Invasion of Algiers (1775): Difference between revisions
Omar-Toons (talk | contribs) back to consensual non-vandalised/neutral version |
m Undid revision 442395254 by Omar-Toons (talksourced modification, please use and see the talk page ) |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Other uses|Battle of Algiers (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Algiers}} |
{{Other uses|Battle of Algiers (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Algiers}} |
||
{{Infobox |
{{Infobox military conflict |
||
|conflict=Invasion of Algiers |
|conflict=Invasion of Algiers |
||
|partof=[[Spanish-Algerian War 1775-85]] |
|partof=[[Spanish-Algerian War 1775-85]] |
||
|image= |
|image= |
||
|caption= |
|caption= |
||
|date=8 July 1775 |
|date=8 July 1775 |
||
|place=[[Algiers]], |
|place=[[Algiers]], [[Algeria]] |
||
|result=Decisive |
|result=Decisive{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} Ottoman-Algerian victory |
||
|combatant1={{flagicon|Spain|1748}} [[Kingdom of Spain]]<br>{{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] |
|combatant1={{flagicon|Spain|1748}} [[Kingdom of Spain]]<br>{{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] |
||
|combatant2= |
|combatant2=[[File:Dz.flag.gif|22px]]<ref>http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/dz_1776.html</ref> [[Ottoman Algeria]]<br>[[Image:Flag_of_Morocco_1666_1915.svg|22px]] [[Morocco|Sultanate of Morocco]] |
||
|commander1={{flagicon|Spain|1748}} [[Alejandro O'Reilly]]<br>{{flagicon|Spain|1748}} Don [[Pedro Gonzalez de Castejon]]<br>{{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet]] |
|commander1={{flagicon|Spain|1748}} [[Alejandro O'Reilly]]<br>{{flagicon|Spain|1748}} Don [[Pedro Gonzalez de Castejon]]<br>{{flagicon|Tuscany|habsburg}} [[Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet]] |
||
|commander2=[[Image:Flag_of_Morocco_1666_1915.svg|22px]] [[Mohammed ben Abdallah]] |
|commander2=[[Image:Flag_of_Morocco_1666_1915.svg|22px]] [[Mohammed ben Abdallah]]<br>[[File:Dz.flag.gif|22px]] [[Dey of Algiers]] |
||
|strength1=20,000 soldiers, sailors and marines<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref><br>50 warships<br>230 transports.<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref> |
|strength1=20,000 soldiers, sailors and marines<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref><br>50 warships<br>230 transports.<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref> |
||
|strength2=20,000 - 30,000 |
|strength2=20,000 - 30,000 |
||
|casualties1=500<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref>-800 killed<ref>Houtsma p. 259</ref> <br>2,000 wounded<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref><br>2,000 prisoners<ref>Wolf p. 322</ref> |
|casualties1=500<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref>-800 killed<ref>Houtsma p. 259</ref> <br>2,000 wounded<ref>Jaques p. 34</ref><br>2,000 prisoners<ref>Wolf p. 322</ref> |
||
|casualties2=Unknown |
|casualties2=Unknown |
||
|}} |
|}} |
||
{{Campaignbox Spanish-Barbary battles of the 18th century}} |
{{Campaignbox Spanish-Barbary battles of the 18th century}} |
||
The '''Invasion of Algiers''' was a massive amphibious attempt in July 1775 by the Spanish to seize the city of [[Algiers]] |
The '''Invasion of Algiers''' was a massive amphibious attempt in July 1775 by the Spanish to seize the city of [[Algiers]] that was the capital of [[Ottoman Algeria]], and its enclaves responding to a Moroccan [[Siege of Melilla (1774)|siege of the Spanish possession of Meilila]] by [[Mohammed ben Abdallah|Sultan Mohammed III]] a year previously. [[Charles III of Spain|King Charles III]] ordered an invasion of Algiers led by [[Alexander O'Reilly]], who commanded a combined military and naval expedition of nearly fifty ships and more than twenty thousand troops. The assault was a spectacular failure and the campaign proved a humiliating blow to the Spanish military revival, and it further empowered the Moroccan [[sultanate]]. |
||
==Background== |
==Background== |
||
After the Spanish had broken the Moroccan siege of Melila in 1774 Charles's government decided to send a military and naval expedition off the North African coast, as he was determined to demonstrate to the Sultan Mohammed III that Spain would not waver in its resolve to hold onto its Moroccan enclaves. The Spanish objective was to occupy Algiers; a key and supposedly vulnerable |
