Timeline of the history of Gibraltar
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History ofGibraltar |
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Timeline |
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Thehistory of Gibraltarportrays howThe Rockgained an importance and a reputation far exceeding its size, influencing and shaping the people who came to reside here over the centuries.[1]
Prehistoric
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Neanderthal_skull_from_Forbes%27_Quarry.jpg/220px-Neanderthal_skull_from_Forbes%27_Quarry.jpg)
Evidence ofhominidinhabitation of the Rock dates back to theNeanderthals.A Neanderthal skull was discovered inForbes' Quarryin 1848, prior to the "original" discovery in theNeander Valley.In 1926, the skull of a Neanderthal child was found inDevil's Tower.
Mousteriandeposits found atGorham's Cave,which are associated with Neanderthals in Europe, have been dated to as recently as 28,000 to 24,000 BP,[2]leading to suggestions that Gibraltar was one of the last places of Neanderthal habitation. Modern humans apparently visited the Gibraltar area in prehistoric times after the Neanderthal occupancy.[3]
While the rest of Europe was cooling, the area around Gibraltar back then resembled a European Serengeti. Leopards, hyenas, lynxes, wolves and bears lived among wild cattle, horses, deer, ibexes, oryxes and rhinos – all surrounded by olive trees and stone pines, with partridges and ducks overhead, tortoises in the underbrush and mussels, limpets and other shellfish in the waters.Clive Finlayson,evolutionary biologist at theGibraltar Museumsaid "this natural richness of wildlife and plants in the nearby sandy plains, woodlands, shrublands, wetlands, cliffs and coastline probably helped the Neanderthals to persist." Evidence at the cave shows theNeanderthals of Gibraltarlikely used it as a shelter "for 100,000 years."Cro-Magnonman took over Gibraltar around 24,000 BCE.[4]
Ancient
[edit]![Portion of a Roman map showing the Pillars of Hercules (traditionally but erroneously) as an island, with the coasts of Spain and Africa above and below](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/PillarsHerculesPeutingeriana.jpg/220px-PillarsHerculesPeutingeriana.jpg)
ThePhoeniciansare known to have visited the Rock circa 950 BC and named the Rock"Calpe".TheCarthaginiansalso visited. However, neither group appears to have settled permanently.Platorefers to Gibraltar as one of thePillars of Herculesalong withJebel MusaorMonte Hachoon the other side of the Strait.
TheRomansvisited Gibraltar, but no permanent settlement was established. Following thefall of the Western Roman Empire,Gibraltar was occupied by theVandalsand later theGothskingdoms. The Vandals did not remain for long although theVisigothsremained on theIberian peninsulafrom 414 to 711. The Gibraltar area and the rest of the South Iberian Peninsula was part of theByzantine Empireduring the second part of the 6th century, later reverting to the Visigoth Kingdom.
Muslim rule
[edit]- 71130 April – TheUmayyadgeneralTariq ibn Ziyad,leading aBerber-dominated army, sailed across the Strait from Ceuta. He first attempted to land on Algeciras but failed. Upon his failure, he landed undetected at the southern point of the Rock from present-dayMoroccoin his quest for Spain. It was here that Gibraltar was named. Coming from the Arabian words Gabal-Al-Tariq (the mountain of Tariq). Little was built during the first four centuries ofMoorishcontrol (seeReconquista).
- 1160– TheAlmohadSultanAbd al-Mu'minordered that a permanent settlement, including acastle,be built. It received the name ofMedinat al-Fath(City of the Victory). On completion of the works in the town, the Sultan crossed the Strait to inspect the works and stayed in Gibraltar for two months. The Tower of Homage of the castle remains standing today (Moorish Castle).
- 1231– After the collapse of the Almohad Empire, Gibraltar was taken byIbn Hud,Taifaemir of Murcia.
- 1237– Following the death ofIbn Hud,his domains were handed over toMuhammad ibn al-Ahmar,the founder of theNasridEmirate of Granada.Therefore, Gibraltar changed hands again.
- 1274– The second Nasrid king,Muhammed II al-Faqih,gave Gibraltar over to theMarinids,as payment for their help against the Christian kingdoms.
- 1309– While the KingFerdinand IV of Castilelaidsiege on Algeciras,Alonso Pérez de Guzmán(known to the Spanish records asGuzmán el Bueno) was sent to capture the town. This was the First Siege of Gibraltar. The Castilians took the Upper Rock from where the town was bombarded. The garrison surrendered after one month. Gibraltar then had about 1,500 inhabitants.
- 131031 January – Gibraltar was granted its first Charter by the king Ferdinand IV of Castile. Being considered a high risk town, the charter included incentives to settle there such as the offering of freedom from justice to anyone who lived in Gibraltar for one year and one day.
- This fact marked the establishment of the Gibraltar council.
- 1316– Gibraltar was unsuccessfully besieged by the AzafidcaidYahya ibn Abi Talib (Second Siege of Gibraltar), an ally of the Emirate of Granada.[5]
- 1333June – AMarinidarmy, led byAbd al-Malik,the son ofAbul Hassan,the Marinid sultan, recovered Gibraltar, after a five-month siege (Third Siege of Gibraltar).
- KingAlfonso XI of Castileattempted to retake Gibraltar aided by the fleet of the Castilian AdmiralAlonso Jofre Tenorio.Even a ditch was dug across the isthmus. While laying the siege, the king was attacked by a Nasrid army from Granada. Therefore, the siege ended in a truce, allowing the Marinids to keep Gibraltar (Fourth Siege of Gibraltar).
- 1344March – After the two-yearSiege of Algeciras (1342-1344),Algeciraswas taken over by the Castilian forces. Therefore, Gibraltar became the main Marinid port in the Iberian Peninsula. During the siege, Gibraltar played a key role as the supply base of the besieged.
- 1349– Gibraltar was unsuccessfully besieged by the Castilian forces led by the kingAlfonso XI.
- 1350– The siege was resumed by Alfonso XI. It was again unsuccessful, mainly due to the arrival of theBlack Death,which decimated the besiegers, causing the death of the king (Fifth Siege of Gibraltar).
- 1369– As theCivil War in Castilecame to an end, with the murder of kingPeter Iby the pretender Henry (to be known asHenry II), theNasridking ofGranada,Muhammad V,former ally of Peter, took over Algeciras after the 3-daySiege of Algeciras (1369).Ten years later the city was razed out to the ground, and its harbour made unusable. This fact increased again the importance of Gibraltar, yet in Marinid hands, in the strait trade. A subsequent truce was signed between Muhammad and Henry, preventing the Christian kings from attempting to recover the city.
- 1374– Following a period of internal instability in the MarinidSultanate of Fez,Abu al-Abbas Ahmad of Fez,ask forMuhammad V of Granadahelp. Possibly as a condition of the alliance or as reward for Muhammad's successful expedition to Africa, Gibraltar was handed over to theNasridsof Granada.
- 1410– The garrison in Gibraltar mutinied against the king of Granada and declared for theking of Fez,Fayd.Fayd sent his brother Abu Said over to Gibraltar to take possession of the city. He also took over other Nasrid ports such asMarbellaandEstepona.
- 1411– The son of Yusuf III of Granada, Ahmad, recovered Marbella and Estepona. Next, it laid siege to Gibraltar (Sixth Siege of Gibraltar) and recovered the city for the kingdom of Granada.
- 1436–Enrique de Guzmán,second Count of Niebla, with large estates in SouthernAndalusia,assaulted Gibraltar. However, his attack was repelled and Castilian forces suffer heavy losses (Seventh Siege of Gibraltar).
Castilian/Spanish rule
[edit]- 146220 August – Castilian forces captured Gibraltar (Eighth Siege of Gibraltar). (SeeReconquista). An immediate dispute broke out between theHouse of Medina Sidonia(the Guzmán family) and theHouse of Arcos(the Ponce de León family) about the possession of the town. Finally, the initiative of Juan Alonso de Guzmán, 1stDuke of Medina Sidonia,succeeded and he took possession of the town as personal property. However, the King of Castile,Henry IV,declared Gibraltar to be Crown property and not the personal property of the Guzman family. Henry IV restored the charter granted to Gibraltar in 1310 and took two additional measures: the lands previously belonging toAlgeciras(destroyed in 1369) were granted to Gibraltar; and the status ofcollegiate churchwas solicited from the popePius IIand granted to the parish church of Saint Mary the Crowned (Spanish:iglesia parroquial de Santa María la Coronada), now theCathedral of St. Mary the Crowned,on the site of the old main Moorish Mosque.St. Bernard of Clairvaux,whose feast falls on 20 August, became thepatron saintof Gibraltar.
- 1463– In a tour through Andalusia, Henry IV was the first Christian monarch to visit Gibraltar.
- 1467July – In the midst of a nobility revolt against the King, the forces of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, after a 16-month siege, took Gibraltar.Alfonso of Castile,half-brother of Henry IV and puppet pretender handled by the nobility, granted him the Lordship of Gibraltar (Ninth Siege of Gibraltar).
- 14693 June – After the death of Alfonso de Castilla and the 1st Duke of Medina Sidonia, his son and heirEnrique de Guzman, 2nd Duke of Medina Sidoniachanged side and in reward, saw the status of Gibraltar, as part of the domains of the Duke, confirmed by the QueenIsabella I of Castile.
- 147020 December – A new charter was granted to the town of Gibraltar, now a nobiliary town, based in the Antequera charter.
- 147830 September – TheCatholic Monarchsgranted the title ofMarquis of Gibraltarto the Duke of Medina Sidonia.
- 147920 January – Queen Isabella I of Castile and KingFerdinand II of Aragon– the Catholic Monarchs, jointly rule the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, including Gibraltar.
