Great Siege of Gibraltar

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict = Great Siege of Gibraltar
partof = the American War of Independence


caption = "The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782", by John Singleton Copley
date = June 24, 1779 - February 7, 1783
place = Gibraltar
territory =
result = Decisive British victory
combatant1 = flagicon|United Kingdom|1606 Kingdom of Great Britain
combatant2 = Spain flagicon|France|royal France
commander1 = George Augustus Eliott
commander2 = Duc de Crillon
strength1 = 5,500 to 7,000 men; 96 guns
strength2 = 40,000 men; 246 guns
casualties1 = 333 killed
911 wounded
536 died from disease
casualties2 = 5,000 killed, wounded, captured, and missing (September 13th 1782 assault)
notes =The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence.

Background

In June of 1779, Spain declared war on Great Britain, France having done so the year before. The French and Spanish not only wished to retrieve lost territory from Britain but needed to secure Gibraltar, which was a key link in Britain's control of the Mediterranean sea.cite web|url=http://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/gibraltar.php?&dx=1&ob=3|title=The Great Siege of Gibraltar|publisher=The Keep Military Museum|accessdate=2007-08-06]

Overview

In July of 1779, the military forces of both France and Spain laid siege to the British garrison at Gibraltar. The British forces, led by George Augustus Eliott, 1st Baron Heathfield, suffered bombardment and blockade for more than three years. The most serious engagement of the siege took place on September 13, 1782 when a combined Franco-Spanish assault involving 100,000 men and 48 ships attacked the British. The garrison survived this assault.

Aftermath

Finally, in February of 1783 the siege was lifted. George Augustus Eliott was awarded the Knight of the Bath and was created 1st Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar. The Treaties of Versailles reaffirmed previous treaties.

The Great Siege in Popular culture

Music

In 1782 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed "" a piece of music commemorating the Great Siege.cite web|url=http://www.marksanchez.info/musicianslist.html|title=List of musicians connected to Gibraltar|publisher=Mark Sanchez|accessdate=2007-08-05] Mozart was known to have a favourable view of the British.cite web|url=http://www.thegibraltarmagazine.com/mozart_tribute.html|title=Mozart's Tribute to Gibraltar|publisher=The Gibraltar Magazine|accessdate=2007-08-05]

Paintings

The 1783 painting, "The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782", was a work by an American artist John Singleton Copley which depicted the event. [cite web|url=http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/collage/app;jsessionid=28567CC810E31C8EDE1D0C4B4E932523?service=external/FullScreenImage&sp=I%3Acanvas%3A%3A&sp=8346&sp=X&sp=2|title=Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar|publisher=Collage|accessdate=2007-07-30] A 1789 work by American painter John Trumbull, "The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar, 1789", covered the 1781 raid made by the garrison against the besiegers. cite web|url=http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/trumbull.html|title=The Sortie Made by the Garrison of Gibraltar, 1789|publisher=Acquired Tastes-Trumbull|accessdate=2007-08-06]

References

*cite book |last=Bond |first=Peter |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=300 Years of British Gibraltar 1704-2004 |origdate= |origyear=2003 |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate=2007-07-30 |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition=1st Edition |series= |date= |year= |month= |publisher=Peter-Tan Publishing Co. |location=Gibraltar |language=English |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=pages 28-29 |chapter=Gibraltar's Finest Hour The Great Siege 1779-1783 |chapterurl= |quote=

Further reading

*cite book |last=Chartrand |first=René |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others=Patrice Courcelle |title=Gibraltar 1779–1783: The Great Siege |origdate= |origyear=2006 |origmonth=July| url=http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S9770 |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition=1st Edition |series= |date= |year= |month= |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Gibraltar |language=English |isbn=9781841769776 |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote=