Gibraltar

While geographically the speeches are rather far apart, with a wayward Aeneas “shipwreck[ed] on the coast of Africa near Carthage” and Tariq ibn Ziyad having already crossed into Europe over the Strait of Gibraltar a thousand miles westward, the settings are analogous as anonymous beaches sheltering these anxious armies (Anderson). The direct audience of soldiers are worried and weary, in desperate need of some rousing rhetoric, Aeneas’ men having been catapulted ashore by a divine storm and ibn Ziyad’s were awaiting a proper battle in a makeshift fortress having “had just spent three months on a scrap of land with no clear idea of what to do next” (Molina). Narratively, the hero must address his cohort as he prepares to push them into further peril. Aeneas’ speech is brief but resolute as he performs “the first duty of a commander: strengthening his men with confidence in their purpose, encouraging them by reminding them of their past exploits, and…

First some basic facts on Gibraltar. At just under three square miles in total area, Gibraltar is a British territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula and guards the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Gibraltar became a part of the Great Britain in 1703 after The War of Spanish Succession. Gibraltar’s population is 32,217 and has the 5th highest population density out of any country or territory in the world. The demographic breakdown of the territory is a bit of a melting pot. 27%…

Summary of “Buying Gloves in Gibraltar” by Mark Twain In “Buying Gloves in Gibraltar”, Mark Twain describes a man who buys gloves that do not fit him and that are not needed just because he wants to appease the desires of the young, beautiful saleslady in the store. The actions of the man buying something that he does not even want or need illustrates how easy it is for man to be hypnotized by a beautiful woman into doing what she wants instead of thinking of his own needs. The man enters the…

Historically, Gibraltar has not always been a British Territory. In 1704, The Grand Alliance ( made up of England, Austria, the Holy Roman Empire, and other smaller European nations) captured Gibraltar during the War of Spanish Succession. The War of Spanish Succession decided who would become the newest King of Spain after Charles II died without an heir. Spain and France backed King Louis XIV of France’s grandson, Philip, to take over as king. The rest of Europe’s royalty was mainly from the…

Gibraltar in World War 2 Gibraltar played a crucial role to British defenses in World War 2. It was a bastion and staging ground. Without the Rock, British military forces would not have a necessary staging ground into Europe. Despite its involvement, very few Gibraltarians were present during the war. The British government ordered, and enforced, a mass evacuation of the Rock to strengthen its abilities as a base. Only those civilians deemed as having “vital” jobs stayed. The evacuated were…

(Burrows 2017,2) said, “rising tensions over sovereignty of the Rock was following a Brexit vote.” This just goes to show how a simple fix could take a more serious tone. This is putting the Royal Navy’s International security at risk. And the fact that it could affect the Brexit vote just goes to show, how serious international business is. International security is a subfield of international relations that focuses on war and peace. With tensions rising, the Royal Navy is getting fed up with…

named it “Little Gibraltar.” In Mid-November, a professional soldier, General Dugommier, arrived to take command of the French army and saw at once that Bonaparte’s plan was the only way for them to succeed in the retaking of Toulon. General Dugommier gave Bonaparte plan full backing, promoting him to Major, saying, “There is only one possible plan – Bonaparte.” Napoleon constructed new firing batteries and worked on the decisive assault that was soon to come. One of the Firing Batteries…

Indies and capture the tobacco and rice growing areas in Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Another strategy was to raise for loyalist troops to help fight the Patriots. At the time this may have seemed like a good idea, but with the French becoming a more important role in the war Britain underestimated the Patriot French alliance. The war in the south was about trying to protect the sugar islands (West Indies) from French forces. When France joined the war in June 1778 they hoped to…

which were produced in America, were sold at a much lower price than sugar. The profit made by selling these products was simply much lower. With the defeat of the French at the Plain of Abraham after the Seven Year’s War, Britain received the large amounts of land, including New France. This victory also meant that Britain gained control over a majority of North America. The British, moreover, were able to expand their empire after the War of the Spanish Succession and the Treaty of Utrecht,…

This Week, a current affairs series aired in the 1980s, released an episode on the 28th of April, 1988, titled “Death on the rock”, edited by Robert Bolton, discussing the shootings of three IRA members in Gibraltar. The documentary goes into detail about the events leading up to the shooting, asking questions about the legality of the actions taken by the British government and the SAS. The documentary uncovers their own pieces of evidence and tries to put together a more thorough picture of…