After the Spanish had broken the Moroccan siege of Melila in 1774 Charles's government decided to send a military and naval expedition off the North African coast, as he was determined to demonstrate to the Sultan Mohammed III that Spain would not waver in its resolve to hold onto its Moroccan enclaves. The Spanish objective was to occupy Algiers; a key and supposedly vulnerable Algerian port. The expedition was commanded by Alexander O'Reilly, an Irish officer who at a young age had entered Spanish military service. As head of the royal household guard in 1765, he had protected Charles III from a deadly assault and had crushed the rebellion by French settlers in the [[Louisiana Rebellion of 1768]] after the territory had been transferred from France to Spain in 1763. In command of the naval task force was Don [[Pedro Gonzalez de Castejon]] with and together they organized a task force by late spring.<ref>Powell pg 886</ref> |
||
==Assault== |
==Assault== |
||
Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
[[File:Sirjohnacton.jpg|thumb|180px|Portrait of Sir John Acton, attributed to Emanuele Napoli.]] |
[[File:Sirjohnacton.jpg|thumb|180px|Portrait of Sir John Acton, attributed to Emanuele Napoli.]] |
||
By now the Spanish had realized the position they were in and the trap was set by the Algerines. Once the Spanish had realised they were surrounded it was too late<ref>Houtsma p. 259</ref> Unable to hold a line of resistance, the Spanish forces were routed, returning in chaos to their ships. The losses were huge; nearly 3,000 casualties, including five generals killed and fifteen wounded (one of these being [[Bernado de Galvez]]) and then abandoning to the Algerians no fewer than 15 guns and some 9000 other weapons.<ref>Wolf p. 322</ref> [[Henry Swinburne]] records that the Spanish would have been "broken and slaughtered to a man... had not Mr. Acton, the Tuscan commander, cut his cables, and let his ships drive in to shore just as the enemy was coming on us full gallop."<ref>Travels through Spain, in the years 1775 and 1776, Volume 1, Pages 61-62, By Henry Swinburne, Published 1787</ref> The Spanish had lost many prisoners as many were cut off from returning to their ships O'Reilly had to wait for a month to negotiate their return. He then wanted to retaliate by bombarding Algiers from the sea, but he learned that he had only enough provisions on board to last for an immediate return to Spain. O'Reilly and the Spanish fleet withdrew to [[Alicante]] with it his reputation was now in tatters. |
By now the Spanish had realized the position they were in and the trap was set by the Algerines. Once the Spanish had realised they were surrounded it was too late<ref>Houtsma p. 259</ref> Unable to hold a line of resistance, the Spanish forces were routed, returning in chaos to their ships. The losses were huge; nearly 3,000 casualties, including five generals killed and fifteen wounded (one of these being [[Bernado de Galvez]]) and then abandoning to the Algerians no fewer than 15 guns and some 9000 other weapons.<ref>Wolf p. 322</ref> [[Henry Swinburne]] records that the Spanish would have been "broken and slaughtered to a man... had not Mr. Acton, the Tuscan commander, cut his cables, and let his ships drive in to shore just as the enemy was coming on us full gallop."<ref>Travels through Spain, in the years 1775 and 1776, Volume 1, Pages 61-62, By Henry Swinburne, Published 1787</ref> The Spanish had lost many prisoners as many were cut off from returning to their ships O'Reilly had to wait for a month to negotiate their return. He then wanted to retaliate by bombarding Algiers from the sea, but he learned that he had only enough provisions on board to last for an immediate return to Spain. O'Reilly and the Spanish fleet withdrew to [[Alicante]] with it his reputation was now in tatters. |
||
==Aftermath== |
==Aftermath== |
||
Line 37: | Line 37: | ||
Further changes occurred when Charles appointed the [[Count of Floridablanca]] as his foreign minister in 1777. Supervising Spain's foreign affairs for fifteen years, Floridablanca became one of the most effective and respected of Bourbon public servants. Despite the Algiers invasion, in 1780 Spain and Morocco signed a treaty of friendship at the [[Treaty of Aranjuez (1780)|Peace of Aranjuez]] in 1780. Mohammed III recognized that his own interests in Algeria would move forward only if he had Spanish support.<ref>Powell pg 886</ref> In 1785, the sultan demonstrated the extent of his influence in Algiers by sponsoring a treaty between Spain and Algeria after the Spanish attempted twice to bombard Algiers of which were also met with defeat.<ref>Wolf p. 323-4</ref> The tensions Spain had chronically encountered along the Barbary Coast were reduced. It was now left for European nations to deal with the Barbary pirates and prevention of slavery in particular the [[Bombardment of Algiers (1816)|bombardment of Algiers]] in 1816 by the Royal Navy and Dutch fleet and then when it was vaporized when France [[French conquest of Algeria|finally conquered Algeria]] in the 1830's. |
