Siege of Melilla (1774)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Melilla was an attempt by the British-backed
Sultanate of Morocco
to capture the Spanish fortress of Melilla on the Moroccan Mediterranean coast
. Mohammed ben Abdallah, then Sultan of Morocco, invested Melilla in December 1774 with a large army of Royal Moroccan soldiers and Algeria
n merceneries. The city was defended by a small garrison under Irish
-born Governor Don Juan Sherlocke
until the siege was lifted by a relief fleet in March 1775.
in 1774 and began a bombardment of Melilla. Spanish troops resisted the attack over a period of 100 days, over which time some 12,000 projectiles were lobbed onto the city. A small garrison under Florencio Moreno likewise resisted the Sultan's army at Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
.
In 1775 war material from England en route to Melilla was intercepted and captured by the Spanish Navy
and Spanish sail approached the beleaguered city; at the same time the Turks
began to encroach on Morocco's eastern borders. Sherlocke began to break the siege, a situation exacerbated by the desertion of ben Abdallah's Algerians
. Melilla was relieved in March. The end of the siege is still commemorated as Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, "Our Lady of Victory."
With the Peace of Aranjuez
in 1780, Morocco recognized Spanish rule of Melilla in exchange for territorial concessions, ceded by Spain.
Anglo-Moroccan alliance
The Anglo-Moroccan alliance was established at the end of the 16th century and the early 17th century between the kingdoms of England and Morocco. Commercial agreements had been reached by Queen Elizabeth I of England and the Moroccan leader Ahmad al-Mansur on the basis of a mutual enmity to the...
Sultanate of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
to capture the Spanish fortress of Melilla on the Moroccan Mediterranean coast
Geography of Morocco
The geography of Morocco spans from the Atlantic Ocean, to mountainous areas, to the Sahara . Morocco is a Northern African country, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea....
. Mohammed ben Abdallah, then Sultan of Morocco, invested Melilla in December 1774 with a large army of Royal Moroccan soldiers and Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n merceneries. The city was defended by a small garrison under Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born Governor Don Juan Sherlocke
John Sherlock
John Sherlock was an Irish-born brigadier general in the Ultonia Regiment in Spain. He successfully defended Melilla during a 100-day siege by Moroccan troops....
until the siege was lifted by a relief fleet in March 1775.
Battle
With the promise of British subsidies and material aid for a war against Spain, Mohammed ben Abdallah assembled an army of 40,000 men and powerful artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
in 1774 and began a bombardment of Melilla. Spanish troops resisted the attack over a period of 100 days, over which time some 12,000 projectiles were lobbed onto the city. A small garrison under Florencio Moreno likewise resisted the Sultan's army at Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera
Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , in ancient times Badis or Bades, is a Spanish rock in North Africa off the Moroccan coast . It is part of several Peñones, or rock-fortresses on the coast of Northern Africa. Vélez de la Gomera is administered from Melilla...
.
In 1775 war material from England en route to Melilla was intercepted and captured by the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
and Spanish sail approached the beleaguered city; at the same time the Turks
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...
began to encroach on Morocco's eastern borders. Sherlocke began to break the siege, a situation exacerbated by the desertion of ben Abdallah's Algerians
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. Melilla was relieved in March. The end of the siege is still commemorated as Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, "Our Lady of Victory."
With the Peace of Aranjuez
Treaty of Aranjuez (1780)
The Treaty of Aranjuez was signed on December 25, 1780 between Spain and Morocco. Based on the terms of the treaty, Morocco gained territories ceded by Spain. In return, however, Morocco recognized Spanish imperial rule over the remainder of Melilla...
in 1780, Morocco recognized Spanish rule of Melilla in exchange for territorial concessions, ceded by Spain.