold gradually around the city.
Andalusia	Malaga	1937	Malaga	The Nationalist entry into the town culminated in a massacre of their opponents.
Aragon	Saragossa	1937	Saragossa
Cantabria	Santander	1937	Santander
Castille		1937	Brunete
Castille, New		1937	Jarama
La Alcarria	Guadalajara	1937	Brihuega II
La Alcarria	Guadalajara	1937	Guadalajara
Navarre	Bilbao	1937	Bilbao
Aragon	Teruel	1937-1938	Teruel	The Nationalists headed for the sea through Teruel, creating a massive salient into Republican lines.
Catalonia	Lerida	1938	Battle of the Ebro River	In July, the Republicans from the Catalonian enclave attempted to force the river line and gain the hilly Terra Alta region in a most bloody contest, with the ultimate intent of linking with the government’s remaining territory in Valencia.
Catalonia	Barcelona	1938-1939	Siege of Barcelona	.. where there had been intermittent street fighting during the war between the various factions of the left, well described in George Orwell’s classic “Homage to Catalonia”
Biscay	San Sebastian	193x	Bombing of Guernica	The first example of strategic bombing, carried out by Hitler’s Condor Legion and made famous by Picasso’s painting.
All		1990s	ETA bombings	Bombings by this terror group favouring Basque independence continued, with new warnings concerning tourist targets just issued in 2004.