Further changes occurred when Charles appointed the [[Count of Floridablanca]] as his foreign minister in 1777. Supervising Spain's foreign affairs for fifteen years, Floridablanca became one of the most effective and respected of Bourbon public servants. Despite the Algiers invasion, in 1780 Spain and Morocco signed a treaty of friendship at the [[Treaty of Aranjuez (1780)|Peace of Aranjuez]] in 1780. Mohammed III recognized that his own interests in Algeria would move forward only if he had Spanish support.<ref>Powell pg 886</ref> In 1785, the sultan demonstrated the extent of his influence in Algiers by sponsoring a treaty between Spain and Algeria after the Spanish attempted twice to bombard Algiers of which were also met with defeat.<ref>Wolf p. 323-4</ref> The tensions Spain had chronically encountered along the Barbary Coast were reduced. It was now left for European nations to deal with the Barbary pirates and prevention of slavery in particular the [[Bombardment of Algiers (1816)|bombardment of Algiers]] in 1816 by the Royal Navy and Dutch fleet and then when it was vaporized when France [[French conquest of Algeria|finally conquered Algeria]] in the 1830's. |
||
==Notes== |
==Notes== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
||
Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
*{{Cite book |last=Jaques |first=Tony |title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E |location= |publisher=Greenwood |year=2006 |isbn=9780313335365 }} |
*{{Cite book |last=Jaques |first=Tony |title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E |location= |publisher=Greenwood |year=2006 |isbn=9780313335365 }} |
||
*{{Cite book |last=Houtsma |first=M. Th |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GEl6N2tQeawC&pg=PA259&lpg=PA259 |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam }} |
*{{Cite book |last=Houtsma |first=M. Th |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GEl6N2tQeawC&pg=PA259&lpg=PA259 |title=Encyclopaedia of Islam }} |
||
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2011}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Algiers}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Algiers}} |
Revision as of 20:06, 31 July 2011
Invasion of Algiers | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Spanish-Algerian War 1775-85 | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
20,000 soldiers, sailors and marines[2] 50 warships 230 transports.[3] | 20,000 - 30,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
500[4]-800 killed[5] 2,000 wounded[6] 2,000 prisoners[7] | Unknown |
The Invasion of Algiers was a massive amphibious attempt in July 1775 by the Spanish to seize the city of Algiers that was the capital of Ottoman Algeria, and its enclaves responding to a Moroccan siege of the Spanish possession of Meilila by Sultan Mohammed III a year previously. King Charles III ordered an invasion of Algiers led by Alexander O'Reilly, who commanded a combined military and naval expedition of nearly fifty ships and more than twenty thousand troops. The assault was a spectacular failure and the campaign proved a humiliating blow to the Spanish military revival, and it further empowered the Moroccan sultanate.
Background
After the Spanish had broken the Moroccan siege of Melila in 1774 Charles's government decided to send a military and naval expedition off the North African coast, as he was determined to demonstrate to the Sultan Mohammed III that Spain would not waver in its resolve to hold onto its Moroccan enclaves. The Spanish objective was to occupy Algiers; a key and supposedly vulnerable Algerian port. The expedition was commanded by Alexander O'Reilly, an Irish officer who at a young age had entered Spanish military service. As head of the royal household guard in 1765, he had protected Charles III from a deadly assault and had crushed the rebellion by French settlers in the Louisiana Rebellion of 1768 after the territory had been transferred from France to Spain in 1763. In command of the naval task force was Don Pedro Gonzalez de Castejon with and together they organized a task force by late spring.[8]
Assault
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Alejandro_O%27Reilly_by_Francisco_Jos%C3%A9_de_Goya.jpg/180px-Alejandro_O%27Reilly_by_Francisco_Jos%C3%A9_de_Goya.jpg)
By now in June the task force was enormous; Seven ships of the line of which included San Francisco de Paula, Oriente, San Rafael, Diligente and San José. Then in addition twelve frigates, 27 gun boats, five hulks, nine feluccas, four mortar boats, seven galleys and three other vessels along with 230 transports. 20,000 Soldiers sailors and marines completed the complement and it set course from Cartagena, Spain for the Bay of Algiers, reaching its objective by the beginning of July.[9]
