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Today in History - 15th August

15th August 1704 - England captures Gibraltar from Spain

321 years ago today, the rock of Gibraltar was captured by Anglo-Dutch forces, after a 4-day-long battle with Spanish troops. Gibraltar was subsequently occupied by England, before being formally ceded to the newly established Kingdom of Great Britain in 1713, as part of the Treaty of Utrecht, which brought the War of the Spanish Succession to an end.

The war began in 1701, and saw the 'Grand Alliance' of England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Portugal, fight to prevent the Spanish throne passing on to Phillip of Anjou, a member of France's ruling House of Bourbon, with it being feared that such a strong Franco-Spanish alliance would threaten the balance of power in Europe.

3 years into the war, the Grand Alliance had seen limited success in its campaigns in Spain, and thus plotted to capture Gibraltar to compensate for its failings. The small town in the very south of the Iberian Peninsula was seen as a valuable target due to its strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, the entry point of the Mediterranean Sea.

English and Dutch troops landed at Gibraltar on the 12th August, and a battle ensued. Roughly 100 soldiers died on each side, and on the 14th August the Spanish garrison surrendered. The following day, the invading troops took control of the rock; whilst they claimed it in the name of Archduke Charles of Austria, real power over Gibraltar belonged to the English. England maintained control over it for another 9 years (during which it united with Scotland to form Great Britain), and as part of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Spain formally ceded the territory. Gibraltar remains under British control to this day.

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