 Under pressure from widespread protests and mob violence the ruling Spanish Junta resigned , and a five @-@ man Regency was established to govern in its place . The Regency , recognising that Spain could only be saved with Allied aid , immediately asked the newly ennobled Arthur Wellesley , Viscount Wellington , to send reinforcements to Cádiz ; by mid @-@ February , five Anglo @-@ Portuguese battalions had landed , bringing the garrison up to 17 @,@ 000 men and making the city effectively impregnable . Additional troops continued to arrive , and by May , the garrison was 26 @,@ 000 strong , while the besieging French forces had risen to 25 @,@ 000 . 
