Key Facts
- Duration
- September 1704 – May 1705 (~9 months)
- Defender garrison
- ~2,000 Allied troops
- Besieging force
- up to 8,000 troops
- Franco-Spanish losses
- ~10,000 men
- Grand Alliance losses
- ~400 men
- Naval battles fought
- 3
Strategic Narrative Overview
Franco-Spanish besiegers numbering up to 8,000 troops surrounded Gibraltar's garrison of roughly 2,000 Allied defenders from September 1704. The defenders exploited Gibraltar's rugged geography and fortifications to repel assaults despite chronic shortages of men and ammunition. French and Spanish commanders were hampered by internal disputes, appalling trench conditions, and epidemic disease. The French navy failed in three naval engagements to sever Allied supply lines, allowing regular reinforcement of the garrison.
01 / The Origins
The Grand Alliance — comprising the Holy Roman Empire, England, the Netherlands, Portugal, pro-Habsburg Spain, and Savoy — sought to prevent the unification of French and Spanish thrones under the Bourbon Philip V. England turned naval attention to the Mediterranean after Portugal joined the alliance in 1703, aiming to disrupt French and Bourbon Spanish shipping and seize a port for use as a naval base. Gibraltar was captured by an Anglo-Dutch force under Sir George Rooke in August 1704.
03 / The Outcome
After nine months of fruitless bombardment, the siege was abandoned in May 1705 following a third decisive naval defeat for France. Franco-Spanish forces reportedly suffered around 10,000 casualties against only about 400 for the Grand Alliance. Gibraltar remained in Allied hands, cementing its role as a strategic Mediterranean naval base and dealing a significant blow to Bourbon ambitions in the broader War of the Spanish Succession.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
3 belligerents
Side B
3 belligerents
Sir George Rooke, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.