- 149231 March – After conqueringGranada,the Catholic Monarchs sign theAlhambra Decreeordering theexpulsion of the Jews from Spain,to take effect from 31 July 1492. Many passed through Gibraltar on their way into exile in North Africa.
- 1492 Summer – After the death of the former Duke, his son and heir,Juan Alfonso Perez de Guzman, 3rd Duke of Medina Sidoniasaw his lordship over Gibraltar reluctantly renewed by the Catholic Monarchs.
- 1497– Gibraltar became the main base in the conquest ofMelillaby the troops of the Duke of Medina Sidonia.
- 15012 December – Acknowledging the importance of the town, the Catholic Monarchs asked the Duke of Medina Sidonia for the return of Gibraltar to the domains of the crown. The Duke accepted the Royal request and ceded the town to the monarchs.
- 15022 January – Garcilaso de la Vega[6]took possession of the town on behalf of the Queen Isabella I of Castile.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Original_coat_of_arms_of_Gibraltar.jpg/220px-Original_coat_of_arms_of_Gibraltar.jpg)
- 1502 10 July – By aRoyal Warrantpassed inToledobyIsabella I of Castile,Gibraltar was granted itscoat of arms:"An escutcheon on which the upper two thirds shall be a white field and on the said field set a red castle, and below the said castle, on the other third of the escutcheon, which must be a red field in which there must be a white line between the castle and the said red field, there shall be a golden key which hangs by a chain from the said castle, as are here figured". The Castle and Key remain the Arms of Gibraltar to this day.
- 1506– Alleging a false donation by the kingPhilip I of Castile,the Duke of Medina Sidonia attempted to recover Gibraltar by besieging the town. The siege was unsuccessful and the Duke was admonished by the Regency and forced to pay a fee to the town. The town received the title of "Most Loyal City" (Tenth Siege of Gibraltar). The Duke died in 1507.
- 1516 14 March – Spain becomes a united kingdom underCharles I.
- 15408 September –Corsairsfrom theBarbary Coast(ruled byBarbarossa) landed at Gibraltar in sixteengalleys,looting the town and taking away many captives.[7]
- 1552– After the requests from the inhabitants of the town, Charles I of Spain (the Emperor Charles V) sent the Italian engineerGiovanni Battista Calvito strengthen the defences of the town. A wall was built (nowadays known asCharles V Wall); also a ditch by the wall of the town and a drawbridge at the Landport (Puerta de Tierra).
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Battle_of_Gibraltar_1607.jpg/280px-Battle_of_Gibraltar_1607.jpg)
- 1567–Juan Mateosturned his large house in the Upper Town into a hospital. It wasGibraltar'sfirst hospital,and remained on the same site serving the people of Gibraltar for almost four and a half centuries.
- 1606– TheMoriscos(the descendants of the Muslim inhabitants in Spain) were expelled from Spain by KingPhilip III.Many passed through Gibraltar on their way into exile in North Africa.
- 160725 April – During theEighty Years' Warbetween theUnited Provincesand the King of Spain, a Dutch fleet surprised and engaged a Spanish fleet anchored at theBay of Gibraltar(Battle of Gibraltar).
- 1621– Second battle of Gibraltar on which a Spanish squadron crushed theVOCat the strait of Gibraltar –Battle of Gibraltar (1621)
- 1649– Typhoid epidemic in the town.
- 1656– In a letter[8]toCouncillor General Montagu(afterwards Earl of Sandwich), General-at-sea and one of the Protector's personal friends,Cromwellmentioned the necessity of securing a permanent base at the entry of the Mediterranean, preferably Gibraltar (the first suggestion for the occupation of Gibraltar as a naval base had been made at an English Council of War held at sea on 20 October 1625).
The War of the Spanish Succession
[edit]- 17001 November – King Charles II of Spain died leaving no descendants. In the autumn he had made a will bequeathing the whole of the Spanish possessions to PrincePhilip of Bourbon,a grandson of Louis XIV backed by France. The other pretender, an Austrian Habsburg,Archduke Charles,supported by theHoly Roman Empire,England and the Netherlands did not accept Charles II's testament.
- 1701September – England, theNetherlandsandAustriasigned theTreaty of The Hague.By this treaty, they accepted Philippe of Anjou as King of Spain, but allotted Austria the Spanish territories in Italy and theSpanish Netherlands.England and the Netherlands, meanwhile, were to retain their commercial rights in Spain. Later (in 1703),Portugal,Savoy and some German states joined the alliance.
- 1702May – Formal beginning of theWar of the Spanish Succession.
- 170312 February – The Archduke Charles was proclaimed king of Castile and Aragon inVienna.He took the name of Charles III[9]
The Gibraltar capture
[edit](There is a common discrepancy in the chronology between Spanish and British sources, the reason being that England still used theJulian calendar.By 1704 the Julian calendar was eleven days behind the Gregorian, and the siege thus began on 21 July according to the Julian.)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/George_Rooke.jpg/200px-George_Rooke.jpg)
- 17041 August(NS): (21 July(OS)) – During theWar of the Spanish Succession,and when returning from a failed expedition to Barcelona, an Anglo-Dutch fleet, under the command of SirGeorge Rooke,chief commander of the Alliance Navy, began a new siege (the eleventh siege of the town). They demanded its unconditional surrender and an oath of loyalty to theHabsburgpretender to the Spanish throne, theArchduke Charles.The Governor of Gibraltar,Diego de Salinas,refused the ultimatum. A brigade ofDutch Royal MarinesandRoyal Marines,1,800 strong, under the command ofPrince George of Hesse-Darmstadt,chief commander of the Alliance Army in Spain, began to besiege Gibraltar, in the name of the Archduke Charles. A small group ofSpaniards,mainlyCatalans,were integrated in the troops of the Prince of Hesse.
- 1704 night of 3–4 August – Heavy shelling targeted the castle and the town.
- 1704 4 August – The GovernorDiego de Salinassurrenderedthe town to Prince George of Hesse, who took it in the name of Archduke, as Charles III, king of Castile and Aragon. This was the end of the Eleventh Siege of Gibraltar (a map on the situation of attacking forces can be seen in[10])
- The exact beginning of the English/British control of Gibraltar is hard to determine. From the eighteenth century, Spanish sources reported that immediately after the takeover of the city, SirGeorge Rooke,the British admiral,[11][12][13]on his own initiative caused the British flag to be hoisted, and took possession of the Rock in name ofAnne, Queen of Great Britain,whose government ratified the occupation. On the other hand, even the British or the Gibraltarians sometimes date the beginning of British sovereignty in 1704 (for instance, in its speech at the United Nations in 1994, the Gibraltar Chief Minister at the time,Joe Bossano,stated thatGibraltar has been a British colony ever since it was taken by Britain in 1704[14]). Also, some British sources have accounted the flag story (He [Rooke] had the Spanish flag hauled down and the English flag hoisted in its stead;[15]Rooke's men quickly raised the British flag... and Rooke claimed the Rock in the name of Queen Anne;[8]orSir George Rooke, the British admiral, on his own responsibility caused the British flag to be hoisted, and took possession in name of Queen Anne, whose government ratified the occupation[16]).
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Bay_of_Gibraltar_18th_century_engraving.jpg/310px-Bay_of_Gibraltar_18th_century_engraving.jpg)
- However, it is claimed by present-day historians, both Spanish and British, that this version is apocryphal since no contemporary source accounts it. Isidro Sepúlveda,[17]William Jackson[18]and George Hills[19]explicitly refute it (Sepúlveda points out that if such a fact had actually happened, it would have caused a big crisis in the Alliance supporting the Archduke Charles; George Hills explains that the story was first accounted by the Marquis of San Felipe, who wrote his book "Comentarios de la guerra de España e historia de su rey Phelipe V el animoso" in 1725, more than twenty years after the fact; the marquis was not an eye-witness and cannot be considered as a reliable source for the events that took place in Gibraltar in 1704. As Hills concludes: "The flag myth... may perhaps be allowed now to disappear from Anglo-Spanish polemics. On the one side it has been used to support a claim to the Rock 'by right of conquest'; on the other to... pour on Britain obloquy for perfidy"[19]).
- What does seem nowadays proved is that the British troops who had landed on the South Mole area raised their flag to signal their presence to the ships, and avoid being fired upon by their own side.
- However, whatever the exact events of the time, Gibraltar ceased being under the rule ofPhilip V of Spainin 1704. A statue to Sir George Rooke was erected in 2004 as part of the tercentenary celebrations.
