Wellington's retreat and the Lines of Torres Vedras

After Talavera, supply strain and the failure of Spanish forces drove Wellington back toward Portugal. The Spanish defeat at Ocaña and the flight of the governing junta to Cádiz left tens of thousands of French troops tied to the southern siege. In Portugal, Wellington used the pause to order the Lines of Torres Vedras for the defence of Lisbon. He also resisted calls from London to withdraw and persuaded Lord Liverpool to maintain the British position. The passage links operational retreat, food supply, fortification, and political backing rather than treating withdrawal as the end of a campaign.