 To cover these southern approaches, the Republic deployed loyalist General Riquelme with the so-called ""Army of Extremadura"", a force of about 9,000 militia.Many of these troops had been redeployed in haste from the mountains of the Guadarrama front, and their condition deteriorated wretchedly in the Tagus River valley.The government militias, while unquestionably brave, were sorely deficient in training and equipment and proved unable to face the disciplined Spanish Foreign Legion and the feared Moroccan "Regulares" shock troops.