The Spanish conquest of Oran and Mers el-Kebir took place from 15 June to 2 July 1732, between the

Kingdom of Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

and the

Deylik of Algiers The Regency of Algiers was an early modern semi-independent Ottoman province and nominal vassal state on the Barbary Coast of North Africa from 1516 to 1830. Founded by the privateer brothers Aruj and Hayreddin Reis (also known as the Barbaro ...

. The great Spanish expedition led by José Carrillo de Albornoz, Duke of Montemar and

Francisco Javier Cornejo Don Francisco Javier Cornejo López-Cotilla (March 4, 1669 in Ruesga, Cantabria – March 27, 1750 in Madrid), also known as Don Francisco Javier Cornejo Vallejo, was a Spanish military commander of the Spanish navy The Spanish Navy, officia ...

defeated the Algerian troops under the command of the

Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...

of the

Beylik of Oran The Beylik of the West (in Arabic: ''bâylik al-gharb'') was one of three Beyliks (governorates) of the Regency of Algiers, with the other two being the Beylik of Titteri and the Beylik of Constantine. It was established in 1563, and it was ende ...

Mustapha Bouchelaghem Mustapha Bouchelaghem, also known as Bey Bouchelaghem was the Bey of the Western Beylik from 1686 to 1734/37. Origins and early life Mustapha, born as Mustapha ben Youcef was the son of an Algerian Zenetian Berber man called Youcef el-Mesrat ...

, and the

Wali The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, Hassan. It successfully conquered the

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

-cities of

and

Mers el-Kebir Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory infection caused by ''Middle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus'' (MERS-CoV). Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe depending on age and risk level. Typica ...

, ruled and administered by Algiers from 1708, during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, when both cities were conquered by the aforementioned Bouchelaghem, who was the governor of the western regions of Algiers.

Background

During the

, the strategic

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

n cities of

and

, which had been under Spanish control since the early 16th century, were taken by the Bey of Oran, Bouchlaghem Bey, taking advantage of the difficult time that Spain was going through. With the war having ended, and with the resurgence of the new Spain as one of the major European powers, the King

Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was List of Spanish monarchs, King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign (45 years and 16 days) is the longest in the ...

, organised an expedition to recoup the lost cities. The expedition was, in part, funded by the successful offensive on the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...

, led by Admiral

Blas de Lezo Admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish Navy officer best known for his victory at the 1741 Battle of Cartagena de Indias, where forces under his command defeated a large British invasion force u ...

, in which Lezo demanded a payment of two million pesos, and to pay homage to the Spanish flag, or else he would bombard the city.Doncel p. 254.Doncel p. 255. The Genovese finally accepted all the terms of the Spanish Admiral. Of the two million pesos, a million and a half was to be destined for the new expedition. The rumour that

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

was preparing for another expedition, was cause for alarm for the Emperor Charles VI, thinking that Spain wanted to occupy the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

territories held by the

Austrians Austrians (, ) are the citizens and Nationality, nationals of Austria. The English term ''Austrians'' was applied to the population of Archduchy of Austria, Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. Subsequently, during the 19th century, ...

again. When all the preparations had been concluded, with the aim of calming the other European powers, Philip V published a decree which stated his intention of reconquering Oran.

Preparations of the expedition

The expedition began to organise itself on 16 March 1732, in the port of

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

.Doncel p.256 The person responsible for the preparation of the expedition was the Prince of Campo Florido, Captain-General and Governor of the Kingdom of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

. The city was overcome with the challenge of containing such a large number of troops, sailors and noblemen. The authorities estimated more than 30,000 present. At the time, the city received most of its merchandise via the port, with some help from nearby towns and cities, but finally the supply to the city was a success.Doncel p. 257. On 7 June, José Carrillo de Albornoz, Duke of Montemar, who Philip V had chosen as leader of the expedition, attended the Convent of ''Santísima Faz'', to pray for protection and the success of his plan. The port began filling up with masts, and every type of sail conceivable, and by the end of May, Campo Florido informed the Spanish General, Alejandro de la Motte, that he had solved the embargo of all the transport ships nearby. Everything had been planned, down to the last detail, and the expedition was ready to set sail.

