BRITISH AND SPANISH RELATIONS DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR: The British Gracchi

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At the start of the Spanish Peninsular War (1808-1814), the climate in London was favorable to cooperation with Spain. Yet the feeling of failure soon took hold of British society due to having embarked in another long and costly war, and many felt disappointment with the scarce cooperation of Spanish troops. Among the few who defended the importance of the Spanish cause were the Wellesley brothers, the 'British Gracchi,' who together maintained this fragile alliance between both countries until the final victory over the French.

Richard, the eldest brother and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the United Kingdom, changed the war against France and was decisive in the success on the Iberian Peninsula. Beside him, his younger brother Henry coordinated official relations between Britain and Spain in his role as ambassador plenipotentiary in Cadiz, maintaining a climate of collaboration up to the end of the war. But the efforts of the two brothers would not have borne fruit without the intervention of a third, Arthur Wellesley (Duke of Wellington), who, in a five-year campaign defeated the French troops which outnumbered his, liberating Portugal and Spain from Napoleon's grip.