Already in Greek mythology the city of Ceuta had a special relevance. For the ancient Greeks Europe and Africa were united by a mountain range, until Hercules with a blow of his mallet opened a breach known today as the Strait of Gibraltar. Both Gibraltar and Ceuta -known historically as Calpe and Abila respectively- formed the famous columns of Hercules, representative symbol of Spain throughout history.
Thanks to the newest EU IV 'Spain' patch, there are a lot of upgrades in North Africa too. I enjoy very much playing this game while also learning history. Because of this, I got curious about the history of the area, because it is not something that we learn at school (in Spain) so I looked it up.
Here is a brief history of both north African cities, currently "autonomous cities" of the Kingdom of Spain. At the end there is a brief conclusion and comparison with Gibraltar, which as you know might be officially declared as a colony by the EU if there is a hard Brexit.
Ceuta
Melilla
Gibraltar
But as International Law itself fixes, mere occupation is not a motive for the acquisition of sovereignty; That is why the analysis of history is key in order to see if a particular piece of land has followed the steps of the rest of their homeland over time.
As we can see, in the case of the autonomous cities, Ceuta has more than 420 years of Spanish history plus another 84 previous years of Portuguese sovereignty, while Melilla has more than 500 years of Spanish sovereignty. On top of that, these two cities were never effectively controlled and developed by any other country. During the colonization era in North Africa, both Ceuta and Melilla (as well as the rock Vélez de la Gomera) were always organized outside the Spanish protectorate of Morocco, which is why these enclaves were never considered as colonies, being of Spanish sovereignty as much as any other territory in Peninsular Spain. Morocco, on the other hand, became independent from France in 1956.
Unlike the Spanish North African cities, Gibraltar was registered by the UN in 1946 as "non-autonomous territory". Already in 1963, in the middle of a decade of decolonization by the European powers, Gibraltar is included in the list of territories to be decolonized by the United Nations. It is detailed how Gibraltar destroys the national unity and the territorial integrity of Spain, rendering it incompatible with the UN Resolutions agreed on the subject (Resolution 1.514, sixth paragraph, of 1960).
And finally, an unrelated thought. It is very beautiful to imagine what would have happened if there was no New World or if it was discovered at a different moment. Would the Christian kingdoms have taken over north Africa and fight the Saracens and the Ottomans? Maybe the arabic kingdoms united to fight the christian menace of a post-reconquista expanding into their homeland? All these thoughts are represented in some of the missions in the game. That's why I love this game so much!
Thanks to the newest EU IV 'Spain' patch, there are a lot of upgrades in North Africa too. I enjoy very much playing this game while also learning history. Because of this, I got curious about the history of the area, because it is not something that we learn at school (in Spain) so I looked it up.
Here is a brief history of both north African cities, currently "autonomous cities" of the Kingdom of Spain. At the end there is a brief conclusion and comparison with Gibraltar, which as you know might be officially declared as a colony by the EU if there is a hard Brexit.
Ceuta
During the 8th century (the time of the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Muslims) the city was destroyed, being rebuilt a century later. At that time there was already a conflict over the jurisdiction of the city. The caliphs in Spain always claimed it as part of Al-Ándalus, that is, they claimed that Ceuta has always been under peninsular jurisdiction. For example in the X century Ceuta was under the caliphate of Cordoba, in the XI century it was the territory of the Taifa of Málaga, in the XIII it was sovereignty of the Taifa of Murcia and from the XIV onwards it was under the kingdom of Granada.
Later, fruit of the Christian reconquest, the main kingdoms of the peninsula (Portugal, Castile and Aragon) made expeditions through the Mediterranean with the intention of increasing their presence and importance in front of the Muslim power. On August 21, 1415, an army led by King D. Juan I of Portugal invaded Ceuta for the glory of Portugal.
Ceuta then passed to Spanish sovereignty as a consequence of the Iberian Union. The union dreamed by the Catholic Kings occurred in 1581, when Felipe II was sworn in as king of Portugal before the Portuguese Cortes. Felipe II became a legitimate heir to the throne thanks to the matrimonial strategies of the Catholic monarchs. The Portuguese throne had become vacant in 1578, when King Sebastian I died in the campaign of Alcazarquivir, located in the Atlantic area of Morocco. The objective of these campaigns was to fight against the Muslim forces for fear that they would attack the Peninsula again. Portugal's main enemy in the area was the Berber kingdom of Fez, which continually harassed the Portuguese North African enclaves.
