South Eastern Spain

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 19 November 1932, Page 11

South Eastern Spain

The Balearic Isles

French Conquest Of Catalonia

(Written for the “Star” by T.C.)

SPAIN has more than half her coasts on \ the Mediterranean. When we think of the coast line of the Iberian Peninsula we remember that a good proportion of that coastline is that of Portugal on the Atlantic and that Spain’s sea-coast lies mainly upon the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. On the latter sea are formed some important Spanish provinces, amongst them being Catalonia, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Almeida and Malaga. Here are also some important. cities, including- Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia, Cartagena, and Malaga. Of these cities Barcelona is the most important and most populous. In the Mediterranean also Spain possesses the Balearic Isles, which have been in her possession since 1803. These islands consist of four large and eleven small islands. They are situated off the east coast of Spain and form a province and a military district. The principal islands are Majorca, Minorca, Iviza, and Fromentaria. The people of these islands are Spanish with a mixture of Moorish blood. The island of Majorca is situated 115 miles south of Barcelona. It is GO miles in length and 48 broad. Majorca is mountainous and there are many bays and harbours. There are many stalactite caves, which are said to be the finest in Europe. The capital of the island is Palma. The population of the whole island is 250,000. Minorca is 25 miles north-east of Majorca. It is 35 miles in length and has an average width of 10 miles. The coast is indented and rocky and the surface hilly. This island was for some years in British hands. On this island, too, are beautiful stalactite eaves. The population of Minorca is 40,000. Iviza is the westernmost island of the group and lies 59 miles from the Spanish coast. It is described as hilly and wooded, with an indented coast, a good climate, beautiful scenery, and fertile soil. The population is scattered and. the only important, town is Iviza, the capital. The population of this island is 24,000. With the exception of Fromentaria and Cabrera the rest of the islands are unimportant. During the Napoleonic wars, when the French had over-run Catalonia, Spanish troops from the Balearic Isles rendered important service in that province. Connected with the history of these islands was the fate of Admiral Byng, the only admiral in the annals of the British Navy to be executed for dereliction of duty. In 1745 John Byng had been made a Rear-Admiral. From 1751 he was M.P. for Rochester and in 1756 he was sent in command of a small squadron to defend Minorca, which was at that time a British possession. The French had landed on the island when Admiral Byng arrived at Port Mahon. The French acted on the defensive, and Byng, after some fighting, gave up the attack at nightfall. Four days later he decided that it Avas impossible to Minorca and sailed for Gibraltar. When neAAcs of his defeat reached England Admiral Avas sent to supersede him and Byng Avas placed under arrest. He was brought before a court-martial at Portsmouth and after a trial Avhich lasted a month, he Avas, the articles of Avar alloAving no other course, condemned to death. He Avas shot at Portsmouth Harbour on March 14, 1757. Bvnd Avas acquitted of the charge of coAvardice, but Avas found guilty of not doing his best to relieve St- Philip’s Castle, Minorca, or to engage and destroy the ships of the enemy. Barcelona, Avhieli has a population of 760,000, is the chief city of Catalonia and the second seaport of Spain. It is built on the slopingedge of a small plain between‘the rivers Besos on the north, and the Llobregat on the south and lies along- the Mediterranean in the form of a half-moon. The neAA r toAvn to the north has Avide streets, handsome modern houses and beautiful gardens. The main thoroughfare of the old tOAvn is the Rambla, Avhich has a fine promenade Avith plane-trees planted doAvn the centre and on either side are the principal buildings of the city. Barcelona is said to liaA'e been founded by the Carthaginians in the third century B.C. it later became a Roman colony and Avas the leading market on the Avestern Mediterranean. The city reached the height of its fame in the twelfth century, Avlien its merchant ships traded as far aa’cs! as the North Sea and the, Baltic and as far east as Alexandria. Barcelona has been noted in recent years for its great labour troubles and also for the revolutionary tendencies amongst its people.

One of the most noted of Spanish revolutionaries was Francisco Ferrer (1859-1909). Ferrer was born at Barcelona, where lie was employed as a railwayman from 1877-85, and devoted much attention to and rationalism. He then became associated with Spanish revolutionaries and spent some time in Paris. lie returned to his native city in 1901 and founded schools for socialistic and rationalistic teaching. In 1909 he was active in insurrections in Barcelona aiming l at the establishment of a new anti-Catholic state in Catalonia. Condemned as being the principal leader of the insurrection he was shot on October 13, 1909. His execution roused great indignation in Spain and led to the fall of the Maura cabinet.

