Gibraltar was captured during the War of the Spanish Succession by a predominantly Anglo-Dutch force of the Grand Alliance over the period 1-3 August 1704. The original intention had been to capture Cadiz but this was abandoned in favour of an abortive attempt to take Barcelona dependent on exploiting the loyalty of the Catalan dissidients to Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt and the antipathy of the Catalan people to the Spanish crown. In order to win the loyalty of Andalusia, strict orders were issued to respect Catholic freedom of religion and religious institutions.
The possibility of taking Gibraltar had previously been considered and a letter was given to Rooke by Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant to the Spanish throne) urging the Governor of Gibraltar to come over to the Grand Alliance. Ultimately the decision to take Gibraltar was taken in a council of war on the basis of three main factors; namely it was poorly garrisoned, it would be of major strategic value to the war effort and its capture would encourage the inhabitants of southern Spain to reject Philip (the Bourbon Claimant to the Spanish throne).
The capture began on 1 August when Rooke deployed his naval forces around Gibraltar and Hesse landed a party on the isthmus to cut off the Rock from the mainland. Hesse summoned the Governor of Gibraltar, Don Diego de Salinas, to surrender in the name of Charles III. Don Diego refused, pledging the loyalty of his garrison to Philip and on August 2 sent back a defiant reply. The rest of the day was spent in Rooke manoeuvring his forces for the assault. Following a heavy naval bombardment on 2 August, marines launched a pincer attack on the town on August 3. Gibraltar's defenders although well stocked with food and ammunition were heavily outnumbered and outgunned. The position was clearly untenable and in the morning the Spanish governor surrendered.
Senior officers did their utmost to impose discipline but lost control and in the days following the capture sailors and marines ran amok. The marines and sailors of Rooke's forces were contemptuous of Spaniards, hated "Popery" and were extremely addicted to alcohol. As noted by one author "One has but to read the books left to us by the sailors to realize the peculiar horror of the life between-decks. Cooped up there, like sardines in a tin, were several hundreds of men, gathered by force and kept together by brutality. A lower-deck was the home of every vice, every baseness and every misery". Once the wine stores were broken into discipline broke down and there was extensive looting, catholic churches were ransacked, religous artefacts destroyed and there were instances of rape. The angry inhabitants took reprisals, killing Englishmen and Dutchmen and throwing the bodies into wells and cesspits.
Order was eventually restored with brutal discipline, the sailors returned to their ships, the marines confined to the citadel and several of the drunken rioters hanged as examples to others. Although the terms of surrender guaranteed religious freedoms and property rights, when the garrison left on 7 August almost the entire population chose to join them. A number of factors are cited for the exodus of the population, in a letter to Philip the city fathers cited their continued loyalty to Philip. A counter attack to retake the rock was expected, which would enable the population to quickly return to their homes and rebuild their lives after the violence following the capture. Many thus resettled nearby in the ruins of Algeciras or around the old hermitage at San Roque at the head of the bay.
The conduct of the allies during the capture aroused great anger in Spain and once again the chance of winning over Andalusians to the cause of the Grand Alliance was lost. Prince George was the first to complain, which was resented by Byng who had led the fighting and who in turn blamed the Prince and his few Spanish or Catalan supporters. Rooke complained in a letter home that the Spaniards were so exasperated against the Allies that ‘they use the prisoners they take as barbarously as the Moors’.
The initial intentions of the allies envisaged a Portuguese garrison, allowing the forces used in the capture to be used in the conquest of Spain for the Hapsburg cause. However, Gibraltar was shortly thereafter besieged and attempts to install the Portuguese garrison were foiled by the French blockade. The only forces that succeeded in running the blockade to re-inforced the allied garrison were British. Prince George dedicated himself to organaising the defence of the garrison with the resources at his disposal. In early September a Franco-Spanish army arrived outside Gibraltar and prepared for a siege which they commenced on 9 October. Some seven thousand French and Spanish soldiers, aided by refugees from Gibraltar, were pitted against a force of around 2,500 defenders consisting of English and Dutch marines and Spaniards loyal to Charles. They were aided from late October by a naval squadron under Admiral Sir John Leake. A further 2,200 English and Dutch reinforcements arrived by sea with fresh supplies of food and ammunition in December 1704. With morale falling in the Franco-Spanish camp amid desertions and sickness, Louis XIV despatched Marshal de Tessé to take command in February 1705. A Franco-Spanish assault was beaten back with heavy casualties and on 31 March de Tessé gave up the siege.