The Spanish troops landed in two waves, overwhelmed by sweltering summer heat. Antonio Barceló protected the landing craft as it approached but with the bays shallow water he stuck to the coast as close as possible so that the naval artillery was more effective. Despite the strict instruction that O'Reilly instilled in his troops, the Spanish mistakenly chose the landing area and the heavy guns were stuck fast in the dunes of the beach making them totally unusable for combat. Once ashore however the Spanish were met initially with light resistance mainly because a feigned retreat by the forces from Algiers. The latter had been massively augmented by warrior tribesmen from the interior, who had been alerted by intelligence from Berbar merchants in Marseilles who had followed the course of Spanish military preparations during the spring.[10]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Sirjohnacton.jpg/180px-Sirjohnacton.jpg)
By now the Spanish had realized the position they were in and the trap was set by the Algerines. Once the Spanish had realised they were surrounded it was too late[11] Unable to hold a line of resistance, the Spanish forces were routed, returning in chaos to their ships. The losses were huge; nearly 3,000 casualties, including five generals killed and fifteen wounded (one of these being Bernado de Galvez) and then abandoning to the Algerians no fewer than 15 guns and some 9000 other weapons.[12] Henry Swinburne records that the Spanish would have been "broken and slaughtered to a man... had not Mr. Acton, the Tuscan commander, cut his cables, and let his ships drive in to shore just as the enemy was coming on us full gallop."[13] The Spanish had lost many prisoners as many were cut off from returning to their ships O'Reilly had to wait for a month to negotiate their return. He then wanted to retaliate by bombarding Algiers from the sea, but he learned that he had only enough provisions on board to last for an immediate return to Spain. O'Reilly and the Spanish fleet withdrew to Alicante with it his reputation was now in tatters.
Aftermath
Although in general Charles III's reforms of the Spanish military would enhance his country's military position, O'Reilly's poor preparations and leadership made the Algiers defeat a mockery of the Spanish army. While the Algerines had detailed intelligence on the Spanish, the Spaniards had no information about them. Where Spain had mostly raw recruits, the Algerians had veteran warriors. The Algerians confronted the Spanish with a united force, whereas O'Reilly and the commander of the Spanish ships had many differences in particular between the navy and the army. This bitterness resulted in an extraordinary lack of planning, which in turn left O'Reilly with inadequate provisions and armaments. O'Reilly proved incapable of coordinating the varied elements of his forces. Popular discontent over the humiliating defeat at Algiers forced Charles to save his commander's life by spiriting him away to remote commands.[14]
Further changes occurred when Charles appointed the Count of Floridablanca as his foreign minister in 1777. Supervising Spain's foreign affairs for fifteen years, Floridablanca became one of the most effective and respected of Bourbon public servants. Despite the Algiers invasion, in 1780 Spain and Morocco signed a treaty of friendship at the Peace of Aranjuez in 1780. Mohammed III recognized that his own interests in Algeria would move forward only if he had Spanish support.[15] In 1785, the sultan demonstrated the extent of his influence in Algiers by sponsoring a treaty between Spain and Algeria after the Spanish attempted twice to bombard Algiers of which were also met with defeat.[16] The tensions Spain had chronically encountered along the Barbary Coast were reduced. It was now left for European nations to deal with the Barbary pirates and prevention of slavery in particular the bombardment of Algiers in 1816 by the Royal Navy and Dutch fleet and then when it was vaporized when France finally conquered Algeria in the 1830's.
Notes
- ^ http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/dz_1776.html
- ^ Jaques p. 34
- ^ Jaques p. 34
- ^ Jaques p. 34
- ^ Houtsma p. 259
- ^ Jaques p. 34
- ^ Wolf p. 322
- ^ Powell pg 886
- ^ Jaques p. 34
- ^ Powell pg 886
- ^ Houtsma p. 259
- ^ Wolf p. 322
- ^ Travels through Spain, in the years 1775 and 1776, Volume 1, Pages 61-62, By Henry Swinburne, Published 1787
- ^ Powell pg 886
- ^ Powell pg 886
- ^ Wolf p. 323-4
Bibliography
- Hull, Anthony H. (1980). Charles III and the Revival of Spain. University Press of America.
- Powell, John (2006). Great Events from History: The 18th Century 1701-1800. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. ISBN 9781587652790.
- Wolf, John B. (1979). The Barbary Coast: Algiers Under the Turks, 1500 to 1830. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0393012050.
- Jaques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E. Greenwood. ISBN 9780313335365.
- Houtsma, M. Th. Encyclopaedia of Islam.