The district of a Catalonia of which Barcelona was a par! was formerly a province of Spain and of the principality of AragTin. It is now represented by the provinces of Corona, Barcelona, Lerida and Tarragona- Catalonia is bounded by the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and Aragon, and is a wild mountainous district with rugged coast, no navigable rivers and few harbours. Catalonia is famous as an industrial district. Its people are hard working, energetic, independent and exclusive. In 1918 the General Council of Catalonia made a request to the Peace Conference for entire independence from Spain. Since the establishment of Spanish Republic there have been reports of Catalan desires for Independence. The Republican Government of Spain, will without doubt be able to satisfy the desires of this important district by giving to it a measure of self-government. By the Convention of Fontainebleau, which was in reality an agreement between Napoleon and Spain for the invasion of Porter-

o-al and the subjugation o£ that country. France and Spain were each to provide an army of several thousand men. It was in this way that the French Emperor entered Spain and which led to the great Peninsular War. This Convention was signed in 1807. Barcelona was early taken possession of by the French, General Duhesme crossing the Spanish frontier. His army consisted of 11,000 infantry, 1600 cavalry and 18 guns. This army took the name of the*“Army of the Eastern Pyrenees.” Napoleon knew the importance of Barcelona. “With an immense population, great riches, a good harbour and almost impregnable defences, Barcelona might be called the key of the South of France and of Spain,” he said. An English army which was in Sicily, with Barcelona in Spanish hands, might from that city menace Southern France. This Napoleon was anxious to avoid. The occupation of Catalonia greatly assisted Napoleon’s plans for the conquest of Spain. When this province was occupied by the French, the whole of the Catalan peasantry rose against the invaders. A Spanish army under the Count of Caldagues which had assisted in the relief of Gerona when that place had been beseiged by the French, occupied the line of the Llobregat. The French General Dulieseme marched against him, with 6000 men, from Barcelona and immediately attacked the Spaniards at San Boy and Molino del Rev. The port at San Boy was captured, but the French were repulsed at Molino del Rev. The French general then returned to Barcelona. The Spaniards under General Vives then besieged Barcelona, but in a half-hearted manner. Napoleon at this time sent a general who became eventually a Marshal of France, to take control of the French forces in Catalonia. St. Cyr arrived with an army of 7000 men. Shortly afterwards he laid siege to the town of Rosas. This siege was noted for the spirited defence offered by Lord Cochrane and some.. English sailors who had succeeded in coming to the assistance of the Spanish defenders. In spite of every effort, however, the town was at length surrendered to the French. Two important battles were fought for the relief of Barcelona, that of Cardadeu and Molino del Rey. In the first of these battles the Spanish centre was attacked and overthrown and, being charged by the cavalry, were scattered in every direction and left all their artillery and ammunition behind and 2000 prisoners were taken. The Spanish General Vives, who had been besieging Barcelona and took part in this battle, fle'd and found refuge in an English vessel. The loss of the French was only 600 men, and the result of the battle was so decisive that the French General St. Cyr decided to at once move on Barcelona. This he did and entered the city without any opposition. The French commander remainded at Barcelona for some time hoping that the Spaniards would concentrate" in sufficiently large numbers for him to strike a decisive blow. In this he was not disappointed, for the two Spanish Generals, Caldagues and Reding, assembled an army at Molino del Rey. The Spaniards were drawn up on the heights behind a village. The river Llobregat covered their front and their flank was secure from attack except by the bridge of Molino del Rey. An attack on the bridge was ordered and the battle which followed resulted in a complete French victory. The Spanish losses were severe, and 1200 prisoners were taken. The Spanish army in Catalonia now consisted ’of four armies, with Alvarej with 400 men at Gerona; Lazan, near Zaragosa with bOOO men; Don Juan Castro with 16,000 men, near Tarragona, and Reding with from 10,000 to 12,000 men at Tarragona- The Spaniards were assisted in obtaining food supplies by the vessels along the coast, whilst the French^ had difficulty in obtaining such supplies of Food. The French army at this time consisted of 48,000 men, having been reinforced by a German division. At this time an insurrection broke out in Barcelona, and proposals, which were rejected, were made to General Lecclii, in command of the citadel, to deliver it up to the Spaniards. Several important engagements took place at this time, the battle of Vais which ended, for some time at least, the regular warfare in Catalonia, being the most important. In this battle the French crossed a river in face of the foe, and storming the hill on which the Spanish army was strongly posted, drove off the enemy in confusion. The Spanish commander received severe sabre wounds and -took refuge at Tarragona. Several superior officers and all the artillery and baggage were taken and 4000 were killed or wounded. After this battle the armed peasants of Catalonia gave the French much trouble, but the French commander had no longer a regular army with which to contend.

Napier, the historian of the Peninsula War, who was an eyewitness* and a combatant in many of the scenes he so vividly depicts, writes thus concerning St. Cyr: “General St. Cyr’s marches were hardy, his battles vigorous and delivered in the right time and place, but his campaign as a whole, may be charactered, as one of great efforts without corresponding advantages. lie himself attributed this to the condition of the 7th army corps, destitute and neglected, because the Emperor disliked and wished to ruin ils chief—a strange accusation, and unsustained by reason or facts. What! Napoleon wilfully destroy his own armies! sacrifice 4-0,000 men, that a general, whom he was not obliged to employ at all, might be disgraced! General >St. Cyr acknowledges that when he received his instructions from the Emperor he observed the affliction of the latter at the recent loss of Dupont’s force (Napier here refers to the surrender at Baylen of General Dupont and IS,GOO French troops to the Spaniards). Yet he would have it believed that, in the midst of this regret, that monarch

with a singular malice, was preparing greater disasters for himself, merely to disgrace the general commanding the 7th corps. And why? Because the latter had formerly served with the army on the Rhine! Yet St. Cyr met with no reverses in Catalonia, and was afterwards made a marshal by this implacable enemy.”