In 1640 the Portuguese (badly influenced by the English) decided to become independent of Spain understanding that they would be more prosperous. The Duke of Braganza took advantage of the conflict that existed at that time as a result of the Union of Arms, together with conflicts between Castilian troops and the Catalan peasants in the border with France, to become independent of Spain. Despite this decision, the population of Ceuta refused to follow the uprising of Portugal, remaining faithful to Spain. That is why, since then, the city of Ceuta has received the honorary titles of "Siempre Noble y Leal" (Always Noble and Loyal).
Later, fruit of the Christian reconquest, the main kingdoms of the peninsula (Portugal, Castile and Aragon) made expeditions through the Mediterranean with the intention of increasing their presence and importance in front of the Muslim power. On August 21, 1415, an army led by King D. Juan I of Portugal invaded Ceuta for the glory of Portugal.
Ceuta then passed to Spanish sovereignty as a consequence of the Iberian Union. The union dreamed by the Catholic Kings occurred in 1581, when Felipe II was sworn in as king of Portugal before the Portuguese Cortes. Felipe II became a legitimate heir to the throne thanks to the matrimonial strategies of the Catholic monarchs. The Portuguese throne had become vacant in 1578, when King Sebastian I died in the campaign of Alcazarquivir, located in the Atlantic area of Morocco. The objective of these campaigns was to fight against the Muslim forces for fear that they would attack the Peninsula again. Portugal's main enemy in the area was the Berber kingdom of Fez, which continually harassed the Portuguese North African enclaves.
In 1640 the Portuguese (badly influenced by the English) decided to become independent of Spain understanding that they would be more prosperous. The Duke of Braganza took advantage of the conflict that existed at that time as a result of the Union of Arms, together with conflicts between Castilian troops and the Catalan peasants in the border with France, to become independent of Spain. Despite this decision, the population of Ceuta refused to follow the uprising of Portugal, remaining faithful to Spain. That is why, since then, the city of Ceuta has received the honorary titles of "Siempre Noble y Leal" (Always Noble and Loyal).
Melilla
The Phoenicians, original people of present-day Lebanon, founded the city in the 7th century BC. with the name of Rusadir. It has been under the rule of Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Vandals, the Visigoths and the Arabic. As for the latter, it is necessary to emphasize that it was the Umayyad dynasty that initiated the conquest of the city during its Muslim period, a dynasty that is not related to the Moroccan national identity. The city (known at that time as "Melilia") was a commercial enclave of great importance due to its location. The Strait was a place of great instability due to the Viking looting, being Melilla devastated by them in 859 AD. Almost a century later, the city joins the caliphate of Córdoba (again, peninsular rule).
After the Almoravids first passed away, the Almohads came, and after their defeat in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa by the Christians, they disappeared gradually. The population of the city of Melilla was always independent of the kingdoms of the area. After the Almohads escaped to Algeria, the Marinid dynasty occupies part of the northern region of present-day Morocco, being defeated again by Alfonso XI of Castile, giving rise to small kingdoms such as Fez or Tremecen. Both kingdoms tried to dispute the strategic city of Melilla, being always defended successfully by the inhabitants of Melilla.
The city of Melilla was since then "no-man's land", continuously attacked by the nearby Berber kingdoms. At the end of the fourteenth century, the native population, tired of the raids and looting of the bordering Muslim kingdoms, burned the city, not again becoming important until the arrival of Castile and Portugal.
In 1399 Castilla conquers Tetuan in order to better control the Strait and reduce piracy in the area, which had become a serious problem. Throughout the XV century Portuguese and Castilian strengthen their presence in the area, their activity being so intense that they had to create limits of action in the region in order to avoid conflicts between the two kingdoms. By means of the Treaty of Alcaçovas, signed in 1479, the Atlantic zone of present Morocco is fixed for Portugal -except Canary Islands- while the Mediterranean part is for Castile.
A year after the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada, the Catholic Kings sent scouts with the objective of knowing the exact situation of the Melilla region, to create a fortress there. Although the city was uninhabited, the surroundings were convulsive as there were open conflicts between the Kingdom of Fez against Portugal. The Catholic Kings finally decide not to enter Melilla, as the conquest of the New World is more present in their thoughts.
That is why, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, Juan Alonso Perez de Guzman, asks for royal authorization to conquer the Melilla plaza. Castilla agreed, and it's finally conquered by Pedro de Estopiñán, head of the army of the dukedom of Medina Sidonia, on September 17th, 1497. In 1556, due to lack of funds, this duchy gave the autonomous city of Melilla to the Kingdom of Castile due to not being able to maintain it.
