In 1779 Spain declared War on Great Britain.
With France’s national pride in ruins after their defeat and loss of land in the America’s during the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763) and the Seven Years War (1756 – 1763) France sought revenge against Great Britain. When Britain’s colonies in America began to revolt (the American Revolutionary War 1775 – 1783) France began to make new alliances in Europe and in 1778 France signed a treaty with the American colonists and declared war on Britain. France sent money, troops and warships to aid the colonists while continuing diplomatic efforts in Europe against Britain.
France eventually convinced Spain to go to war with Britain and on the 21st of June 1779 Spain gave its declaration of War with goals of regaining Gibraltar. Spain also had a grudge to bear, having also lost land in the Seven Years War to Britain and despite their King, Philip III initially against supporting a rebellion against another Empire, Spain were also directly involved in the American Revolution. Spain sent a lot of gold and silver to America, helping finance the colonists and their French Allies, particularly the final campaign (the Yorktown Campaign). Spain’s main goal was to regain control of Gibraltar which they lost to the British in 1704 and on the 16th of June 1779 the siege of Gibraltar began with 33,000 French and Spanish soldiers against a besieged British force of 7,500. The British forces were able to repel the invaders and by the 7th of February 1783 the siege was over and Britain had won.
During the Seven Years War Britain invaded and captured two of Spain’s main trading post, Cuba and Manila (in the Philippines). At the end of the Seven Years War in 1763 Spain regained Cuba in the Treaty of Paris but had to cede Florida in return. During the American Revolution in the Anglo-Spanish War, Spain successfully regained control of Florida.
France did not make such gains at the end of the American Revolutionary War and along with the Seven Years War and the French Indian War, France was now bankrupt. The poverty in France would lead to the French Revolution and then to the Napoleonic Wars that would see these once allies at war when Napoleon invaded Spain on the 16th of February 1808. Napoleon had his Brother, Joseph replace their King and placing Spain under French control. Spain would form an alliance with Great Britain and Portugal who defeated with the French and returned Spain to their King once more.
