End of the Great Siege of Gibraltar
- When
- 1782–1783
- Where
- Gibraltar; unspecified signing location; Gibraltar and its approaches
- Episodes
- 4
The Great Siege of Gibraltar, a Franco-Spanish attempt to seize the Rock during the American Revolutionary War, ended when the besiegers lifted the siege on 7 February 1783, days after preliminary treaties were signed, leaving the British garrison victorious.
Episodes
- Grand Assault of 13 September 1782
The Franco-Spanish allies launched their Grand Assault on 13 September 1782 using ten floating batteries carrying 5,260 fighting men and heavy guns under Don Buenaventura Moreno.
- Howe's Relief Convoy, October 1782
A crucial British relief convoy under Admiral Richard Howe slipped through the blockading fleet in October 1782, the final sign of defeat for the besiegers.
- Preliminary Treaties of January 1783
Preliminary treaties signed with France and Spain on 20 January 1783 preceded the lifting of the siege by about two weeks.
- Lifting of the Siege
After preliminary treaties with France and Spain were signed on 20 January 1783, the besiegers lifted the siege of Gibraltar on 7 February 1783.
Background and detail
Background. Spain entered the war on France's side on 16 June 1779 with the primary aim of capturing Gibraltar from Britain, immediately imposing a blockade. The garrison, commanded by George Eliott, was besieged from June 1779 to February 1783.
Course of the Siege. Two British relief convoys under Rodney (1780) and Darby (1781) entered unmolested, undermining the siege. A planned Spanish assault was preempted when the garrison sortied on 27 November 1781 and destroyed forward batteries. Reinforced by French troops under Louis de Crillon from early 1782, the besiegers launched a Grand Assault on 13 September 1782 with floating batteries, which failed, and Admiral Richard Howe's relief convoy slipped through in October 1782.
End of the Siege. Preliminary treaties were signed with France and Spain on 20 January 1783, and the siege was finally lifted on 7 February 1783, a decisive British victory. At the Peace of Paris in September 1783, the Anglo-Spanish Treaty of Versailles left Gibraltar with the British.
People involved
- George Eliott · British commander of the Gibraltar garrison
- Louis de Crillon · French commander who took over the besieging forces in early 1782
- Richard Howe · Admiral leading the final British relief convoy
Sources
- Great Siege of Gibraltar Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.