Spanish expedition to Sardinia
Encyclopedia
The Spanish conquest of Sardinia took place between the months of August and November 1717. It was the first military action between the Kingdom of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire
after the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701–1714), and was the direct cause of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
(1718–1720). The Spanish troops commanded by the Marquis of Lede
and Don José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar, supported by the Spanish fleet, defeated the Emperor's troops easily, and conquered the entire island of Sardinia
, which had been ruled by the Emperor since the Treaty of Utrecht
(1713), returning it again and for the final time to Spain.
and the Low Countries
. The Spanish Netherlands, the Duchy of Milan
, the Kingdom of Naples
and Sardinia were given to Austria
, while Sicily
to the Duke of Savoy. These territories had been under Spanish rule for nearly two centuries, and their loss was perceived as a great blow to the country in both practical and prestige terms.
In 1717, with the rise of Spain as an important military power again, and the ambitions of the King Philip V of Spain
to regain the Spanish supremacy in Italy and the Mediterranean, the rest of the European powers, Great Britain
, France
and Austria, to strengthen the Treaty of Utrecht
, contemplated ceding Sicily
to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, but this arrangement displeased Spain, who wanted to recover the island. With this background, and the arrest in Milan
from Spanish Grand Inquisitor, Jose Molina, by the Austrians, Philip V obtained the pretext he sought. In July, the King of Spain, ordered to the Spanish fleet, prepared in Barcelona
, conquer Sardinia, initiating hostilities with Austria.
, 6 frigate
s, 3 galleys, 2 fireships and 80 transport and merchant ships, and the troops, were composed by 8,500 infantry and 500 cavalry commanded by Don Juan Francisco de Bette, Marquis of Lede
.
On 22 August, the Spanish forces landed in Sardinia, and in just two months reconquered the whole island, whose defenses were commanded by the Marquis of Rubi. The quick victory was mainly due to the psychological action of the Marquis of San Felipe, who toured the island by encouraging its inhabitants, who were not happy with the Austrian dominion, preferring to return under the Spanish rule. Only the strengths of Alghero
, Aragonese Castle
in the Ischia Island
, and of the important city of Cagliari
resisted, but soon the Austrian troops in Cagliari commanded by Rubi, in the absence of reinforcements, decided to flee to the north of the island, and on 4 October, the Spanish troops took the city. A few days later, on 19 October, the bulk of the Spanish troops led by the Marquis of Lede and the Duke of Montemar laid siege to Alghero, and finally capitulated on 25 October. The last place fell to 30 October, and the Spanish victory was complete.
The initial Austrian reaction to this invasion was limited, because Austria had put all their resources on Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18
, and the Austrian supreme commander, Prince Eugene of Savoy
, wanted to avoid a great war in Italy with Spain. The Treaty of Passarowitz
ended the war between the Ottoman Empire
and Austria, and on 2 August, this led to the formation of the Quadruple Alliance
.
Meanwhile, in July, 1718, the Spaniards, this time with 30,000 men, including four regiments of Dragoons, again led by the Marquis of Lede, and a fleet of 350 ships, and over 250 pieces of artillery, invaded Sicily
. The Spanish forces captured Palermo
on 7 July, and then divided their army in two. De Lede followed the coast to besiege Messina between 18 July and 30 September, while the Duke of Montemar conquered the rest of the island.
The French, Austrians, and British demanded the Spanish withdrawal from Sicily and Sardinia. The attitude of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy was ambiguous, as he accepted to negotiate with the Spanish Prime Minister, Cardinal Alberoni, to form an anti-Austrian alliance.
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
after the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1701–1714), and was the direct cause of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
War of the Quadruple Alliance
The War of the Quadruple Alliance was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and his chief minister Giulio Alberoni to retake territories in Italy and to claim the French throne. It saw the defeat of Spain by an alliance of Britain, France, Austria , and...
(1718–1720). The Spanish troops commanded by the Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, 3rd Marquis of Lede was a Belgian military commander in Spanish service. He was also lord of the Fiefdom of Lede in Flanders.-Biography:...
and Don José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar, supported by the Spanish fleet, defeated the Emperor's troops easily, and conquered the entire island of Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, which had been ruled by the Emperor since the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
(1713), returning it again and for the final time to Spain.