For the remainder of the war, Gibraltar was somewhat of a backwater playing no signficant role other than supplying the forces of the Grand Alliance. Prince George left Gibraltar to continue fighting on behalf of the Hapsburg cause in Spain, appointing Nugent as the first Hapsburg governor followed later by an englishman, Shrimpton. Gibraltar remained nominally a possession of Charles of Austria but gradually began to be ruled as a British possession held by English troops and at English cost but in the name of Charles III. In 1711, the British Government tired of the expense of the war began secret negotiations with the French and to negotiate the future possession of both Gibraltar and Minorca. Gibraltar was finally ceded in perpetuity with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
1st Summarised Text edit
Gibraltar was captured on 3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession by forces of the Grand Alliance. After abortive attempts to establish a foothold elsewhere, it was selected as it was poorly garrisoned, of strategic value and its was hoped to encourage the inhabitants of southern Spain to reject Philip (the Bourbon Claimant to the Spanish throne). Seeking to win over the population to Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant) orders were issued to respect the civilian population. Despite the best efforts of the officers to maintain control, discipline broke down and the men ran amok. Order was restored and the surrender agreement promised respect for property and religious rights but when the garrision left on 7 August almost the entire population chose to leave citing their continued loyalty to Philip. Several factors are cited in the decision to leave the violence during the capture, the influence of Catholic priests and the expectation of a counter attack. A subsequent siege failed to dislodge the Hapsburg forces and consequently the refugees settled around the hermitage of San Roque and Algeciras. In 1711, tired of the expense of the war the British and French Governments undertook secret negotiations leading to the cession of Gibraltar in perpetuity to the British by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
2nd summarised text edit
Gibraltar was captured on 3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession by forces of the Grand Alliance after abortive attempts to establish a foothold elsewhere. It was selected for its strategic value, weak garrison and to encourage Spaniards to reject Philip IV (the Bourbon Claimant) in favour of Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant). Ordered to respect the civilian population, officers tried to maintain control but discipline broke down and the men ran amok. Order was restored and the surrender agreement promised property and religious rights but when the garrision left on 7 August most of the population chose to leave citing loyalty to Philip. Several other factors influenced the decision; Catholic priests and the expectation of a counter attack. The violence ultimately proved disastrous for the Hapsburg cause. A subsequent siege failed to dislodge the Hapsburg forces and consequently the refugees settled around Algeciras and the hermitage of San Roque. In 1711, the British and French Governments undertook secret negotiations to end the war leading to the cession of Gibraltar in perpetuity to the British by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
3rd summarised text edit
The Grand Alliance captured Gibraltar on 3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession after abortive attempts elsewhere. It was selected for it's strategic value, weak garrison and to encourage the rejection of Philip IV (the Bourbon Claimant) in favour of Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant). Following orders to respect civilians, officers tried to maintain control but discipline broke down and the men ran amok. Although the surrender agreement promised property and religious rights and order was restored, when the garrision left on 7 August most of the population also left citing loyalty to Philip. Several factors influenced the decision including the expectation of a counter attack and the violence, which ultimately proved disastrous for the Hapsburg cause. The subequent siege failed to dislodge the Hapsburg forces and consequently the refugees settled around Algeciras and the hermitage of San Roque. In 1711, the British and French Governments started secret negotiations to end the war leading to the cession of Gibraltar to the British by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
4th summarised text edit
The Grand Alliance[1][2] captured Gibraltar on 3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession after abortive attempts elsewhere[3]. It was selected for it's strategic value, weak garrison and to encourage the rejection of Philip V (the Bourbon Claimant) in favour of Charles III (the Hapsburg claimant)[4]. Following orders to respect civilians[5], officers tried to maintain control but discipline broke down and the men[6] ran amok[7]. After order was restored[8][9], despite the surrender agreement promising property and religious rights[10], most of the population left with the garrision on 7 August citing loyalty to Philip[11]. Several factors influenced the decision including the expectation of a counter attack[12] and the violence[13] during the capture, which ultimately proved disastrous for the Hapsburg cause[7]. The subequent siege failed to dislodge the Hapsburg forces and the refugees settled around Algeciras and the hermitage of San Roque[14]. In 1711, the British and French Governments started secret negotiations to end the war leading to the cession of Gibraltar to the British by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713[15].
References edit
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 96. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011. Hesse's force, including the Dutch Marines and a detachment of Catalans, was just under two thousand strong
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 96. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011.The British units in the landing forces were: Fox's Marines ...the Royal Regiment of Marines...Sanderson's Marines...Villier's Marines
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 94. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011. As the fleet sailed north toward Toulon, Hesse persuaded Rooke to attempt raising Barcelona in the archduke's cause by landing troops there
- ^ William Godfrey Fothergill
Jackson (1990). /books?id=zmKTPwAACAAJ The Rock of the Gibraltarians: A History of Gibraltar. Gibraltar Books. p. 94. ISBN 9780948466144. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
Consideration was given to what other project might be undertaken by Rooke's powerful fleet of fifty-two English and ten Dutch ships of the line. In the debate, three reasons were given for selecting Gibraltar as the target: the place was indifferently garrisoned; its posession would be of great value during the war; and its capture would encourage the Spaniards in southern Spain to declare in favour of the Hapsburgs.