- 17044–7 August. Orders were issued to respect civilians[20]as the Grand Alliance hoped to win over the population to their cause. Officers tried to maintain control but (as had happened two years previously in the raid on Cádiz) discipline broke down and the men[21]ran amok.[22]There were numerous incidents of rape, all Catholic churches but one (the Parish Church of St. Mary the Crowned, now theCathedral) were desecrated or converted into military storehouses, and religious symbols such as the statue ofOur Lady of Europewere damaged and destroyed. Angry Spanish inhabitants took violent reprisals against the occupiers. English and Dutch soldiers and sailors were attacked and killed, and their bodies were thrown into wells and cesspits.[23]After order was restored,[24][25]despite the surrender agreement promising property and religious rights,[26]most of the population left with the garrison on 7 August citing loyalty to Philip.[27]Several factors influenced the decision including the expectation of a counter attack[28]and the violence[29]during the capture, which ultimately proved disastrous for the Habsburg cause.[30]The subsequent siege failed to dislodge the Habsburg forces and the refugees settled aroundAlgecirasand the hermitage ofSan Roque.[31]The Alliance's conduct aroused anger in Spain against the 'heretics', and once again the chance of winning over Andalusians to the Imperial cause was lost. Prince George was the first to complain, which was resented by Byng who had led the fighting and who in turn blamed the Prince and his few Spanish or Catalan supporters.[32]Rooke complained in a letter home that the Spaniards were so exasperated against the Alliance that ‘they use the prisoners they take as barbarously as the Moors’.[33]Spain attempted to retake Gibraltar in1727and most notably in1779,when it entered theAmerican Revolutionary Waron theAmericanside as anallyofFrance.[34]
- 1704 7 August. A dejected procession, numbering some 4,000 according to most of the sources, such as Hills[35]or Jackson[36]filed out of the Land Port with Queen Isabella's banner at their head, and led by the Spanish Governor, Diego de Salinas, the Spanish garrison, with their three brass cannon, the religious orders, thecity counciland all those inhabitants who did not wish to take the oath of allegiance to Charles III as asked by the terms of surrender. They took with them the symbols and objects of Spanish Gibraltar's history: the council and ecclesiastical records, including the historical documents signed by the SpanishCatholic Monarchsin 1502, granting Gibraltar's coat of arms, and the statue of theSaint Mary the Crowned.[36][37]Most of them took refuge in the proximity of the nearby Chapel ofSan Roque,possibly hoping for a rapid reconquest of Gibraltar, which never materialised. There, a new settlement was formed, being granted a council two years later (1706), with the name ofSan Roque,and being considered by the Spanish Crown as the heir to the lost town of Gibraltar (historical objects and records predating 1704 were subsequently taken to San Roque where they remain to this day.[38]) King Philip V of Spain dubbed San Roque asMy city of Gibraltar resident in its Campo.[36]Others settled down in what today isLos Barriosor even further away, in the ruins of the abandoned city ofAlgeciras.Only about seventy people remained in the town, most of them religious, people without family or belonging to theGenoesetrader colony[39][40](see list in[41]).
- 1704 24 August – The Alliance fleet, under the command of Rooke, set sail from Gibraltar and intercepted a joint Spanish-French fleet that attempted to recover Gibraltar by the coast ofMálaga(Battle of Vélez-Málaga). The result was uncertain, with heavy losses on both sides, but the Spanish-French fleet was stopped and prevented from arriving at Gibraltar.
The first Spanish siege (Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar)
[edit]- 17045 September – Troops of France and Spain under themarquis of Villadarias,General Captain of Andalusia, started to besiege Gibraltar to try to recover it (this one would be the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar). In the town, the Marine brigade, still under the command of the British admiral SirJohn Leake,and the governor, Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt (who had commanded the land forces in August), and reinforced shortly before by a further 400Royal Marines,held the fortress against repeated attacks.
- 1704 11 November – A notable incident during the siege: 500 Spanish volunteergrenadierstried to surprise the garrison after being led up a concealed path to the top of The Rock by a Spanishgoatherdfrom Gibraltar,Simón Susarte.Captain Fisher of the Marines with 17 of his men successfully defended the Round Tower against their assault. A contemporary report of this noted defence says, "Encouraged by the Prince of Hesse, the garrison did more than could humanly be expected, and the English Marines gained an immortal glory".
- 1705January – Philip V replaced Villadarias with theMarshal of Francede Tessé.
- 1705 7 February – The last assault before the arrival of de Tessé was executed. The Gibraltar wall was damaged, but French troops refused to go on until the arrival of de Tessé (who arrived the day after). The assault becomes unsuccessful.
- 1705 31 March – The Count de Tessé gave up the siege and retired.
During the rest of the war
[edit]Although nominally in the hands of the Archduke Charles, and garrisoned with both English and Dutch regiments, Britain began to monopolize the rule of the town. Even if the formal transfer of sovereignty would not take place until the signature of the Treaty of Utrecht, the British Governor and garrison become thede factorulers of the town.[citation needed]
- 17052 August – The Archduke Charles stopped over in Gibraltar on his way to the territories of theCrown of Aragon.The Prince of Hesse joined him, thus leaving the town (he would die one month later in the siege ofBarcelona). The English Major GeneralJohn Shrimptonwas left as governor (appointed by the Archduke Charles on the recommendation ofQueen Anne).
- 170617 February – Queen Anne though not yet the legal ruler of the territory,[42]declared Gibraltar a free port (upon request of the Sultan of Morocco, who wanted Gibraltar being given this status in return for supplying the town)[43]
- 170724 December – The first British Governor directly appointed by Queen Anne,Roger Elliott,took up residence in theConvent of the Franciscan friars.
- 1711– The British government, then in the hands of theTories,covertly ordered the British Gibraltar governor,Thomas Stanwix,to expel any foreign (not British) troops (to foster Great Britain's sole right to Gibraltar in the negotiations running up between Britain and France). Although he answered positively, he allowed a Dutch regiment to stay. It remained there until March 1713.[17]
British rule
[edit]Treaty of Utrecht
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Allegory_of_the_Peace_of_1714.jpg/220px-Allegory_of_the_Peace_of_1714.jpg)
- 11 April 1713 – The territory was subsequently ceded to the Crown ofGreat Britainin perpetuity by Spain underarticle Xof theTreaties of Utrecht.Despite some military attempts by the Spanish to retake it in the 18th century, most notably in the Great Siege of 1779–1783, the Rock has remained under British control ever since.
- In that treaty, Spain ceded Great Britain "the full and entire propriety of the town and castle of Gibraltar, together with the port, fortifications, and forts thereunto belonging... for ever, without any exception or impediment whatsoever."
- The Treaty stipulated that no overland trade between Gibraltar and Spain was to take place, except for emergency provisions in the case that Gibraltar is unable to be supplied by sea. Another condition of the cession was that "no leave shall be given under any pretence whatsoever, either to Jews or Moors, to reside or have their dwellings in the said town of Gibraltar."This was not respected for long and Gibraltar has had for many years an established Jewish community, along with Muslims from North Africa.
- Finally, under the Treaty, should the British crown wish to dispose of Gibraltar, that of Spain should be offered the territory first.
Until the Peninsular Wars
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Gibraltar_and_Bay_map_1750.jpg/200px-Gibraltar_and_Bay_map_1750.jpg)
Between 1713 and 1728, there were seven occasions when British ministers was prepared to bargain Gibraltar away as part of his foreign policy. However, the Parliament frustrated always such attempts, echoing the public opinion in Britain.[44]
- 1721March – Philip V of Spain requested the restitution of Gibraltar to proceed to the renewal of the trade licences of Great Britain with the Spanish possessions in America.
- 1721 1 June –George Isent a letter to Philip V promising "to make use of the first favourable Opportunity to regulate this Article (the Demand touching the Restitution of Gibraltar), with the Consent of my Parliament".[45]However, the British Parliament never endorsed such promise.
- 1727February–June –Second of the sieges by Spaintried to recapture Gibraltar (Thirteenth Siege of Gibraltar). Depending on the sources, Spanish troops were between 12,000 and 25,000. British defenders were 1,500 at the beginning of the siege, increasing up to about 5,000. After a five-month siege with several unsuccessful and costly attempts, Spanish troops gave up and retired.
- 1729– At the end of theAnglo-Spanish War of 1727–1729,theTreaty of Sevilleconfirming all previous treaties (including the Treaty of Utrecht) allowed Great Britain to keepMenorcaand Gibraltar.
- 1730– A Belgian Engineer, theMarquis of Verboom,Chief Engineer of the Spanish Royal Engineer Corps, who had taken part in the 1727 siege, arrived in San Roque commissioned by the Spanish government to design a line of fortifications across the isthmus. Fort San Felipe and Fort Santa Barbara were built. The fortifications, known to the British as the Spanish Lines, and to Spain asLa Línea de Contravalaciónwere the origin of modern-day town ofLa Línea de la Concepción.
- 1749–1754– Lieutenant GeneralHumphrey Blandis the Governor of Gibraltar. He compiles the twelve "Articles" or regulations that ruled the administration of Gibraltar for over sixty years. First article, dealing with property, establishes that only Protestants may own property. In 1754 the population settled at around 6,000 people, with the garrison and their dependants constituting about three-quarters of it. The civilian population comprised mainly Genoese and Jews.[46]
- 177623 February – One of the heaviest storms ever recorded in Gibraltar. The lower part of the town was flooded. Linewall was breached along 100 m.
- 1779June – In the midst of theAmerican Revolutionary War,Spain declared war against Great Britain (as France had done the year before)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/The_Siege_and_Relief_of_Gibraltar_%282%29.jpg/220px-The_Siege_and_Relief_of_Gibraltar_%282%29.jpg)
- 1779 July – Start of theGreat Siege of Gibraltar(fourteenth and most recent military siege). This was an action by French and Spanish forces to wrest control of Gibraltar from the established British Garrison. The garrison, led byGeorge Augustus Eliott, later 1st Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar,survived all attacks and a blockade of supplies.
- 178213 September – Start of an assault involving 100,000 men, 48 ships and 450 cannon. The British garrison survived.
- 1783February. By now the siege was over, and George Augustus Eliott was awarded theKnight of the Bathand was created 1st Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar. TheTreaties of Versailleswhich cededMenorcaand Florida to Spain, reaffirmed previous treaties in the rest of issues, thus not affecting to Gibraltar.
- In 1782, work on theGreat Siege Tunnelsstarted. The tunnels became a great and complex system of underground fortifications which nowadays criss-crosses the inside of the Rock. Once the Siege was over, the fortifications were rebuilt and, in the following century, the walls were lined withPortland limestone.Such stone gave the walls their present white appearance.
