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After trouncing the French at Blenheim, the Allied forces followed up amazing success with more amazing success. The Anglo-Dutch Navy moved upon Gibraltar in the south of Spain. Spanish resistance was weak at best, and Gibraltar fell in 1704.
The Allied navies desired to extend influence into the Mediterranean basin, but previous attempts failed. After Vigo Bay, power shifted toward the Allied forces, and Portugal felt the strain. Portugal had previously been loosely allied with France, but never truly fought any battles. Yet, Portuguese ports were closed to the Allies. When naval supremacy shifted, Portugal soon realized that its shipping lanes were cut off. No food and especially no gold from Brazil were able to influx into Portugal. King Peter II capitulated and signed the Treaties of Methuan, which saved Portugal. The treaties allowed the Allies to stage in Portuguese ports, especially Lisbon. Portugal was promised Spanish territory in the event of an Allied victory. Portuguese diplomats negotiated financial aid as well, but the main concession was Charles III. To solidify any and all agreements the Portuguese wanted to see who the Allies were championing as the next King of Spain, Archduke Charles. Britain complied, and sailed Charles to Lisbon in 1704. Portugal celebrated the occasion with wild celebrations.
Franco-Spanish forces under Phillip V, the French champion, invaded Portugal almost immediately. Success came to the French quite handily; however, intense summer heat sent the Phillip back to Madrid in July 1704. Heat was no deterrent to the Allied navies, however. English Admiral Rooke moved from Lisbon southward toward Spain. Plan A was to unite with Victor Amadeus and coordinate a simultaneous attack on Toulon. Victor Amadeus could not make the plan work, because the French were heavily bombarding Turin in the late Spring/early Summer 1704. Admiral Rooke then attempted to capture Barcelona, but failed. Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt accompanied the planned siege, because he was well known and admired in Barcelona after a brief stint as the city’s governor following the Nine Years’ War. Prince George used his strong contacts to raise support, but the current Governor Velasco was onto Prince George’s plans. He effectively curtailed the rebellious faction. No major actions materialized, and the Fleet raised anchor by June 1, 1704.
France seemed to gain an upper hand amidst Allied impotence. A French fleet sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar and passed the slower English ships en route to Toulon. Upon arrival, the French linked with an existing fleet, and became known as the “Grand Fleet of France.” Admiral Rooke would or better yet could not risk fighting the numerically and logistically superior French. He turned back toward Gibraltar to wait for reinforcements, which did arrive three weeks later. Charles III and Peter II issued a desire to attack Cadiz a second time, after the failure two years earlier. Admiral Rooke and Prince George as well as the other Fleet commanders thought such a venture foolish, but wanted to please Charles and Peter. They offered the plan to take Gibraltar instead, and by July were venturing toward Gibraltar.
22 ships, 16 English and 6 Dutch arrayed themselves across Gibraltar Bay. English and Dutch Marines were to land after the initial naval bombardment, which operation was successfully carried out. Spain offered token resistance to the amphibious landing. The Marines then cut Gibraltar off from receiving any aid by land. Prince George sent word demanding the Spanish Governor, Don Diego, to surrender. Don Diego refused, but really did not have a force to refuse the Anglo-Dutch invasion. The Navy bombarded Gibraltar for six hours on August 3. When the command to cease fire was given, no opposition was discernable, and the landing ensued. A warning shot was sent into town, but was taken as a signal to resume bombardment. No one knows for certain, but as the landing party entered the fort at Gibraltar, the magazine exploded, either by booby-trap, or because the Allied Navy hit it amidst bombardment. Another possibility is that the gun matches used to fire muskets were lit as the party entered the fort. The invasion went into chaos, and seemed a failure until Captain Whitaker landed with reinforcements.
Whitaker’s reinforcements, Catalans, victoriously moved northward toward the town. They raised the Union flag, signifying that the invasion was complete. A few hundred seamen then came ashore, and forced Don Diego to surrender. Gibraltar’s capture was not Cadiz, yet it was gloriously celebrated as a momentous success. England was to keep Gibraltar as the war played out, and it still owns “The Rock” as it was ceded formally with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
Success bred success as the Allies went from success to further success, but gains did not lead to victory, not yet at least.
armchaircapitalist 