The Spanish Supreme Central and Governing Junta of the Kingdom planned to launch a two-pronged attack on Madrid in the fall of 1809.

In the west, Del Parque's Army of the Left enjoyed some success against Marchand's weak VI Corps.

When the Spanish general learned that the other offensive prong had been crushed at Ocaña, he turned around and began retreating rapidly to the south.

Taking command, Kellermann raced in pursuit of the Army of the Left, catching up with it at Alba de Tormes.

By the summer of 1809, the Spanish Supreme Central and Governing Junta of the Kingdom was coming under harsh criticism over its handling of the war effort.

[4] Undeterred by the fact that Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington refused to contribute any British soldiers, the Junta planned to launch a two-pronged offensive aimed at recapturing Madrid.

They replaced Pedro Caro, 3rd Marquis of la Romana with Duke del Parque as commander of the troops in Galicia and Asturias.

South of Madrid, Juan Carlos de Aréizaga assembled over 50,000 well-equipped men in the Army of La Mancha.

The 10,000-man Talavera force was designed to hold some French units in place while the main armies thrust at Madrid.

[6] With Marshal Michel Ney on leave, Jean Gabriel Marchand assumed command of the VI Corps, based at Salamanca.

The corps had been forced to quit Galicia earlier in 1809 and had been involved in the operations in the aftermath of the Battle of Talavera in July.

Del Parque advanced from Ciudad Rodrigo in late September[7] with the divisions of La Carrera, Losada, Belveder, and Anglona.

Filled with scorn for his Spanish adversaries, an overconfident Marchand advanced on the village of Tamames, 56 kilometres (35 mi) southwest of Salamanca.

As the Spanish advanced, Marchand abandoned Salamanca and Del Parque's men occupied the city on 25 October.

Reinforced by General of Brigade Nicolas Godinot's force, Kellermann challenged Del Parque by marching directly on Salamanca.

Kellermann left the VI Corps holding Salamanca and raced back to León to stamp out the uprising.

Though he had been instructed to join Albuquerque, he instead moved on Salamanca again, hustling one of the VI Corps brigades out of Alba de Tormes.

The French horsemen initially drove back the Spanish cavalry but were repulsed by Ballesteros' steady foot soldiers fighting in squares.

[2] Understanding that this dire event meant that the French could spare plenty of soldiers to track down his army, Del Parque bolted to the south, intending to shelter in the mountains of central Spain.

But on the afternoon of 28 November, their light cavalry found the Army of the Left camped at Alba de Tormes.

To face the threat, Del Parque put as few as 18,000 men[18] or as many as 21,300 infantry, 1,500 cavalry and 18 artillery pieces in line.

Kellermann organized a second attack against the unbroken squares but the Spanish soldiers held steady and repelled the French cavalry.

Realizing that his men would be annihilated by a combined arms attack, La Carrera ordered an immediate retreat.

Marchand's leading brigade cleared some of Losada's rallied men out of the town of Alba and captured two more artillery pieces.

During the operation, a group of panicky horsemen caused a stampede in the marching columns and the three divisions that fought were badly scattered while other soldiers deserted.

The Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Wellington wrote in disgust, I declare that if they had preserved their two armies, or even one of them, the cause was safe.