Fleet

The great fleet consisted of 12

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

, 50

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s, 7

galley A galley is a type of ship optimised for propulsion by oars. Galleys were historically used for naval warfare, warfare, Maritime transport, trade, and piracy mostly in the seas surrounding Europe. It developed in the Mediterranean world during ...

s and 26

galiot A galiot, galliot or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars. There are three different types of naval galiots that sailed on different seas. A ''galiote'' was a type of French flat-bottom river boat or barge and also a fla ...

s, 4

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

s, 97

xebec A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that originated in the barbary states (Algeria), it was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a ...

s, several

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

s and

bomb vessel A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannons (Naval long gun, long guns or carronades) – although bomb vessels carried a few cannons for self-defence – but ...

s, approximately 109

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

ships, and several minor ships and vessels of different classes, in total, the ships of the fleet numbered about 500–600, and the supreme commander of the fleet was the veteran naval officer

. The fleet caused great astonishment in all

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and as a writer of that time, said:

Army

The army was led by the

Duke of Montemar Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

. The contingent consisted of 23 generals, 19 brigadiers and 129 officers. The

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

consisted of 32

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s; the artillery battalion (600 men and 60 pieces of artillery and 20 mortars), the regiments of ''Spanish and Walloon Guards'' (each with four battalions), the regiments of ''Spain'', ''Soria'', ''Vitoria'', ''Cantabria'' and ''Asturias'' (each with two battalions), the regiments of ''Irlanda'', '' Ultonia'' and ''Namur'' (each with one battalion), the regiments of ''Aragon'', ''Hainaut'', ''Antwerp'' and ''First and Third of Swiss'' (each with two battalions), and a company of riflemen and guides, all born in Oran, and administrative, legal and medical personnel. In total 23,100 men. The

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

was composed by the regiments ''Queen'' and ''Prince'' (each with 417 men) and ''Santiago'' and ''Granada'' (each with 419 men), and another four regiments of Spanish dragoons (each with three squadrons). In total 3,372 men.

Expedition

On 15 June 1732, with all troops on board, and all preparations completed, the fleet was at anchor, and the next day the fleet began its departure in perfect formation, offering a wonderful spectacle. The Spanish soldier and poet, Eugenio Gerardo Lobo, who took part in the expedition, dedicated his poetry to the Spanish expedition:Doncel p. 261. A few days after, the fleet was obliged, due to contrary winds, to take cover near the

Cape Palos Cape Palos () is a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia. It is part of a small range of volcanic mounts that form a small peninsula. The Mediterranean islands of Grosa and the group known as the Hormigas Islan ...

, but on the 24 June, after overcoming its difficulties, it continued its journey towards

. On 27 June, the fleet arrived at the coasts of Oran, and the Duke of Montemar, ordered the troops to disembark on the Aguadas beach, near

, but this could not take place till the next day. At dawn, the troops began to disembarked with barely any resistance. The Algerian troops, who up to that time had remained in defensive positions, began to attack the Spanish troops; however, the firepower of the Spanish ships, in particular the

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

''Castilla'', under the command of

Juan José Navarro ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish language, Spanish and Manx language, Manx versions of ''John (given name), John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-spea ...

,Martinez-Valverde / ''Enciclopedia General del Mar''. made a big contribution in covering the landing troops by the use of his naval guns, decimating and forcing the Muslim troops to flee. Before midday, all the infantry had disembarked, and the cavalry followed soon after.

Conquest of Oran and Mers el-Kebir

After midday, the

grenadiers A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

, together with the cavalry, gradually began to gather on a small hill, where the only fountain to be seen, around lay, and from where the Spanish troops had formed and taken control, and which the Moors wanted to take hold. The Duke of Montemar ordered a small fort to be built to ensure communication with the fleet. A company of fusiliers was set up to protect the workers on the Fort, but they were under continual attack from the large number of Algerian troops, and finally, due to lack of ammunition, they began to retreat. This retreat gave the Moors heart and they cautiosly advanced. Montemar, noticing this, sent 16 companies of infantry under the command of Alejandro de la Motte, and four squadrons of Spanish Dragoons to attack the front line of Muslim troops. The onslaught by the cavalry and infantry was so energetic that they caused many casualties in the enemy, and forced the Moorish troops to retreat to another distant mountain amid the great confusion. Counting

Janissaries A janissary (, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops. They were the first modern standing army, and perhaps the first infantry force in the world to be equipped with firearms, adopted du ...

