Convention of Cintra
On the 21st of August 1808, French forces under Jean-Andoche Junot stood defeated at Vimeiro. Anglo-Portuguese troops commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley had cut off their retreat options. The French army found itself almost surrounded and unable to escape. Wellesley planned to seize high ground near Torres Vedras with his unused reserve. He intended to block any remaining path for the enemy to flee. This tactical move would have trapped the French completely.
Sir Harry Burrard arrived on the battlefield the next day and halted further attacks. Sir Hew Dalrymple followed him the following day and took command of operations. Both commanders were cautious men who had seen little recent fighting. They chose to open negotiations rather than push the French into destruction. Talks between Dalrymple and François Kellerman led to the signing of the convention. The agreement was signed at the Palace of Queluz in Cintra on the 30th of August 1808.
The Royal Navy transported nearly 21,000 French soldiers from Portugal to Rochefort. These troops carried all their equipment and personal property during the journey. Junot himself arrived at Rochefort on the 11th of October 1808. The French traveled fully loaded instead of marching lightly like a defeated garrison. This arrangement avoided entanglements with Spanish forces along the route. No loss occurred during this massive naval operation.
Many people in the United Kingdom viewed the convention as a disgraceful outcome. They felt that a complete defeat of Junot had been transformed into a French escape. Dalrymple ignored concerns about a blockaded Russian squadron in Lisbon. That squadron was allowed to sail to Portsmouth and eventually return to Russia despite Britain being at war with them. Wellesley wanted to fight but signed the preliminary armistice under orders. An official inquiry began in the Great Hall at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on the 14th of November 1808. It concluded on the 27th of December 1808.
Wellesley defended his actions by stating there was no reason to oppose Junot's terms of surrender. He claimed those terms were technically lawful for all involved parties. All three men were cleared of wrongdoing after the investigation ended. Wellesley soon returned to active duty in Portugal following the inquiry results. Burrard and Dalrymple were quietly pushed into retirement instead. They never saw active service again after their careers ended. Sir John Moore commented on the inquiry saying Dalrymple was confused and incapable beyond any man he ever saw head an army.
Lord Byron lamented the convention in his Childe Harold's Pilgrimage poem. The future British Poet Laureate William Wordsworth wrote a pamphlet titled The Convention of Cintra in 1808. He also composed a passionate sonnet called Composed while the author was engaged in writing a tract. This poem laments the bondage felt by suffering Spain even though the agreement concerned only Portugal. The poem appeared in Sonnets Dedicated to Liberty published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, And Brown in 1815. Delays in publication meant that journalistic features of Wordsworth's prose have been overlooked.
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Common questions
What was the Convention of Cintra and when did it take place?
The Convention of Cintra was an agreement signed at the Palace of Queluz in Cintra on the 30th of August 1808. This treaty allowed French troops to evacuate from Portugal under specific terms negotiated by Sir Hew Dalrymple and François Kellerman.
How many French soldiers were transported during the Convention of Cintra evacuation?
The Royal Navy transported nearly 21,000 French soldiers from Portugal to Rochefort. These troops carried all their equipment and personal property during the journey without any loss occurring during this massive naval operation.
Who commanded the Anglo-Portuguese forces that defeated the French at Vimeiro?
Sir Arthur Wellesley commanded the Anglo-Portuguese troops that cut off French retreat options after defeating Jean-Andoche Junot's forces on the 21st of August 1808. Later commanders Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Hew Dalrymple halted further attacks and chose to open negotiations instead.
Why was the Convention of Cintra considered a disgraceful outcome by people in the United Kingdom?
Many people in the United Kingdom viewed the convention as a disgraceful outcome because they felt a complete defeat of Junot had been transformed into a French escape. Critics also noted that Dalrymple ignored concerns about a blockaded Russian squadron in Lisbon which was allowed to sail to Portsmouth despite Britain being at war with them.
What happened to Sir Arthur Wellesley and his fellow commanders after the inquiry into the Convention of Cintra?
An official inquiry began in the Great Hall at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on the 14th of November 1808 and concluded on the 27th of December 1808. All three men were cleared of wrongdoing after the investigation ended, but Burrard and Dalrymple were quietly pushed into retirement while Wellesley soon returned to active duty in Portugal.