- The successful resistance in the Great Siege is attributed to several factors: the improvement in fortifications by Colonel (later General Sir)William Greenin 1769; the British naval supremacy, which translated into support of the Navy; the competent command by GeneralGeorge Augustus Elliot;and an appropriately sized garrison.[47]As in the early years of the British period, during the Siege the British Government considered to exchange Gibraltar for some Spanish possession. However, by the end of the Siegethe fortress and its heroic response to the siege was now acquiring a sort of cult status amongst the population in Britain and no exchange however attractive, was likely to be acceptable.[48]
- 1800– Malta is taken over by Great Britain. The possession of Malta (confirmed by theTreaty of Parisin 1814, increased the attractiveness of Gibraltar since controlling both Gibraltar and Malta meant the effective mastery of the Mediterranean Sea by the Royal Navy.[49]
- 1802– Several mutinies among some regiments garrisoned in Gibraltar.
- 1802 – The first merchant token to bear the name Gibraltar (albeit spelt Gibralter) was issued by Robert Keeling in order to alleviate a shortage of copper.
- 1803June –Admiral Nelsonarrived in Gibraltar as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean.
- 1804– Great epidemic of "Malignant Fever" broke out. Although traditionally labelled as "Yellow Fever" now it is thought to have beentyphus.Nearly 5,000 people died.[50]
- 1805January – The great epidemic ended. Over a third of the civilian population (5,946 people) died.
- 1805 21 October –Battle of Trafalgar.
- 1805 28 October –HMSVictorywas towed into Gibraltar bringing Nelson's body aboard. TheTrafalgar Cemeterystill exists today in Gibraltar.
- 1806– Gibraltar was made a CatholicApostolic Vicariate(until then Gibraltar belonged to theSeeofCadiz). Since 1840 the vicar has always been theBishop of Gibraltar.[51]
- 1810– Britain and Spain became allies against Napoleon.
- 1810 February – The Governor of Gibraltar removed the Spanish forts of San Felipe and Santa Barbara, located on the northern boundary of the neutral ground. Fearing that the forts might fall into French hands,Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbellinstructed Royal Engineers to blow the forts up. Such a task was carried out on 14 February together with the demolition of the rest of the fortifications of the Spanish Lines.
- (According to George Hills,[52]there are no primary sources that could explain whether such a demolition was requested or authorized by any Spanish or British authority. According to him, over time, three different theories have emerged: (a) Campbell ordered the demolition on his own authority (b) under instructions from the British Government (c) upon request of SpanishGeneral Castaños,who was at the time in Cádiz. Spanish authors from 1840 have usually favoured theory (b) while British ones have supported (c). As long as there is no contemporary source or dispatch on the topic, Hills does not personally discard (a) considering it the most likely possibility).
- During thePeninsular War,contingents from the Gibraltar Garrison were sent to aid Spanish resistance to the French at Cádiz andTarifa.As William Jackson describes,Gradually Gibraltar changed from being the objective of the San Roque garrison into the supply base and refuge in time of trouble for the Spanish forces operating in Southern Andalusia.[53]
Until the Second World War
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Tipos_de_Gibraltar.jpg/200px-Tipos_de_Gibraltar.jpg)
- 1814– Outbreak of malignant fever.
- 1815– The civilian population of Gibraltar was about 10,000 people (two and a half times the size of the garrison). Genoese constituted about one-third of the civilian population (a large number of immigrants had arrived from Genoa at the beginning of the century). The rest were mainly Spaniards and Portuguese fled from the war, and Jews from Morocco.[54]
- 1817– The first civil judge was established.
- 1830– The British government changes the status of Gibraltar fromThe town and garrison of Gibraltarto theCrown Colonyof Gibraltar.Thus, the responsibility for its administration is transferred from the War Office to the new Colonial Office.[55]
- Legal institutions and theGibraltar Police Forcewere established.
- 1832– TheChurch of the Holy Trinity,built for the needs ofAnglicanworshippers among Gibraltar's civil population, is completed. (Ten years later it will become theCathedral of the Holy Trinity).
- 184221 August – TheChurch of EnglandDiocese of Gibraltarwas founded byLetters Patentand took over the pastoral care of the chaplaincies and congregations from Portugal to the Caspian Sea.George Tomlinsonis enthroned as the firstBishop of Gibraltar.TheChurch of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltarbecomes Cathedral for the Diocese.[56]
- 1842 – Official Coins of the Realm were struck for Gibraltar by theRoyal Mint.Coins were issued in ½, 1 and 2 Quart denominations.
1842 Half Quart coin issue by theRoyal Mint - 1869– TheSuez Canalwas opened. It heavily increased the strategic value of the Rock in the route from the United Kingdom to India. Gibraltar economy, mainly based on commercial shipping and import-export trade, takes a new income source with the opening of a coaling station for the new steam ships.[57]
- 189117 March – America-bound steamerUtopiaslammed in heavy weather into the iron-plated British battleshipHMSAnsonand sank in theBay of Gibraltar;576 people died.[58]
- 1894– The construction of the dockyards started.
- 19085 August – The British Ambassador in Madrid informed the Spanish Minister of State 'as an act of courtesy', of the British Government's intention to build a fence along the line of British sentries on the isthmusto prevent smuggling and reduce sentry duty.According to the British government, the fence was erected 1 metre inside British territory. Spain currently does not recognize the fence as the valid border, since it claims the fence was built on Spanish soil. Even though Spain, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar are all part of theEuropean Union,the border fence is still relevant today since Gibraltar is outside thecustoms union.The border crossing is open 24-hours a day as required by EU law.
- 1921– Gibraltar was granted aCity Councilstatus in recognition for its contribution to the British war efforts in World War I. The council had a small minority of elected persons. First elections held in Gibraltar.
- 1936–1939– After the United Kingdom recognised theFranco'sregimein 1938,Gibraltarhad two Spanish Consulates, aRepublicanone and a Nationalistic one. Several incidents took place during theSpanish Civil Warwhich affected Gibraltar. In May 1937,HMSArethusahad to towHMSHunterinto port afterHunterhit a mine offAlmeriathat killed and wounded severalBritish sailors.In June 1937, theGerman pocket battleshipDeutschlandarrived in Gibraltar with dead and wounded after Republican planes bombed it inIbizain retaliation for theCondor Legion's bombing ofGuernica.In August 1938, the Republican destroyerJose Luis Dieztook refuge in Gibraltar after taking casualties from the guns of the National cruiserCanarias.The one incident that resulted in the death ofGibraltariansoccurred on 31 January 1938 when the insurgent submarineGeneral Sanjurjosank the SSEndymion,a small Gibraltar-registered freighter taking a cargo of coal toCartagena,which was chartered by the Republican government. Eleven members of her crew were killed.[59][60][61]
Second World War and after
[edit]Military history of Gibraltar during World War II • Timeline of events • ![]() as it leaves Gibraltar on a patrol, 1942 (Imperial War Museum) | |
---|---|
Late 1939 | Construction of asolid surface runwaybegins inGibraltar. |
9 Sep 1939 | No. 202 Squadron RAFis ordered to Gibraltar. |
25 Sep 1939 | No 200 (Coastal) Group is formed as a subordinate formation to HQ RAF Mediterranean. |
Jun 1940 | 13,500civilian evacueesare shipped toCasablancainFrench Morocco. |
13 Jul 1940 | Following the creation ofVichy France,Gibraltariancivilians are returned to Gibraltar prior to movement to other locations. |
Jul 1940 | Evacuees are shipped to the Atlantic island ofMadeiraand toLondon. |
9 Oct 1940 | 1,093 refugees re-evacuated toJamaica. |
10 Mar 1941 | Operation Felix,the German plan for the invasion of Gibraltar, is amended to becomeOperation Felix-Heinrich,which delays the invasion until after the fall of theSoviet Union,effectively putting an end to German invasion plans. |
Late 1941 | Plans for Operation Tracer, a stay-behind plan to be put in place in the event of an invasion of Gibraltar, are formulated. |
Jan 1942 | Equipment trials for Operation Tracer begin. |
Mid-1942 | Operation Tracer is pronounced ready for deployment. |
Jul 1942 | Lieutenant GeneralDwight D. Eisenhoweris appointed Allied Commander-in-Chief ofOperation Torch. |
5 Nov 1942 | Eisenhower arrives in Gibraltar to take command |
4 Jul 1942 | ALiberator bomberfromRAF Transport Commandtakes off from Gibraltar and crashes, killingWładysław Sikorski,Polish military and political leader |
Nov 1943 | Resettlement Board established. |
6 Apr 1944 | First group of 1,367 repatriates arrives on Gibraltar directly from the United Kingdom. |
28 May 1944 | First repatriation party leaves Madeira for Gibraltar. |
8 May 1945 | Victory in Europe Day |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Gibraltar_border_1977.jpg/220px-Gibraltar_border_1977.jpg)
The history of Gibraltar from the Second World War is characterized by two main elements: the increasing autonomy and self-government achieved by Gibraltarians and the re-emergence of the Spanish claim, especially during the years of theFrancoistdictatorship.
During World War II (1939–1945) the Rock was again turned into a fortress and the civilian residents of Gibraltar were evacuated. Initially, in May 1940, 16,700 people went toFrench Morocco.However, after theFrench-German Armisticeand the subsequentdestruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeriaby the British Navy in July 1940, the French-Moroccan authorities asked all Gibraltarian evacuees to be removed. 12,000 went to Britain, while about 3,000 went toMadeiraorJamaica,with the rest moving to Spain orTanger.Control of Gibraltar gave theAllied Powerscontrol of the entry to theMediterranean Sea(the other side of the Strait being Spanish territory, and thusnon-belligerent). The Rock was a key part of the Allied supply lines toMaltaand North Africa and base of the British NavyForce H,and prior to the war theracecourseon the isthmus was converted into anairbaseand a concrete runway constructed (1938). The repatriation of the civilians started in 1944 and proceeded until 1951, causing considerable suffering and frustration. However, most of the population had returned by 1946.
