8. The Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783
Gibraltar was held by the British in 1779, a year in which the American Revolutionary War became a global conflict. British occupation of the territory known as The Rock was a thorn in the side of the Spanish, and when Spain moved to support the Revolutionaries in North America it elected to reclaim the fortress and harbor at the gateway to the Mediterranean. The British resistance to the siege included daring runs into the harbor by ships of the Royal Navy, and despite several periods of severe shortages suffered by the troops and sailors, the British continued to resist Spanish efforts to oust them.
In 1782, after failing to capture Gibraltar for nearly three years, the Spanish received assistance from their French allies, who took over command of the operations. The French were no more successful than the Spaniards. The 43 and nearly a half month-long siege was the longest ever endured by the British Army in all its long history, and with the unflagging support of the Royal Navy, they prevailed over their attackers. Gibraltar has remained in British hands ever since, and serves as a major strategic naval base. Despite its status as a British Overseas Territory, Spain continues to claim the Rock as Spanish in the 21st century.