Background
After the War of the Spanish Succession, with the Treaty of Utrecht, Spain lost all its possessions in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. The Spanish Netherlands, the Duchy of Milan
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
, the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
and Sardinia were given to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, while Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
to the Duke of Savoy. These territories had been under Spanish rule for nearly two centuries, and their loss was perceived as a great blow to the country in both practical and prestige terms.
In 1717, with the rise of Spain as an important military power again, and the ambitions of the King Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
to regain the Spanish supremacy in Italy and the Mediterranean, the rest of the European powers, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Austria, to strengthen the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
, contemplated ceding Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, but this arrangement displeased Spain, who wanted to recover the island. With this background, and the arrest in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
from Spanish Grand Inquisitor, Jose Molina, by the Austrians, Philip V obtained the pretext he sought. In July, the King of Spain, ordered to the Spanish fleet, prepared in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, conquer Sardinia, initiating hostilities with Austria.
Spanish conquest of Sardinia
The bulk of the Spanish expedition sailed from the port of Barcelona on July 24, and on 30 July, sailed the rest of the fleet. The fleet, under the command of the Marquis de Mari, consisted of 9 ships of the lineShip of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
, 6 frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, 3 galleys, 2 fireships and 80 transport and merchant ships, and the troops, were composed by 8,500 infantry and 500 cavalry commanded by Don Juan Francisco de Bette, Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, Marquis of Lede
Jean François de Bette, 3rd Marquis of Lede was a Belgian military commander in Spanish service. He was also lord of the Fiefdom of Lede in Flanders.-Biography:...
.
Alghero
Alghero , is a town of about 44,000 inhabitants in Italy. It lies in the province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the sea.-History:The area of today's Alghero has been settled since pre-historic times...
, Aragonese Castle
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
in the Ischia Island
Ischia
Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has...
, and of the important city of Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
resisted, but soon the Austrian troops in Cagliari commanded by Rubi, in the absence of reinforcements, decided to flee to the north of the island, and on 4 October, the Spanish troops took the city. A few days later, on 19 October, the bulk of the Spanish troops led by the Marquis of Lede and the Duke of Montemar laid siege to Alghero, and finally capitulated on 25 October. The last place fell to 30 October, and the Spanish victory was complete.
Consequences
Austro-Turkish War of 1716-18
The Austro-Turkish War was fought between Austria and the Ottoman Empire.The Treaty of Karlowitz was not an acceptable long-standing agreement for the Ottoman Empire...
, and the Austrian supreme commander, Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
, wanted to avoid a great war in Italy with Spain. The Treaty of Passarowitz
Treaty of Passarowitz
The Treaty of Passarowitz or Treaty of Požarevac was the peace treaty signed in Požarevac , a town in Ottoman Empire , on 21 July 1718 between the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Republic of Venice on the other.During the years 1714-1718, the Ottomans had...
ended the war between the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Austria, and on 2 August, this led to the formation of the Quadruple Alliance
Quadruple Alliance
The term "Quadruple Alliance" refers to several historical military alliances; none of which remain in effect.# The Quadruple Alliance of August 1673 was an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Spain, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in...
.
Meanwhile, in July, 1718, the Spaniards, this time with 30,000 men, including four regiments of Dragoons, again led by the Marquis of Lede, and a fleet of 350 ships, and over 250 pieces of artillery, invaded Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. The Spanish forces captured Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
on 7 July, and then divided their army in two. De Lede followed the coast to besiege Messina between 18 July and 30 September, while the Duke of Montemar conquered the rest of the island.
The French, Austrians, and British demanded the Spanish withdrawal from Sicily and Sardinia. The attitude of Victor Amadeus II of Savoy was ambiguous, as he accepted to negotiate with the Spanish Prime Minister, Cardinal Alberoni, to form an anti-Austrian alliance.
See also
- Isabella Farnese
- List of viceroys of Sardinia
- List of viceroys of Sicily
- Triple AllianceTriple AllianceTriple Alliance may refer to:* Aztec Triple Alliance - Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan; better known as the Aztec Empire* Triple Alliance - England, France and the Dutch Republic...
- Quadruple AllianceQuadruple AllianceThe term "Quadruple Alliance" refers to several historical military alliances; none of which remain in effect.# The Quadruple Alliance of August 1673 was an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Spain, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in...