- 19404 July – French bombers, based in French Morocco, carried out a retaliatory air raid over Gibraltar as a reprisal for thedestruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria,by the Force H (about 1,300 French sailors were killed and about 350 were wounded in the action against the French fleet).
- 1941– Germany planned to occupy Gibraltar (and presumably hand it over to Spain[citation needed]) in "Operation Felix" which was due to start on 10 January 1941.[62]It was cancelled because the Spanish government were reluctant to let theWehrmachtenter Spain and then attack against the Rock, its civilians or the British Army from Spanish soil, becauseFrancofeared that it may have been impossible to remove the Wehrmacht afterwards. In any case,Hitlerwas too busy elsewhere in Europe to give this much priority.
- 1940–1943– Gibraltar harbour was attacked many times byItalian commando frogmenoperating fromAlgeciras.Underwater warfare and countermeasures were developed byLionel Crabb.
- 1942September – A small group of Gibraltarians, who remained in the town serving in the British Army, joined a mechanic official,Albert Risso,to create 'The Gibraltarians Association', the starting point of what became theAssociation for the Advancement of Civil Rights(officially established in December that year), the first political party in Gibraltar.Joshua Hassan(a young lawyer then, later Sir and Chief Minister) was among the leading members of the association. The AACR was the dominant party in Gibraltar politics for the last third of the 20th century.
- 1942 8 November –Operation Torchlaunched with support from Gibraltar.
- 1944April – The situation in Gibraltar is considered safe and the first of the evacuees return to Gibraltar.
- 1946– The United Kingdom inscribed Gibraltar in the list ofnon-self-governing territorieskept by the UN Special Committee on Decolonization.
- 1950– Gibraltar's first Legislative Council was opened.
- 1951– The return process of the evacuees finishes. It was delayed due to an initial shortage of shipping and then of housing.[63]The evacuation was a key element in the creation of the national conscience of Gibraltarians. The experience of evacuationhad bonded the Gibraltarian together as a nation.[64]
- 1951 27 April – TheRFA Bedenham explodeswhile docked in Gibraltar, killing 13, damaging many buildings in the town and delaying the housing program essential for repatriation.
- 1954– This was the 250th anniversary of its capture.Queen Elizabeth IIvisited Gibraltar, which angeredGeneral Franco,who renewed itsclaimto sovereignty, which had not been actively pursued for over 150 years. This led to the closure of the Spanish consulate and to the imposition of restrictions on freedom of movement between Gibraltar and Spain. By the 1960s, motor vehicles were being restricted or banned from crossing the border, while only Spanish nationals employed on the Rock being allowed to enter Gibraltar.
- 1955– At the United Nations, Spain, which had just been admitted to membership, initiated a claim to the territory, arguing that the principle ofterritorial integrity,notself-determination,applied in the case of the decolonization of Gibraltar, and that the United Kingdom should cede sovereignty of the Rock to Spain. Madrid gained diplomatic support from countries in Latin America, with theUN General Assemblypassing resolutions (2231 (XXI),"Question of Gibraltar"[65]and2353 (XXII),"Question of Gibraltar"[66]).
- 1965 April – The British Government published a White Paper dealing with the question of Gibraltar and the Treaty of Utrecht.
- 1966– In response, the Spanish Foreign Office MinisterFernando Castiella,published and presented to the Spanish Courts the "Spanish Red Book" (named so because of its cover; its reference is "Negociaciones sobre Gibraltar. Documentos presentados a las Cortes Españolas por el Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores", Madrid, 1967)
- 1967– Thefirst sovereignty referendum[67]was held on 10 September, in which Gibraltar's voters were asked whether they wished to either pass under Spanish sovereignty, or remain under British sovereignty, with institutions of self-government. Over 99% voted in favour of remaining British.
- 1968A group of six Gibraltarian lawyers and businessmen, calling themselves thepalomosor 'doves', advocated a political settlement with Spain[68]in a letter published in theGibraltar Chronicle,and met with Spanish Foreign Office officials (a meeting was even held with the Spanish Foreign Office Minister) to try to bring this about.[69]This provoked widespread public hostility in Gibraltar (with attacks on their homes and properties[70]and civil unrest). Things quickly calmed down, although today the term retains a negative meaning in Gibraltar politics.
- 196930 May – A new constitution for Gibraltar was introduced by the United Kingdom Parliament, under the initiative of the British Government (Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969). Under it, Gibraltar attained full internalself-government,with an electedHouse of Assembly.TheCity Counciland the Legislative Council disappeared. The preamble to the Constitution stated that:
- "Her Majesty's Government will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes."
- 1969 8 June – In response, Spain closed the border with Gibraltar, and severed all communication links. For about 13 years, the land border was closed from the Spanish side, to try to isolate the territory. The closure affected both sides of the border. Gibraltarians with families in Spain had to go by ferry toTangier,Morocco, and from there to the Spanish port ofAlgeciras,while many Spanish workers (by then about 4,800; sixteen years before, about 12,500 Spanish workmen entered Gibraltar every day[71][72]) lost their jobs in Gibraltar.
- 1969 – MajorRobert (later Sir Robert) Pelizaof theIntegration with Britain Party(IWBP) was elected Chief Minister in alliance with the independent group led byPeter Isola.[73]
- 1971– The United Kingdom Government led byHeathconsidered the possibility of exchanging sovereignty for a 999-year lease on Gibraltar, as it was felt it had ceased to be of any military or economic value. The proposals remained secret until 2002.[74]
- 1972– Joshua Hassan of theAssociation for the Advancement of Civil Rights(AACR) was returned to power. AACR rebrands as GLP/AACR (Gibraltar Labour Party / AACR) in an attempt to develop a more clearly working class image.[75]
- 1972 – GibraltarTGWUhold a 6-dayGeneral Strike,pressing the Ministry of Defence, Gibraltar's largest employer, for better pay and conditions for workers. The strike ends successfully with a £1.85 increase in basic pay rates, and is seen as a catalyst for increased working class solidarity in the pursuit of social, economic and political change. TGWU claims a rise of overall union density within the labour market to around 55% following the strike.[76]
- 1973– Gibraltar joined theEuropean Economic Communityalongside the United Kingdom.
- 1975– The BritishForeign OfficeMinisterRoy Hattersleyruled out integration with the UK, and stated that any constitutional change would have to involve a 'Spanish dimension'. This position was reaffirmed the following year when the British government rejected the House of Assembly's proposals for constitutional reform (Hattersley Memorandum). The IWBP broke up and was succeeded by the Democratic Party of British Gibraltar (DPBG), led first by Maurice Xiberras, formerly of the IWBP, and subsequently by Peter Isola.
- 1975 – Spanish dictator GeneralFrancisco Francodied, but nothing changed in relation to Gibraltar.
- 198010 April – The British and Spanish ministers of Foreign Affairs,Lord CarringtonandMarcelino Oreja,signs theLisbon Agreementregarding 'The Gibraltar Problem' stating that the communications between Gibraltar and Spain would be re-established, and restating both Governments positions. The measures agreed were not implemented.
- 1980 July – The Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar is amalgamated with the Jurisdiction of North and Central Europe to become theDiocese of Gibraltar in Europe.TheCathedral of the Holy Trinity, Gibraltarremains Anglican Cathedral for the Diocese.
- 1981– TheBritish Nationality Act 1981effectively made Gibraltar aDependent Territoryand removed the right of entry into the UK of British Dependent Territory Citizens. After a short campaign Gibraltarians were offered full British citizenship (History of nationality in Gibraltar). The act was ratified in 1983.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/91/Gibraltar_gate_opened.jpg/250px-Gibraltar_gate_opened.jpg)
- 198215 December – The re-opening of the border was initially delayed due to the war between the United Kingdom andArgentinaover theFalkland Islands.Upon the change in the Spanish government, with the Socialist Party in power, the border was partially re-opened (only pedestrians, resident in Gibraltar or Spanish nationals were allowed to cross the border by Spain; only one crossing each way per day was allowed). Restrictions on the land border continued until 2006,[77][78]although there are still occasionally issues related to the crossing.[79][80][81]
- 1984– Spain applied to join theEuropean Community,succeeding in 1986. Under theBrussels Agreement[82](27 November 1984) signed between the governments of the United Kingdom and Spain, the former agreed to enter into discussions with Spain over Gibraltar, including by first time the "issues" of sovereignty. The border was fully reopened.
- 19872 December – Aproposalfor joint control ofGibraltar Airportwith Spain[83]met with widespread local opposition which was expressed in a protest march toThe Convent.Chief Minister Sir Joshua Hassan resigned at the end of the year and was succeeded byAdolfo Canepa.
- 1988–Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party(GSLP) leaderJoe Bossanowas elected as Chief Minister, and firmly ruled out any discussions with Spain over sovereignty and shared use of the airport.
- 1988 7 March – TheSpecial Air Serviceof theBritish Armyshot dead three unarmed members of theProvisional IRAwalking towards the frontier, claiming they were making "suspicious movements" (Operation Flavius). A subsequent search led to the discovery of a car containing a large amount ofSemtexexplosive in Spain, which they had planned to use to bomb theChanging of the Guardceremony a few days later.
- 1991– TheBritish Armyeffectively withdrew from Gibraltar, leaving only the locally recruitedRoyal Gibraltar Regiment,although theRoyal Air ForceandRoyal Navyremain. Spain made various proposals involving the sovereignty of Gibraltar, which were rejected by all parties in the Gibraltar House of Assembly.
- 1991 – The SpanishSpanish Socialist Workers' Party(PSOE) government ofFelipe Gonzálezproposed joint sovereignty over Gibraltar with the United Kingdom. A similar proposal was advocated byPeter Cumming,formerly of theGibraltar Social-Democrats(GSD), in which the Rock would become a self-governingcondominium(or "Royal City" ), with the British and Spanish monarchs as joint heads of state.
