Editing Convention of Cintra (section)

==Background==
The [[First French Empire|French]] forces, under [[Jean-Andoche Junot]], were defeated [[Battle of Vimeiro|at Vimeiro]] by the Anglo-Portuguese forces, commanded by Sir [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Arthur Wellesley]]<ref name=PORTHISY1>{{cite book|title=Portugal – In European and World History|last=Newitt|first=Malyn|publisher=Reaktion Books Ltd|date=2009|edition=First|isbn=9781861895196|at=p. 159, paragraph 2, reference to Junot's defeat at the Battle of Vimeiro}}</ref> on 21 August and found themselves almost cut off from retreat. However, at that moment, Wellesley was superseded by the arrival of Sir [[Sir Harry Burrard, 1st Baronet, of Lymington|Harry Burrard]] and then the next day by Sir [[Sir Hew Whiteford Dalrymple, 1st Baronet|Hew Dalrymple]]. Both were cautious men and had seen little recent fighting; rather than push the French, they were satisfied to open negotiations. Wellesley had sought to take control of the [[Lines of Torres Vedras|Torres Vedras]] area's high ground and cut the French retreat with his unused reserve, but he was ordered to hold. Talks between Dalrymple and [[François Étienne de Kellermann|François Kellerman]] led to the signing of the convention.