What I'm reading: The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War by David Gates

A very illuminating book

 

Written in 1984, this book from Amazon The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War Paperback – Illustrated, November 1, 200 by David Gates (Author). 

I've just finished The Peninsula War, and Wellington in the Peninsula, which helped me in the Tournament last month.  However, they don't really talk about or touch on the SPANISH side of the war like this book does. I'm only a few chapters in and it's changed my opinion of getting a Spanish army in FOGN. I now want one. 

Sure they will get defeated. A lot. And I don't like their bicorn hats sitting sideways and looking ridiculous. Or their bright yellow uniforms. Or most of their Generals or so-called Leadership. But I can always say that the army reforms after the battle and does not stop fighting EVER*. 

Also amusing is reading the commentary about at the time of writing the Soviet Union was experiencing something similar in Afghanistan. In 1984. And how the same thing - an Imperial Conquest failed vs popular support  the same way. In Vietnam. And Iraq. Who could possibly have foreseen it?!

If I lose any one battle I'll just write how the army reformed after huge casualties and 1000's of civilian deaths and came back the next month to do it again. And again. And again.

 It will need to be a bigger army than both my Anglo-Portuguese and French OPFOR armies. I should start with an attached division and work from there. If I have a choice I'll get them painted as mostly civilians (with some women too!) and only have the Grenadiers, artillery (not including a single female gunner) and Heavy Cavalry in regular army uniform. 

Also I get some Lancer Cavalry, and mixed Divisions!

 

 

* It reminds me of Goonswarm. I was there.