- 1995– GSLP government lost popular support as a result of tobacco smuggling activity.[84]To prevent this activity the fast launches were made illegal and confiscated. This resulted in a riot in July 1995.
- 1996– In a general election,Joe Bossanowas replaced byPeter Caruanaof the GSD, who while favouring dialogue with Spain, also ruled out any deals on sovereignty.
- 1997– ThePartido PopularSpanish Foreign Minister,Abel Matutesmade proposals under which Gibraltar would be under joint sovereignty for fifty years, before being fully incorporated into Spain, as anautonomous region,similar toCataloniaor theBasque Country,but these were rejected by the British Government.
- 2000— An agreement was reached between the UK and Spain over recognition of 'competent authorities' in Gibraltar. Spain had a policy of non-recognition of theGovernment of Gibraltaras a 'competent authority', therefore refusing to recogniseGibraltar's courts,policeand government departments,driving licences,andidentity cards.Under the agreement, theForeign and Commonwealth Officein London would act as a 'post box', through which Gibraltar's police and other government departments could communicate with their counterparts in Spain. In addition, identity documents issued by the Government of Gibraltar now featured the words 'United Kingdom'.
- 2000 May – 2001 May – Following an incident at sea the nuclear submarineHMS Tireless (S88)wasrepaired in Gibraltarcausing diplomatic tension with Spain.[85][86][87][88][89][90][91]Before consenting to the repair, the Government of Gibraltar insisted on a full safety assessment.[92][93]
Twenty-first century
[edit]- 2001— The UK Government announced plans to reach a final agreement with Spain over the future of Gibraltar, which would involve shared sovereignty; however agreement was not reached due to the opposition of the Gibraltarians.
- 2002— On 12 July theForeign Secretary,Jack Straw,in a formal statement in theHouse of Commons,said that after twelve months of negotiation the British Government and Spain are in broad agreement on many of the principles that should underpin a lasting settlement of Spain's sovereignty claim, which included the principle that Britain and Spain should share sovereignty over Gibraltar. Political commentators saw this as an attempt by Britain to get Spain to help counterbalance France and Germany's domination of theEuropean Union.Straw visited Gibraltar to explain his ideas and was left in no doubt they had no support.
- 2002 – In November the Government of Gibraltar calledGibraltar's second sovereignty referendumon the proposal, it achieved a turnout of 88% of which 98.97% of the electorate did not support the position taken by Mr Straw.
- The actual voting was as follows: 18,176 voted representing 87.9% of the electorate. There were 89 papers spoilt of which 72 were blank 18,087 of which 187 Voted YES, and 17,900 voted NO.
- The Referendum was supervised by a team of international observers headed by the Labour MPGerald Kaufman,who certified that it had been held fairly, freely and democratically.[94]
- 2002 – TheBritish Overseas Territories Act 2002made provision for the renaming of British Dependent Territories asBritish Overseas Territories,which changed the status of Gibraltar to an Overseas Territory. This act granted full British citizenship to British Overseas Territories, which was already available to Gibraltarians since 1983.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Gibraltar_Tercentenary_flag_display.jpg/200px-Gibraltar_Tercentenary_flag_display.jpg)
- 2004August – Gibraltar celebrated 300 years of British rule. Spanish officials labelled this as the celebration of 300 years of British occupation.[95]
- Despite this, Gibraltar celebrated its tercentenary, with a number of events on 4 August, including the population encircling the rock holding hands, and granting theFreedom of the Cityto theRoyal Navy.
- 200418 November – A joint commission (Comisión mixta de Cooperación y Colaboración) was established between theMancomunidad de Municipios de la Comarca del Campo de Gibraltar(the Council Association of the Campo de Gibraltar, the historic Spanish county that surrounds Gibraltar) and the Government of Gibraltar.
- 2004 28 October – The governments of the United Kingdom and Spain agreed to allow the Government of Gibraltar equal representation in a new open agenda discussion forum (so called Tripartite Talks).[96]
- 2005July – First Tripartite Talks took place inFaro, Portugal.
- 2006August – The following was announced:[97]
The three participants confirm that the necessary preparatory work related to agreements on theairport,pensions,telephonesand fence/border issues, carried out during the last 18 months, has been agreed. Accordingly, they have decided to convene in Spain the first Ministerial meeting of the Tripartite Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar on 18 September 2006.
- 2006 18 SeptemberCórdoba agreement– The British and Spanish foreign ministers and theChief Minister of Gibraltarmet at thePalacio de Viana,Córdobaand announced the following:[98]
- 1. Spain agrees to recognise Gibraltar'sinternational dialling code(350) and allow mobile roaming.
- 2. Spanish restrictions on civil flights at the airport will be removed. A new terminal building will also be constructed, allowing a direct passage to/from the north side of the fence/frontier (in order to overcome problems of terminology relating to references to the words “frontier” or “fence”, the phrase “fence/frontier” is used in the documents).
- 3. There will be normality of traffic flow at the fence/frontier.
- 4. Britain agrees to pay uprated pensions to those Spanish citizens who lost their livelihoods when the border was unilaterally closed byFrancisco Francoin 1969.
- 5. A branch of theInstituto Cervanteswill be opened in Gibraltar.
- This agreement is seen as a major milestone in Gibraltar's history.
- 2006 November – Thenew constitutionwas drafted and later approved by the people of Gibraltar in areferendum.It was described as non-colonial in nature by Britain and Gibraltar.[99]However, UK Europe MinisterJim Murphy,told the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons said that new Constitution but he stated that "he has never described it as an end to the colonial relationship." Although others have.[100]
- 2006 16 December – The first passenger carryingIberiaaircraft landed in Gibraltar flying directly from Madrid, and a daily scheduled service started. The service was later reduced in frequency and terminated in September 2008.
- 200710 February —Spain lifted restrictionson Gibraltar's ability to expand and modernise its telecommunications infrastructure. These included a refusal to recognise International Direct Dialling (IDD) code which restricted the expansion of Gibraltar's telephone numbering plan, and the prevention of roaming arrangements for Gibraltar's GSM mobile phones in Spain.
- 2007 1 May GB Airways began scheduled flights between Madrid and Gibraltar which were later withdrawn in September.
- 2007 29 June – With a unanimous vote in theGibraltar Parliament,local MPs approved new legislation that removes the phrases 'the Colony' and 'UK possession' from Gibraltar's laws.[101]
- 2007 11 October TheGibraltar Social Democratswere returned to Government for a fourth term after aGeneral Election.
- 200818 June – In the annual UN Special Committee on Decolonization meeting on the Gibraltar question,Peter Caruana,Chief Minister of Gibraltar stated that he would not attend future meetings as the Gibraltar Government is of the opinion that "there is no longer any need for us to look to the Committee to help us bring about our decolonisation".[102]The Committee agreed that the Question of Gibraltar would be discussed again next year.[103]
- 2008 22 September – It was announced that the remaining Iberia flights to Madrid would cease operation at the end of September 2008 due to "economic reasons", namely, lack of demand.[104]
- 2008 10 October – The bulk carrierMV Fedraran aground on rocks atEuropa Point,and broke in two. The crew were safely rescued, but some of thefuel oilescaped in the very bad weather. The Captain was later arrested.[105]
- 2009– in May there were a number of Spanish incursions into British Waters around Gibraltar leading to intervention by the police and a diplomatic protest by the UK.[106][107]
- 2009 – 7 December four armedCivil Guardofficers are detained after three landed in Gibraltar in pursuit of two suspected smugglers, who were themselves arrested. The Spanish Interior MinisterAlfredo Pérez Rubalcabapersonally telephoned Chief MinisterPeter Caruanato apologise, stating that there were "no political intentions" behind the incident. The Chief Minister was prepared to accept it had not been a political act. Spanish officers were released by the Police the following day, who said that "Enquiries established that the Guardia Civil mistakenly entered Gibraltar Territorial Waters in hot pursuit and have since apologised for their actions"[108][109]
- 2009 12 December Miss GibraltarKaiane Aldorinowins the titleMiss WorldinJohannesburg.Her homecoming five days later is a major public event in Gibraltar.[110]
- 2009 17 December A ferry service restarts between Gibraltar andAlgecirasafter a gap of 40 years.[111]
- 2010In order to overcome budget problems which follow the departure and arrest of the previous mayor, the mayor of La Linea de la Conception proposes to charge a toll for entry to Gibraltar and to tax telephone lines to Gibraltar. The proposals are opposed by the Spanish Government[112]and the Gibraltar government has dismissed concerns.[113]
- 2011GSLP/LiberalAlliance returned to power in the2011 General Election,bringing to an end 15 years ofGSDGovernment.Fabian PicardobecomesChief Minister.
- 2016About 80 of the Gibraltar electorate favour remaining in EU
- 2020British exit from the EU renders Gibraltar foreign territory, but Spain retains the 'status quo', pending further negotiations, A preliminary agreement avoids a hard border between Gibraltar and Spain[114]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Discover pocket guide to Gibraltar, 5th editionArchived19 July 2012 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Neanderthals at Gorham's Cave, Gibraltar".Archived fromthe originalon 22 September 2008.Retrieved17 September2008.
- ^"National Geographic – Last of the Neanderthals".Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2009.Retrieved29 December2009.
- ^Choi, Charles (2006)."Gibraltar".NBC News.Retrieved8 January2010.
- ^Vidal Castro, Francisco."Ismail I".Diccionario Biográfico electrónico(in Spanish). Madrid:Real Academia de la Historia.
