The British army had been sent into Spain to aid in expelling the French, but they had been forced into a humiliating retreat in terrible winter conditions that wrought havoc with health and morale and resulted in the army degenerating into a rabble.
O exército británico fora enviado a España para axudar a expulsar os franceses, pero viuse forzado a unha humillante retirada nunhas condicións invernais moi adversas que afectaron profundamente a saúde e a moral das súas tropas, provocando que o exército dexenerase nunha turba.