Siege of Alicante

1708 siege

Siege of Alicante

Part of War of the Spanish Succession
| Date| 3 December 1708 – 20 April 1709

|

Location|

Alicante, Spain

Result|  Franco-Spanish victory
Belligerents
Grand Alliance|  France
Spain
Commanders and leaders
John Richards †|  Claude D'Asfeld
Strength
Less than 1,000|  10,000–12,000

* v
* t
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War of the
Spanish Succession
Europe

Low Countries, Upper France and Upper Rhine

* Kaiserswerth
* 1st Fort Isabella
* Middelburg
* Saint Donas
* Nijmegen
* Groesbeek
* Hulst
* Venlo
* Stevensweert
* Roermond
* 1st Liége
* Bonn
* Stekene
* Ekeren
* 1st Huy
* Limburg
* 2nd Fort Isabella
* 2nd Huy
* 2nd Liége
* 3rd Huy
* Elixheim
* Zoutleeuw
* Zandvliet
* Diest
* Ramillies
* Antwerp
* Ostend
* Menin
* Dendermonde
* Ath
* Oudenarde
* Lille
* Wijnendale
* Leffinghe
* Hondschoote
* Brussels
* Saint Ghislain
* Ghent
* Tournai
* Malplaquet
* Mons
* 1st Douai
* Béthune
* Saint-Venant
* Aire
* 1st Bouchain
* Arras
* 1st Le Quesnoy
* Landrécies
* Grovestins' Cavalry Raid
* Denain
* Marchiennes
* 2nd Douai
* 2nd Le Quesnoy
* 2nd Bouchain
* Knocke

Germany

* 1st Landau
* Friedlingen
* Rheinberg
* 1st Trarbach
* Andernach
* Neubourg
* Geldern
* Kehl
* Sigharting
* Munderkingen
* Breisach
* Höchstädt
* Speyerbach
* 2nd Landau
* Augsburg
* Schellenberg
* Rain
* Villingen
* Ingolstadt
* Blenheim
* Ulm
* 3rd Landau
* 2nd Trarbach
* Wissembourg
* Lauterbourg
* Homburg
* 1st Haguenau
* Drusenheim
* 2nd Haguenau
* Bavaria
* Sendling
* Aidenbach
* 3rd Hagenau
* Stollhofen
* Rumersheim
* 4th Landau
* Freiburg

Italy and Southern France

* Carpi
* Chiari
* Cremona
* 1st Castiglione
* Santa Vittoria
* Luzzara
* Borgoforte
* Guastalla
* Governolo
* Nago
* Arco
* Castelnuovo Bormida
* 1st Susa
* Vercelli
* Ivrea
* Verrua
* Chivasso
* Mirandola
* Cassano
* Nice
* Calcinato
* Turin
* 2nd Castiglione
* Pavia
* Alessandria
* Pizzigetone
* Casale
* Milan
* Toulon
* 2nd Susa
* Gaeta
* Exilles
* Fenestrelles
* Cesana
* Syracuse

Iberian Peninsula

* Cádiz
* Castello de Vide
* 1st Barcelona
* Portalegre
* 1st Gibraltar
* 2nd Gibraltar
* Valencia de Alcántara
* Albuquerque
* Montjuïc
* 2nd Barcelona
* Badajoz
* San Mateo
* 3rd Barcelona
* Alcántara
* 1st Ciudad Rodrigo
* 1st Madrid
* Murcia
* El Albujón
* 1st Majorca
* Cuenca
* Elche
* Santa Cruz de Tenerife
* Castellón
* Villena
* Almansa
* Xàtiva
* 2nd Ciudad Rodrigo
* Lleida
* Morella
* Tortosa
* Minorca
* Denia
* Alicante
* La Gudiña
* Almenar
* Zaragoza
* 2nd Madrid
* Brihuega
* Villaviciosa
* 1st Girona
* Aren Fort
* Venasque
* Tortosa
* Cardona
* 2nd Girona
* 4th Barcelona
* 2nd Majorca

Hungary

* Dolha
* Mukachevo
* Tiszabecs
* Tiszántúl
* Halas
* Bonchida
* Zvolen
* Belényes
* Holdvilág
* Feketehalom
* Biskupice
* Szomolány
* Koroncó
* 1st Saint Gotthard
* Titel
* Nagyszombat
* Kiliti
* Pudmeric
* Székelykocsárd
* Zsibó
* 2nd Saint Gotthard
* Győrvár
* Trenčín
* Kölesd
* Romhány

Naval battles

* Vigo Bay
* Cap de la Roque
* Cape Spartel
* Málaga
* Cabrita Point
* Beachy Head
* Lizard Point

The siege of Alicante took place from December 1708 to April 1709 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The city of Alicante was besieged by a French and Spanish force loyal to Philip V. They were opposed by the garrison, an Allied force under the command of John Richards.

After several months of siege, having successfully completed their task of delaying the enemy, the garrison eventually agreed terms of capitulation which allowed them to be evacuated to waiting British ships.[1] The siege is most notable for a very large mine which was dug under the fortifications and detonated, killing Richards and many of his troops in February 1709.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Alicante had been taken by the Allies in 1706 in the wake of their landing at Barcelona the previous year. Following their victory over the Allies at the Battle of Almansa in 1707, forces loyal to Philip took the offensive and began recovering many of these towns and cities lost to the enemy.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hugill p.292-93
2. ^ Hugill p.292

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Falkner, James. The War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714. Pen and Sword, 2015.
* Hugill, J.A.C. No Peace Without Spain. Kensal Press, 1991.
* Williams, Basil. Stanhope: A Study in Eighteenth-Century War and Diplomacy. Clarendon Press, 1932.

38°21′00″N 0°28′59″W﻿ / ﻿38.350°N 0.483°W﻿ / 38.350; -0.483
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