- ^López de Ayala, Ignacio (1845).The History of Gibraltar: From the Earliest Period of Its Occupation by the Saracens: Comprising Details of the Numerous Conflicts for Its Possession Between the Moors and the Christians, Until Its Final Surrender in 1462: and of Subsequent Events: with an Appendix Containing Interesting Documents.William Pickering. p.106.Retrieved27 July2013.
- ^Jackson, Sir William Godfrey Fothergill(1987). "5. Spanish Neglect: The Ninth and Tenth Sieges and the Corsair Raid, 1462 to 1560".The Rock of the Gibraltarians; A History of Gibraltar(Second ed.). London and Toronto: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. pp. 73–75.ISBN0-8386-3237-8.
- ^abBBC Radio 4 (1 November 2005)."Gibraltar".The Sceptred Island: Empire. A 90 part history of the British Empire.Retrieved16 December2005.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Virginia León Sanz (2000)."El reinado del archiduque Carlos en España: la continuidad de un programa dinástico de gobierno (The reign of the Archduke Charles in Spain: the continuity of a dynastic government program), in Spanish"(PDF).Manuscrits. Revista d'història moderna.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain).Retrieved16 December2005.[dead link]
- ^Tito Benady(August 2004)."The Attack on Gibraltar. Friday 2 August 1704"(PDF).Tercentenary Special.Gibraltar Chronicle. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2006.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Campbell, John,'Of Sir George Rooke', inNaval history of Great Britain: including the history and lives of the British admirals, Volume 4,(London: Baldwyn and Company, 1818), p. 65
- ^Murray, John Joseph,George I, the Baltic, and the Whig split of 1717: a study in diplomacy and propaganda,(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969), p. 58
- ^Robinson, Howard,The Development of the British Empire,(Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1923), p. 81
- ^Joe Bossano (1994)."The Fight for Self – Determination. Joe Bossano at the United Nations".Gibraltar... The unofficial homepage. Reference Documents about Gibraltar and its political struggles. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2005.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^David Eade (2004)."1704 and all that".Celebrating 300 Years of British Gibraltar (Tercentenary Web Site).Government Tercentenary Office, Gibraltar Government. Archived fromthe originalon 15 December 2005.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). .Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 491.
- ^Gibraltar. La razón y la fuerza,p. 90.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 99.
- ^abRock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar,p. 475-477.
- ^George Hills (1974).Rock of contention: a history of Gibraltar.Hale. p. 165.ISBN9780709143529.Retrieved7 April2011.Ormonde issued a proclamation. "They were come not to invade or conquer any part of Spain or to make any acquisitions for Her Majesty Queen Anne...but rather to deliver Spaniards from the mean subjection into which a small and corrupt party of men have brought them by delivering up that former glorious monarchy to the dominion of the perpetual enemies of it, the French" He laid particular stress on the respect that was to be shown to priests and nuns - "We have already ordered under pain of death of officers and soldiers under out command not to molest any person of what rank or quality so ever in the exercise of their religion in any manner whatsoever.
- ^G. T. Garratt (March 2007).Gibraltar and the Mediterranean.Lightning Source Inc. p. 44.ISBN9781406708509.Retrieved7 April2011.One has but to read the books left to us by the sailors to realize the peculiar horror of the life between-decks. Cooped up there, like sardines in a tin, were several hundreds of men, gathered by force and kept together by brutality. A lower-deck was the home of every vice, every baseness and every misery
- ^David Francis (1 April 1975).The First Peninsular War: Seventeen-Two to Seventeen-Thirteen.Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115.ISBN9780312292607.Retrieved7 April2011.But some of the sailors, before they could be recalled to their ships broke loose in the town and plundered the inhabitants
- ^Jackson,p. 99.
- ^George Hills (1974).Rock of contention: a history of Gibraltar.Hale. p. 175.ISBN9780709143529.Retrieved7 April2011."Great disorders", he found, "had been committed by the boats crews that came on shore and marines; but the General Officers took great care to prevent them, by continually patrolling with their sergeants, and sending them on board their ships and punishing the marines
- ^Allen Andrews (1958).Proud fortress; the fighting story of Gibraltar.Evans. p. 35.Retrieved7 April2011.a few of them hanged as rioters after the sacking. One Englishman had to throw dice with a Dutchman to determine who should hangpour encourager les autres.They stood under the gallows and diced on a drum. The Englishman threw nine to the Dutchman's ten, and suffered execution before his mates.
- ^Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987).The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar.Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 99.ISBN9780838632376.Retrieved7 April2011.Article V promised freedom of religion and full civil rights
- ^Frederick Sayer (1862).The history of Gibraltar and of its political relation to events in Europe.Saunders. p.115.Retrieved4 February2011.Letter Of The Authorities To King Philip V. 115 Sire, The loyalty with which this city has served all the preceding kings, as well as your Majesty, has ever been notorious to them. In this last event, not less than on other occasions, it has endeavoured to exhibit its fidelity at the price of lives and property, which many of the inhabitants have lost in the combat; and with great honour and pleasure did they sacrifice themselves in defence of your Majesty, who may rest well assured that we who have survived (for our misfortune), had we experienced a similar fate, would have died with glory, and would not now suffer the great grief and distress of seeing your Majesty, our lord and master, dispossessed of so loyal a city. Subjects, but courageous as such, we will submit to no other government than that of your Catholic Majesty, in whose defence and service we shall pass the remainder of our lives; departing from this fortress, where, on account of the superior force of the enemy who attacked it, and the fatal chance of our not having any garrison for its defence, except a few poor and raw peasants, amounting to less than 300, we have not been able to resist the assault, as your Majesty must have already learnt from the governor or others. Our just grief allows us to notice no other fact for the information of your Majesty, but that all the inhabitants, and each singly, fulfilled their duties in their several stations; and our governor and alcalde have worked with the greatest zeal and activity, without allowing the horrors of the incessant cannonading to deter them from their duties, to which they attended personally, encouraging all with great devotion. May Divine Providence guard the royal person of your Majesty, Gibraltar, August 5th (N. S.), 1704.
- ^David Francis (1 April 1975).The First Peninsular War: Seventeen-Two to Seventeen-Thirteen.Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115.ISBN9780312292607.Retrieved7 April2011....plundered the inhabitants. Partly on account of this, partly because they expected Gibraltar to be retaken soon, all the inhabitants except a very few...chose to leave
- ^Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987).The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar.Farleigh Dickinson University Press. pp. 99–100.ISBN9780838632376.Retrieved7 April2011.Although Article V promised freedom or religion and full civil rights to all Spaniards who wished to stay in Habsburg Gibraltar, few decided to run the risk of remaining in the town. Fortresses changed hands quite frequently in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The English hold on Gibraltar might be only temporary. When the fortunes of war changed, the Spanish citizens would be able to re-occupy their property and rebuild their lives.... Hesse's and Rooke's senior officers did their utmost to impose discipline, but the inhabitants worst fears were confirmed: women were insulted and outraged; Roman Catholic churches and institutions were taken over as stores and for other military purposes...; and the whole town suffered at the hands of the ship's crew and marines who came ashore. Many bloody reprisals were taken by inhabitants before they left, bodies of murdered Englishmen and Dutchmen being thrown down wells and cesspits. By the time discipline was fully restored, few of the inhabitants wished or dared to remain.
- ^David Francis (1 April 1975).The First Peninsular War: Seventeen-Two to Seventeen-Thirteen.Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115.ISBN9780312292607.Retrieved7 April2011.So the damage was done and the chance of winning the adherence of the Andalusians was lost.
- ^Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson (1987).The Rock of the Gibraltarians: a history of Gibraltar.Farleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 100.ISBN9780838632376.Retrieved7 April2011.
- ^Francis:The First Peninsular War: 1702–1713,115
- ^Trevelyan:England Under Queen Anne: Blenheim,414
- ^"Gibraltar." MicrosoftEncarta2006 [DVD].Microsoft Corporation,2005.
- ^Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar,p. 176
- ^abcThe Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 101.
- ^Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar,p. 176.
- ^"History of San Roque, donde reside la de Gibraltar (History of San Roque, where that of Gibraltar lives on), in Spanish ".San Roque City Council. Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2006.Retrieved30 August2006.
- ^Gibraltar. La razón y la fuerza,p. 91.
- ^Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar,p. 177.
- ^^"The Old (Spanish) Inhabitants of Gibraltar who remained in town after the Rock was captured by the British in 1704".Loony Lenny online. Gibraltar for kids.Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2005.Retrieved15 December2005.
- ^Gibraltar was formally ceded to the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Utrecht. Up to that point, it was, at least nominally, a Habsburg possession. As William Jackson points out inThe Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 113: "As the ink dried on the Treaty of Utrecht, which turned Gibraltar from a Habsburg into a British fortress and city on the southern extremity of the Iberian peninsula..."
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 114.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar, p. 115.
- ^"Letter from George I to the King of Spain On the restitution of Gibraltar (1/6/1721)".British History Online. 2003.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar, p. 142-143.
- ^Gibraltar: British or Spanish?,pg. 8.
- ^Gibraltar,pg. 99. Quoted inGibraltar: British or Spanish?,pg. 8.
- ^Gibraltar,pg. 105. Quoted inGibraltar: British or Spanish?,pg. 8.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 196.
- ^Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)."Vicariate Apostolic of Gibraltar".New Advent.Retrieved2 January2006.
- ^Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar,p. 368.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 209.
- ^Gibraltar: British or Spanish?,p. 9
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p.229:
The many strands of desiderable reform were brought together when, in 1830, responsibility for Gibraltar's affairs was transferred from the War Office to the new Colonial Office, and the status of the Rock was changed from 'The town and garrison of Gibraltar in the Kingdom of Spain' to the 'Crown Colony of Gibraltar'.