{{cite book}}: Check|url=value (help); line feed character in|author=at position 27 (help) - ^ George Hills (1974). Rock of contention: a history of Gibraltar. Hale. p. 165. Retrieved 7 April 2011.Ormonde issued a proclamation. "They were come not to invade or conquer any part of Spain or to make any acquisitions for Her Majesty Queen Anne...but rather to deliver Spaniards from the mean subjection into which a small and corrupt party of men have brought them by delivering up that former glorious monarchy to the dominion of the perpetual enemies of it, the French" He laid particular stress on the respect that was to be shown to priests and nuns - "We have already ordered under pain of death of officers and soldiers under out command not to molest any person of what rank or quality so ever in the exercise of their religion in any manner whatsoever.
- ^ G. T. Garratt (March 2007). Gibraltar and the Mediterranean. Lightning Source Inc. p. 44. ISBN 9781406708509. Retrieved 7 April 2011.One has but to read the books left to us by the sailors to realize the peculiar horror of the life between-decks. Cooped up there, like sardines in a tin, were several hundreds of men, gathered by force and kept together by brutality. A lower-deck was the home of every vice, every baseness and every misery
- ^ a b David Francis (1 April 1975). The First Peninsular War: Seventeen-Two to Seventeen-Thirteen. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115. ISBN 9780312292607. Retrieved 7 April 2011.But some of the sailors, before they could be recalled to their ships broke loose in the town and plundered the inhabitants Cite error: The named reference "Francis1975" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ George Hills (1974). Rock of contention: a history of Gibraltar. Hale. p. 175. Retrieved 7 April 2011."Great disorders", he found, "had been committed by the boats crews that came on shore and marines; but the General Officers took great care to prevent them, by continually patrolling with their sergeants, and sending them on board thier ships and punishing the marines
- ^ Allen Andrews (1958). Proud fortress; the fighting story of Gibraltar. Evans. p. 35. Retrieved 7 April 2011.a few of them hanged as rioters after the sacking. One Englishman had to throw dice with a Dutchmand to determine who should hang pour encourager les autres. They stood under the gallows an diced on a drum. The Englishman threw nine to the Dutchman's ten, and suffered execution before his mates.
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011. Article V promised freedom of religion and full civil rights
- ^ Frederick Sayer (1862). The history of Gibraltar and of its political relation to events in Europe. Saunders. p. 115. Retrieved 4 February 2011.Letter Of The Authorities To King Philip V. 115 Sire, The loyalty with which this city has served all the preceding kings, as well as your Majesty, has ever been notorious to them. In this last event, not less than on other occasions, it has endeavoured to exhibit its fidelity at the price of lives and property, which many of the inhabitants have lost in the combat; and with great honour and pleasure did they sacrifice themselves in defence of your Majesty, who may rest well assured that we who have survived (for our misfortune), had we experienced a similar fate, would have died with glory, and would not now suffer the great grief and distress of seeing your Majesty, our lord and master, dispossessed of so loyal a city. Subjects, but courageous as such, we will submit to no other government than that of your Catholic Majesty, in whose defence and service we shall pass the remainder of our lives; departing from this fortress, where, on account of the superior force of the enemy who attacked it, and the fatal chance of our not having any garrison for its defence, except a few poor and raw peasants, amounting to less than 300, we have not been able to resist the assault, as your Majesty must have already learnt from the governor or others. Our just grief allows us to notice no other fact for the information of your Majesty, but that all the inhabitants, and each singly, fulfilled their duties in their several stations; and our governor and alcalde have worked with the greatest zeal and activity, without allowing the horrors of the incessant cannonading to deter them from their duties, to which they attended personally, encouraging all with great devotion. May Divine Providence guard the royal person of your Majesty, Gibraltar, August 5th (N. S.), 1704.
- ^ David Francis (1 April 1975). The First Peninsular War: Seventeen-Two to Seventeen-Thirteen. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115. ISBN 9780312292607. Retrieved 7 April 2011. ...plundered the inhabitants. Partly on account of this, partly because they expected Gibraltar to be retaken soon, all the inhabitants except a very few...chose to leave
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. pp. 99–100. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011. Although Article V promised freedom or religion and full civil rights to all Spaniards who wished to stay in Hapsburg Gibraltar, few decided to run the risk of remaining in the town. Fortresses changed hands quite frequently in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The English hold on Gibraltar might be only temporary. When the fortunes of war changed, the Spanish citizens would be able to re-occupy their property and rebuild their lives. ... Hesse's and Rooke's senior officers did their utmost to impose discipline, but the inhabitants worst fears were confirmed: women were insulted and outraged; Roman Catholic churches and institutions were taken over as stores and for other military purposes ...; and the whole town suffered at the hands of the ship's crew and marines who came ashore. Many body reprisals were taken by inhabitants before they left, bodies of murdered Englishmen and Dutchmen being thrown down wells and cesspits. By the time discipline was fully restored, few of the inhabitants wished or dared to remain.
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
- ^ Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987). The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar. Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 113. ISBN 9780838632376. Retrieved 7 April 2011.