Hi Bernard!

I’ve often wondered about the tenuous alliance between Britain and Spain following Napoleon’s invasion of the Peninsular. We can all understand why Spain felt utterly outraged at this act of betrayal by a former ally, but certainly British troops ransacking Badajoz and Ciudad Rodrigo (alongside others perhaps) threatened to end such an unnatural alliance? What made the Spanish people tolerate such behaviour from their new allies? Was it because their hatred for Napoleon came first, or Wellington’s lengths at a civilian-friendly policy proved effective enough, or both?
Robert Douglas