, Moors and

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...

, they came to about 20,000 to 22,000 men in total. De la Motte and his army continued to advance till they reached

, where they discovered a field in which the Janissaries had gathered. It was promptly destroyed, making about 300 Janissaries flee, all of whom belonged to Mers el-Kebir's garrison. Terrified by the intense firepower of the grenadiers, the captain of the fort of Mers el-Kebir (Ben Dabiza) capitulated, on the condition that they would be allowed to retreat to

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

. Immediately after, De la Motte's army besieged Mers el-Kebir. Montemar, seeing how successful this had been, then sent his army to the nearby mountains where the majority of the enemy lay, but these, terrified and demoralised, retreated that same night to Oran, which was also abandoned along with all its forts and castles used for defence. The quality and discipline of the Spanish army, without a doubt terrified the Algerian troops. The next day, 1 July, Montemar, through a message from the French consul in Oran, found out about this news and immediately sent a detachment to confirm this. The news was in fact true, and the French consul himself, came out to receive the Spanish troops, who entered the city without any trouble, as it was almost deserted, as was the Palace of Bey. The Spanish captured 80 bronze pieces of artillery, 50 iron pieces and 12 bells, together with innumerable artifacts of war, and supplies, enough to supply the city for at least three months. The next day, 2 July, the city of Mers el-Kebir also capitulated to De la Motte's troops.

Consequences

On 5 July a solemn ''Te Deum'' was sung in Oran to commemorate the victory. The news soon reached

and spread to the rest of

, where the famous victory was celebrated with festivals and religious ceremonies.

Pope Clement XII Pope Clement XII (; ; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740. Clement presided over the growth of a surplus in the papal ...

was greatly contented to hear of the reclaiming of the cities, thanking and full of praise for

. A month after the recovery of Oran, on 1 August, having secured the city, Montemar returned to Spain with most of his troops, leaving behind a garrison of 6,000 men.Doncel p. 265. Montemar was received with great expectation in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

on 15 August. Philip V presented him with a chain of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

, a reward for the service to his country.Doncel p. 266.

José Patiño Don José Patiño y Rosales (11 April 1666 – 3 November 1736) was a Spanish statesman who served as acting First Secretary of State of Spain from 1734 to 1736. Life His father, Don Lucas Patiño de Ibarra, Señor de Castelar, who was by ...

was rewarded with the same honour, as he had planned the expedition. Bey Bouchelaghem was not resigned to the loss of his beloved city.Doncel p. 267. Regretting the cowardice he had shown by abandoning the city, he tried many times to retrieve it, by attacking it over the following months. The Spaniards could not move into the interior however, and returned most of their forces to Spain, leaving the two cities with enough men to defend them. At the end of August the Bey closed in on Oran with more than 10,000 troops, but they were defeated by the Spanish, causing them more than 2,000 casualties. The Algerians attacked the city on the 12th of December then on June 10 in 1733 without notable success. In 1734, Bouchelaghem attacked the center of El-Ayoun around Oran and reached the gates of the city, but was unable to occupy it. Oran and Mers-el-Kebir remained under tight siege for more than fifty years. The city was to remain under Spanish control until 1792.Doncel / ''Presencia de España en Orán 1509-1792''.

Notes

References

* Sánchez Doncel, Gregorio. ''Presencia de España en Orán 1509-1792''. T. San Ildefonso (1991) * Arbeloa Romá, Armando. ''La expedición contra Orán del año 1732''. Universidad de Alicante. * * Martínez-Valverde y Martínez, Carlos. ''Enciclopedia General del Mar.'' Garriga, 1957. * * Suárez Fernández, Luis. ''Historia general de España y América: La España de las reformas: Hasta el final del reinado de Carlos IV''. (1984) * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Conflicts in 1732

Naval battles involving the Regency of Algiers 1732 in the Ottoman Empire 18th century in Spain 1732 in Spain 1732 in Africa Oran 1732 History of Mers El Kébir Invasions by Spain 18th-century sieges Ottoman–Spanish conflicts