- ^Official History of the Diocese of EuropeArchived29 June 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p.252.
- ^"List of Ship Accidents".Archived fromthe originalon 7 March 2010.Retrieved15 June2007.
- ^Paco Galliano (2003).History of Galliano's Bank (1855–1987): The Smallest Bank in the World.Gibraltar: Gibraltar Books. pp. 57–9.
- ^Heaton, Paul Michael (1985)Welsh Blockade Runners in the Spanish Civil War.Starling Press, p. 74.ISBN0-9507714-5-7
- ^Gretton, Peter(1984).El Factor Olvidado: La Marina Británica y la Guerra Civil Española.Editorial San Martín, p. 412.ISBN84-7140-224-6.(in Spanish)
- ^"Operation Felix. Directive No.18".Adolf Hitler Historical Record.adolfhitler.ws. Archived fromthe originalon 15 July 2007.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p.296.
- ^Gibraltar,p.160. Quoted inGibraltar: British or Spanish?,p.13.
- ^UN General Assembly (1966)."Resolution 2231(XXI). Question of Gibraltar"(PDF).Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly during its Twenty-First Session.United Nations.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^UN General Assembly (1967)."Resolution 2353(XXII). Question of Gibraltar"(PDF).Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly during its Twenty-Second Session.United Nations.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Garcia, Joseph (1994).Gibraltar – The Making of a People.Gibraltar: Medsun.Dr Garcia graduated with a first class honours degree in history and obtained a doctorate on the political and constitutional development of Gibraltar.
- ^Jesús Salgado (coord.) (1996)."Informe sobre Gibraltar (Report on Gibraltar) (Spanish) "(PDF).INCIPE (Instituto de Cuestiones Internacionales y Política Exterior). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2006.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p.316.
- ^Giles Tremlett (7 November 2002)."Rock's voters signal rejection of Spanish deal".The Guardian.Special Report. Gibraltar. London.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Tito Benady (2001)."Spaniards in Gibraltar after the Treaty of Utrecht"(PDF).Instituto Transfronterizo del Estrecho de Gibraltar – Transborder Institute of the Strait of Gibraltar. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2006.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar,p. 316.
- ^Jackson, William (1990).The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar(2nd ed.). Grendon, Northamptonshire, UK: Gibraltar Books. pp. 323–324.ISBN0-948466-14-6.
- ^"Gibraltar faced secret handover under Heath".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2015.
- ^Archer, Edward (2006).Gibraltar, identity and empire.London New York: Routledge.ISBN9780415347969.
- ^"Unite to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of 1972 General Strike".The Gibraltar Chronicle.7 August 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 7 April 2015.Retrieved7 August2012.
- ^[1]Archived24 May 2011 at theWayback MachineCountry Profile: Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) "On 18 September 2006, the first Trilateral Ministerial meeting was held at the Palacio de Viana in Cordoba. Mr Geoff Hoon, Minister for Europe, represented the UK, while Foreign Minister Moratinos and Chief Minister Peter Caruana represented Spain and Gibraltar respectively. At the meeting, a landmark agreement was reached on a range of issues. These included: telecommunications; the expanded use of Gibraltar Airport; the improvement of pedestrian and traffic flows at the border crossing between Gibraltar and Spain; and a settlement on pensions that would provide a fair deal for those Spanish citizens who lost their livelihoods when the border between Spain and Gibraltar closed in 1969."
- ^[2]Communique of the ministerial meeting of the forum of dialogue on Gibraltar 18 09 2006 "More fluid movement of people, vehicles and goods between Gibraltar and the surrounding area will improve the day to day lives of people in Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar. The Spanish Government, through the Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria, is already investing close to one and a half million euros in substantial improvement works to its facilities and those of the Guardia Civil. The works will be completed this year, at which time the access will operate on a two lane basis in both directions and the red/green channels system, for both people and for vehicles, will be introduced. The Gibraltar Government has also invested substantial sums of money on the enhancement of its facilities."
- ^[3]Gibraltar: Crossing the Border
- ^[4]Archived20 October 2008 at theWayback MachineBorder Crossings, Gibraltar
- ^[5]Archived25 August 2009 at theWayback MachineTraffic mayhem at La Linea-Gibraltar border crossing
- ^Governments of the United Kingdom and Spain (27 November 1984)."The Brussels Agreement".Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2007.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Governments of the United Kingdom and Spain (2 December 1987)."The Airport Agreement".Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2005.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^"Answer to a written question - Illegal activities in Gibraltar - E-2320/1995".www.europarl.europa.eu.Retrieved28 February2020.
- ^"Press Release:" Nuclear sub leaves Gibraltar "".BBC News.7 May 2001.
- ^"Gibpubsafe document included in Appendix 6"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 21 July 2011.Retrieved1 September2010.
- ^"UK faces legal action for failure to implement Euratom health and safety provisions against ionising radiation".
- ^"Environmental Safety Group Site".
- ^"EU urged to probe U.K. nuclear sub".CNN.25 January 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 4 June 2011.Retrieved4 May2010.
- ^"Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 29 January 2004. Commission of the European Communities v United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
- ^"Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 9 March 2006. Commission of the European Communities v United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
- ^"The Government of Gibraltar considers the repair of HMS Tireless in Gibraltar to be an isolated and exceptional case that creates no precedent. The Gibraltar Government is strenuously opposed to the establishment of Gibraltar as a nuclear vessel repair facility.""Press Release: Statement by the Government of Gibraltar relating to the Ministry of Defence's proposal to carry out repairs to HMS Tireless in Gibraltar".Archived fromthe originalon 20 April 2012.Retrieved26 November2009.
- ^Gibraltar threat to repair of Tireless. Telegraph.co.uk. By Isambard Wilkinson in Madrid. 16 Jan 2001.
- ^Committee of Observers (December 2002)."Gibraltar Referendum Observers Report"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2006.Retrieved20 January2006.
- ^Peter Almond (14 August 2004)."UK ignores Spain on Gibraltar tercentenary".The Washington Times.Retrieved16 December2005.
- ^Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (2004)."Joint Statement Announcing new Dialogue Forum – 'Tripartite Talks' for Gibraltar".Archived fromthe originalon 17 June 2006.Retrieved16 December2005.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^"Joint Communique of the Tripartite Forum of Dialogue on Gibraltar"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 October 2008.Retrieved17 October2008.
- ^Tripartite Agreement announced 18 September 2006
- ^In theGibraltar: working paper / prepared by the Secretariat. United Nations, 20 Mar 2008Archived22 June 2011 at theWayback Machinethe Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom at the United Nations stated that
...relationships between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar [...] had been modernized in a manner acceptable to both sides. Gibraltar was now politically mature, and its relationship with the United Kingdom was non-colonial in nature.
- ^"Government of Gibraltar – Gibraltar relationship with UK no longer colonial"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 October 2008.Retrieved17 September2008.
- ^The Gibraltar Chronicle 30/06/07Archived28 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
- ^Special Committee on Decolonization, 9th Meeting (18 July 2008) – As Special Committee on Decolonization considers Question of Gibraltar, Territory's Chief Minister says its decolonisation 'No longer pending'
- ^Special Committee on Decolonization, 9th Meeting (18 July 2008) – As Special Committee on Decolonization considers Question of Gibraltar, Territory's Chief Minister says its decolonisation 'No longer pending':
Agreeing with a proposal by the Chairman, the Committee then decided that, in light of related developments, it would continue its consideration of the question of Gibraltar at its next session.
- ^"Spanish Airline Suspends Flights".Sky News.22 September 2008.Retrieved22 September2008.
- ^"Fedra Captain arrested".Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2008.Retrieved14 October2008.
- ^Britain tells Spain violation unacceptableArchived1 June 2009 at theWayback Machine
- ^Return of the Armada
- ^Incident at Harbour Views[dead link]
- ^Apology avoids major fracasArchived27 February 2012 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Homecoming event".Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2012.Retrieved20 December2009.
- ^New ferry service
- ^[6]Gibraltar: Between a Rock and a hard place
- ^[7]Archived3 March 2016 at theWayback MachineGovernment responds to Sanchez statements
- ^El País newspaper:Deal between Spain and UK plans to eliminate Gibraltar border checkpoint
Bibliography
[edit]- Hills, George (1974).Rock of Contention. A History of Gibraltar.London: Robert Hale.ISBN0-7091-4352-4.
- Jackson, William (1990).The Rock of the Gibraltarians. A History of Gibraltar(second ed.). Grendon, Northamptonshire, UK: Gibraltar Books.ISBN0-948466-14-6.
- Sepúlveda, Isidro (2004).Gibraltar. La razón y la fuerza (Gibraltar. The reason and the force).in Spanish. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.ISBN84-206-4184-7.Chapter 2, "La lucha por Gibraltar" (The Struggle for Gibraltar) is availableonline(PDF)
- Peter Gold(2005).Gibraltar: British or Spanish?.Routledge.ISBN0-415-34795-5.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- A Timeline of Gibraltar's History inGibraltar for kids
- History of Gibraltar (detailed) in discoverGibraltar.com
- Government of Gibraltar website: History of Gibraltar
- Writing the Rock of Gibraltar by M. G. Sanchez.An online anthology of historical texts dealing with Gibraltar from 1720 to 1890.
- Finlayson, Thomas James."The Struggle for Democracy".Gibraltar Chronicle.Archived fromthe originalon 28 April 2004.Retrieved21 October2008.A history of the political evolution of Gibraltar from the 19th century to 2000.
- 'The mongrel race called rock scorpions': the negation of Gibraltarian identity and the politics of contempt.An essay by Dr. M. G. Sanchez
- 'Gibraltar Waters a Special Conservation'euroweeklynews.com– English Language Newspaper in Spain