Valls 1809: Battle of the Goi Bridge

The French defeat at the Battle of Bailén (July 19, 1808), which saw an entire army corps surrender, was a shocking blow. It forced the Napoleonic troops to abandon Madrid and retreat to the Ebro river, marking a spectacular failure for the first French invasion of Spain.

In response, Emperor Napoleon I decided to intervene directly, leading an army of his best troops. In November, General Gouvion Saint-Cyr entered Catalonia with about 22,000 men. After defeating Spanish troops at Cardedeu, he reached Barcelona on November 17, lifting the city's blockade.

Shortly after, Saint-Cyr demonstrated his tactical prowess at the Battle of Molins de Rei, where he again defeated the Spanish forces. Despite the French victory, the Spanish troops managed to escape before being completely surrounded and captured.

After these two successive defeats, the Swiss general Teodor Reding took command of the Army of the Right. He reorganized and rearmed his men in Tarragona and set out with a small column to regroup his scattered units. The French army, aware of his movements, deployed around Valls.

Learning that Valls was occupied, Reding changed course towards Montblanc. After several days of skirmishes and maneuvers, and a difficult night march, his troops arrived near the Pont de Goi on the morning of February 25. The Battle of Valls began around 5:30 a.m.

The initial combat was intense. The Spanish attack was repelled, and after several hours of fighting, the arrival of the French Fontane brigade around noon shifted the battle's momentum. Seeing the new enemy reinforcements, General Reding realized it was pointless to continue attacking and losing more men.

This is where the second phase of the battle begins, fought at the Pont de Goi. The Napoleonic objective is simple and direct: a decisive confrontation to annihilate the Spanish army before nightfall. For the Spanish, the mission is to survive, to wear down the enemy with minimal casualties, and to hold out until dusk to make a safe and orderly retreat.

This game presents an asymmetrical and dynamic challenge. The key is not just what actions you take, but the precise moment you execute them.

If you play as the French, your strategy must be aggressive and coordinated. Can you break through the Spanish defensive lines and achieve victory before nightfall? If you play as the Spanish, your goal is survival. Can you withstand the onslaught of the terrible French charge across the Francolí river and escape with your army intact?