Cold Open

It’s November 1st, 1700, in Madrid, the capital of the Spanish Empire.

King Charles II of Spain is lying on his bed. Barely able to move, eat, or string a sentence together, Charles is close to death.

As the king sputters and shakes, a doctor comes into his room and attempts to give Charles some water.

But even this simple task proves tricky for Charles, who fails to get the drink down, before exploding into another coughing fit. 

As Charles lurches forwards in pain, he suddenly flashes into a seizure. These have become common for the King, but this episode is especially bad.

As the seizure comes to an abrupt halt, the King’s body crashes down on the bed, where it remains motionless. His doctors rush forward and surround the bedside, but there’s nothing they can do: King Charles II of Spain is dead.

The king’s death will come after a lifelong battle with poor health. Charles’s many ailments have not only affected his ability to rule but also to produce an heir for the Habsburg Dynasty, which has ruled Spain and its territories for almost two centuries.

Shortly before his death, and without any children of his own, Charles decided to name the French royal, Philip of Anjou, as his heir. This has proved an unpopular choice among Europe’s major powers, who are angered by the prospect of an already prominent French Empire growing even stronger.

Their frustrations will boil over in two weeks' time when Philip is pronounced King of Spain, sparking a succession crisis that will explode into a conflict known as the War of Spanish Succession. For years, fighting will drag on all over Europe, but within the bloodshed, Britain will find a golden opportunity to build and showcase its strength by capturing the Spanish-held bastion of Gibraltar on August 4th, 1704.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. 

Today is August 4th, 1704: Britain Takes Control of Gibraltar.

Act One: Changing Tides

It’s the morning of October 23rd, 1702, off the coast of northwestern Spain, almost one year into the War of Spanish Succession.

Commander-in-chief of the British naval fleet, Admiral George Rooke stands resolute on the quarterdeck of his flagship as the first rays of dawn pierce the gray morning fog. The salty wind tugs at his weather-beaten tricorn hat and whips his naval coat around his sturdy frame. He has faced many a storm in his naval career, but the battle ahead promises to be a tempest of a different sort.

Since Charles II’s death, war has consumed Europe. Worried that allowing a French royal to rule Spain would upset the continent’s balance of power, Britain, the Dutch Republic, the Holy Roman Empire, and several lesser powers, banded together into a contingent called the Grand Alliance. Last year, after the Spanish rejected attempts to resolve the issue of Charles II’s succession through diplomatic means, the Grand Alliance declared war on France and Spain. Since then, the Franco-Spanish alliance has been joined by the Portuguese, who also maintain that Philip of Anjou is Spain’s rightful king.

Now, just north of the Portuguese border, Admiral Rooke and his Anglo-Dutch fleet are headed for the rocky Spanish shoreline, ready for another maritime battle to commence. Their decks bustle with men scrubbing the planks, loading cannons, and sharpening their cutlasses; pre-battle rituals performed with a tense, hushed urgency. Today, they face a daunting mission: to intercept a heavily fortified Franco-Spanish treasure fleet, laden with riches from the Americas. The wealth is intended for overland transport to France, but word of the loot has reached the Anglo-Dutch alliance, who are eager for both the silver and the opportunity to deliver a crippling blow to their enemies.

But the Spanish and French are ready for them. As Admiral Rooke leads his ships into Spain’s Vigo Bay, gunfire begins to rain down from forts on shore, and the fleet is halted by an unexpected barrier. A blockade constructed of ships’ masts is anchored across the water, preventing the enemy fleet from sailing through and forming an obstacle known as a ‘boom line.’

If he wants to get to the treasure on the other side, Admiral Rooke has only one option - he must destroy the boom line. With a strong wind behind him, Admiral Rooke sends one of his ships to crash into the blockade. He watches on as the boat rushes into the defensive line, breaking through it and sailing head-on for the fleet that awaits in the dock beyond. But as the ship surges forward, two enemy vessels rush to stop it.

