The siege of Almeida took place in August 1762 when a
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
force besieged and captured the city of
Almeida from its
Portuguese defenders during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...
. The city was taken on 25 August as part of the
invasion of Portugal by a Spanish army commanded by the
Count of Aranda.
The force that captured Almeida was part of a major Franco-Spanish offensive to overrun Portugal. A northern pincer invaded Portugal from
Galicia crossing the
Douro
The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part o ...
and threatening
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
while the southern force crossed the border from
Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo () is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population in 2016 of 12,896. It is also the seat of a judicial district.
The site of Ciudad Rodrigo, perched atop a rocky rise on the right bank ...
and proceeded towards the major Portuguese fortification of Almeida. It was captured after a nine-day siege, but a further Spanish advance was stalled by the arrival of 8,000 British troops - and their disruption of Spanish supplies at the
Battle of Valencia de Alcántara.
Almeida was garrisoned by Aranda, but it remained the only major fortress in Spanish hands by the close of the war. It was returned to the Portuguese following the
Treaty of Paris in exchange for the return of
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. and
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
to Spain by the British.
[Petrie p.111]
See also
*
Great Britain in the Seven Years War
Great Britain was one of the major participants in the Seven Years' War, which in fact lasted nine years, between 1754 and 1763. British involvement in the conflict began in 1754 in what became known as the French and Indian War. However the w ...
References
Bibliography
* Brown, Peter Douglas. ''William Pitt, Earl of Chatham: The Great Commoner''. George Allen & Unwin, 1978.
* Dull, Jonathan R. ''The French Navy and the Seven Years' War''. University of Nebraska, 2005.
* Jaques, Tony. ''Dictionary of Battles and Sieges''. Greenwood Press, 2007.
* Petrie, Sir Charles. ''King Charles III of Spain''. Constable, 1971.
Almeida (1762)
Almeida (1762)
Almeida
Almeida
1762 in Portugal
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