The Bourbon army was rapidly refitted and reorganized by French general the duc de Vendôme, who was lent to Philip V's service by the latter's grandfather, the Sun King.

Vendôme set out from Talavera with his troops, and pursued the retreating British army with a speed perhaps never equalled in such a season and in such a country.

In typical Vendôme style, he swam, at the head of his cavalry, the flooded Henares and in a few days overtook Stanhope, who was at Brihuega with the left wing of the Grand Alliance army.

"Nobody with me," said the British general, "imagined that they had any foot within some days' march of us and our misfortune is owing to the incredible diligence which their army made."

Stanhope had barely enough time to send off a messenger to the centre of the army, which was some leagues from Brihuega, before Vendôme was upon him on the evening of 8 December.

The defeat helped justify the Harley Government's plan to agree a compromise peace with France at the Treaty of Utrecht.