Battle breaks out and the bay echoes with the deafening roar of cannon fire. The rest of the British and Dutch warships try to come to its aid, rushing toward the boom line. But the wind is no longer on their side and they struggle to break through. As they flounder, the British ship on the other side is left to fend for itself.

Desperate to crush the enemy vessel, the French and Spanish sent out a surplus ship filled with explosives toward the lone British vessel. As it nears its target, the ship explodes, pummeling the British ship with fiery wooden smithereens and setting it alight.

As the crew battles the blaze, their British and Dutch comrades try even harder to break through the boom line. And, soon, nature is on their side again. As the wind picks up again, the rest of the fleet are able to use its strength to form new breaches in the blockade. And slowly, but surely, Anglo-Dutch forces fill the harbor and the sea is erupt into a maelstrom of chaos and violence. In the midst of the frenzy, Admiral Rooke stands unwavering, his gaze locked on the unfolding battle, evaluating each firing of a cannon, each splintering crash of wood, and each shout from his men.

As the Battle of Vigo Bay gets underway, its echoes will resound across the churning waters, heralding a conflict whose outcome will help shape the future of Europe. As night falls, resistance from the Franco-Spanish fleet will dwindle. And by morning, the treasure ships will be sunk and the engagement will be over.

The conflict will come to be seen as a catastrophic loss for France and Spain, one that will give Admiral Rooke the upper hand in the battle for the seas and change the tide of the war. Following this defeat, Portugal’s king will sever his ties with the French and Spanish and join the Grand Alliance. Thereafter, Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, will become Admiral Rooke's new base of operation, providing him with a direct line to a vital next target: Gibraltar.

Act Two: Capturing Gibraltar

It’s August 1st, 1704, almost two years after the Battle of Vigo Bay.

Admiral George Rooke is back aboard his flagship. But this time, he and his fleet of 22 vessels are lined up along the edge of Gibraltar, a town located at the foot of the Iberian Peninsula in southern Spain.

Admiral Rooke squints at the formidable fortress that looms ahead. In the distance, the Rock of Gibraltar, a gargantuan limestone ridge, juts out from the mainland, standing guard over the Strait at an imposing height of 1,400 feet. The Spanish fortifications that adorn it, though relatively meager, are still a daunting sight. But with victory at Vigo Bay and the boost of Portuguese support behind them, the morale of the Grand Alliance is high, making them primed and ready to attack.

The Strait of Gibraltar is an essential piece in the larger chessboard of the war. A key naval gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, its strategic importance seems unquestionable. Whoever controls Gibraltar controls naval access to the Mediterranean. And after the war, this will be a key trade advantage. But within the conflict, there’s another benefit. If the Allied forces can capture Gibraltar, they will have a strategic base for further attacks on the Franco-Spanish fleets stationed in the Mediterranean, and they will be able to open up fronts on multiple sides of France and Spain.

Admiral Rooke was initially reluctant to try to seize Gibraltar, doubting his chances of success. But the peninsula’s rough terrain makes it difficult to build and keep a garrison there. So despite the area’s tactical significance, Gibraltar is not that well-defended. In fact, it’s been largely neglected by the Spanish, who failed to recognize the full value of the small peninsula.

As the Anglo-Dutch fleet draws nearer to the coastline, it’s apparent that the military fortifications upon it have been weakened by years of disuse. But attacking the peninsula still will not be an easy task. Its steep sea cliffs, tricky ocean currents, and soft sandy beaches will make any approach difficult. But Captain Rooke has no plans of backing down. He has an audacious yet simple plan, a maritime bombardment by the Anglo-Dutch fleet to soften the defenses, followed by an amphibious assault to capture the city.

As they prepare for their attack, Admiral Rooke’s fleet buzzes with barely suppressed energy. Amid the clatter of the rigging and the dull thud of the sea against the hulls, Admiral Rooke's men move at a frenzied yet deliberate pace as cannons are loaded, weapons are readied, and prayers are whispered. Then, upon the Admiral’s signal, they eagerly set their commander’s plan into action. The fleet’s cannons roar to life and the bombardment begins.

