War of the Quadruple Alliance
| War of the Quadruple Alliance | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Anglo-Spanish Wars and Franco-Spanish Wars | |||||||||
The Battle of Cape Passaro, 11 August 1718, Richard Paton | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Austria Savoy Great Britain France Dutch Republic | Spain | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Wirich Philipp von Daun Claude de Mercy Victor Amadeus II George Byng Richard Temple Guillaume Dubois Duke of Berwick Sieur de Bienville |
Giulio Alberoni Jean de Bette José de Albornoz Antonio Gaztañeta George Camocke Francisco Javier Cornejo | ||||||||
The War of the Quadruple Alliance, 1718 to 1720, was a conflict between Spain and a coalition of Austria, Great Britain, France, and Savoy, joined in 1719 by the Dutch Republic. Most of the fighting took place in Sicily and Spain, with minor engagements in North America. The Spanish-backed Jacobite rising of 1719 in Scotland is considered a related conflict.
Seeking to recover territories ceded under the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, Spanish troops landed on Sicily in July 1718. On 2 August, Austria, France, Britain and Savoy formed the Quadruple Alliance, and on 11 August the Royal Navy defeated a Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape Passaro. Austrian land forces retook Sicily in October 1719, while the British sacked Vigo, forcing its leaders to seek peace terms. The Treaty of The Hague (1720) restored the position prior to 1717, Savoy and Austria exchanging Sardinia and Sicily.