For three days, the Anglo-Dutch fleet relentlessly hammers Gibraltar’s fortifications. But, despite being vastly outnumbered and outgunned, the Spanish garrison and a small civilian militia, refuses to surrender. So on the morning of August 3rd, Admiral Rooke decides to intensify his efforts, firing tens of thousands of shells into the Spaniards’ already battered defenses.

By the end of their assault, the dust of battle hangs like a death shroud over the peninsula. But through this gloomy pall, Admiral Rooke can see the testament of their efforts. With the Spanish forts clearly crumbling, Admiral Rooke launches a ground assault, ready to use their superior numbers to strangle the city into surrender. As his men storm the peninsula, they effectively and efficiently overtake its small defenses, and, before long, white flags appear across the town.

Without any reinforcements to speak of, the following day of August 4th, Gibraltar’s governor formally surrenders, handing control to British forces. As a Union Jack is hoisted over Gibraltar, Admiral Rooke lets out a sigh of relief. This was his fleet’s first amphibious assault and the largest one ever attempted by a British force up to this point. He’s grateful that their ambitious plan paid off.

Soon, he will have to turn his attention to the fights ahead. But, for now, Admiral Rooke allows himself a moment of satisfaction, gazing at the Rock of Gibraltar which now stands tall as a potent symbol of Britain’s naval strength. With its capture, the Mediterranean gateway is open, and the balance of power shifts, paving the way for Britain’s future naval dominance. But unfortunately for Admiral Rooke, he will never get to know the full significance of his success.

Act Three: Unchanging Tides

It’s January 24th, 1709, in Canterbury in the southeast of England.

Inside his home, Admiral George Rooke lays in bed in intense pain, suffering severely from gout.

Over the last few years, the Admiral’s ailing health has forced the decorated sailor to withdraw from naval action. But his victories at Vigo Bay and in Gibraltar have been enough to solidify his legacy as a British naval hero, having tipped the balance of power in favor of Britain and its allies.

With Gibraltar secured, the Grand Alliance was able to strengthen their control on the Mediterranean, while deeply loosening France and Spain’s grip on the region. Upon realizing just how important Gibraltar was to them, Franco-Spanish forces have attempted to retake the peninsula, but they have been continually repelled by Anglo-Dutch forces.

But now, as he awaits death, Admiral Rooke worries that the tides of war are changing yet again. After capturing Gibraltar, the Grand Alliance capitalized on their victory by taking parts of Eastern Spain shortly after. But the last two years have seen Franco-Spanish forces recapture much of this territory, leading to a stalemate on the Spanish fronts that Britain has not been able to break.

The news deeply disturbs the Admiral who finds himself frustrated at his inability to act, even in his final moments. Later today, Admiral Rooke will pass away, uncertain what the future of the war will hold. And though he’ll die confident that his command in the capture of Gibraltar was a crucial moment for British interests, at least for a time, he’ll never know just how impactful, or long-lasting, the repercussions of the taking of Gibraltar will be.

The feat will influence both this war and Britain’s wider naval plans. For several more years, the fighting in Europe will drag on, but eventually, the Grand Alliance will emerge victorious. In 1713, the war will come to a close with the signing of a peace treaty, in which Gibraltar will be formally ceded to the British. Following the Grand Alliance’s success in the War of the Spanish Succession, Britain will enter a period of dominance over the seas, becoming the world’s most powerful navy — a maritime supremacy upheld all the way until the Second World War, almost 250 years after the capture of Gibraltar helped give rise to Britain’s enduring naval strength on August 4th, 1704.

Outro

Next on History Daily. August 7th, 1974. Performance artist Philippe Petit stuns the world by walking a tightrope between the World Trade Center’s newly built Twin Towers.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Katrina Zemrak.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Luke Lonergan.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.