After the Almoravids first passed away, the Almohads came, and after their defeat in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa by the Christians, they disappeared gradually. The population of the city of Melilla was always independent of the kingdoms of the area. After the Almohads escaped to Algeria, the Marinid dynasty occupies part of the northern region of present-day Morocco, being defeated again by Alfonso XI of Castile, giving rise to small kingdoms such as Fez or Tremecen. Both kingdoms tried to dispute the strategic city of Melilla, being always defended successfully by the inhabitants of Melilla.
The city of Melilla was since then "no-man's land", continuously attacked by the nearby Berber kingdoms. At the end of the fourteenth century, the native population, tired of the raids and looting of the bordering Muslim kingdoms, burned the city, not again becoming important until the arrival of Castile and Portugal.
In 1399 Castilla conquers Tetuan in order to better control the Strait and reduce piracy in the area, which had become a serious problem. Throughout the XV century Portuguese and Castilian strengthen their presence in the area, their activity being so intense that they had to create limits of action in the region in order to avoid conflicts between the two kingdoms. By means of the Treaty of Alcaçovas, signed in 1479, the Atlantic zone of present Morocco is fixed for Portugal -except Canary Islands- while the Mediterranean part is for Castile.
A year after the conquest of the Kingdom of Granada, the Catholic Kings sent scouts with the objective of knowing the exact situation of the Melilla region, to create a fortress there. Although the city was uninhabited, the surroundings were convulsive as there were open conflicts between the Kingdom of Fez against Portugal. The Catholic Kings finally decide not to enter Melilla, as the conquest of the New World is more present in their thoughts.
That is why, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, Juan Alonso Perez de Guzman, asks for royal authorization to conquer the Melilla plaza. Castilla agreed, and it's finally conquered by Pedro de Estopiñán, head of the army of the dukedom of Medina Sidonia, on September 17th, 1497. In 1556, due to lack of funds, this duchy gave the autonomous city of Melilla to the Kingdom of Castile due to not being able to maintain it.
Gibraltar
The history of Gibraltar was united to the history of the rest of the Peninsula until the 4th of August of 1704, date in which an Anglo-Dutch coalition took control of strategic enclave. To understand how England and Holland were able to attack Gibraltar without fear of possible reprisals by Spain, it is necessary to go back to the War of Spanish Succession. Carlos II of Austria, known as the enchanted one -due to his weak state of health, physically and mentally, fruit of the constant conjugal crosses, normal at that time among the royal families- dies without descendants. In his testament, Carlos II names as successor the Frenchman Felipe de Anjou, coming from the Bourbon family and grandson of Louis XIV. Felipe de Anjou was crowned under the name of Felipe V, being the first Bourbon to reign in Spain, and for many, the start of Spain's tragic downfall.
The relevance in the world of Spain at that time was outstanding, that is why Europe was not willing to allow the union of two superpowers such as Spain and France, as it would mean a strong blow to the status quo established in the continent. Thus England and Holland united to support Charles of Habsburg who had dynastic rights. Clearly the claim of the Habsburg House was the weakest; even so a war began at a European level, concentrated, of course, in Spain. All the interested powers moved chips to obtain support for their candidates in the Peninsula.
On the one hand, there was Philip V who matched perfectly the centralist model of Castile, the strongest kingdom on the Peninsula. On the other, Charles of Habsburg, represented the model of the House of Austria, which came as a glove to the Crown of Aragon, and especially Catalonia. The fact that the Crown of Aragon supported the Habsburgs did not mean, far from it, that it departed from national sentiment, but that for each kingdom the best thing for Spain was a king and not the other; they were non-secessionist patriots, a constant misrepresentation on the part of modern Catalan nationalism.
On August 4, 1704, Admiral Rooke and the Dutch Prince Hesse-Darmstadt with a force markedly superior to the Spanish garrison succeeds in seizing the Rock. The native population of Gibraltar fled, moving to the bordering municipality of San Roque, whose City Council today is still called "Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Gibraltar en San Roque" (Town Hall of the City of Gibraltar in San Roque). Finally, the archduke Charles inherited the German empire with which he loses the interest to reign Spain. Queen Anne of Great Britain agreed with King Louis XIV of France to end the War of Succession by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The main lines of the Treaty were, first of all, to recognize Philip V as King of Spain. In second term, the Austrian Empire takes the Spanish low countries as well as Naples and Sardinia, while the Kingdom of Savoy annexes Sicily. In third and last term, England would have right to trade with the Spanish Indies, and also be able to do so with slaves. As for the territories, England annexes Menorca and Gibraltar.
The relevance in the world of Spain at that time was outstanding, that is why Europe was not willing to allow the union of two superpowers such as Spain and France, as it would mean a strong blow to the status quo established in the continent. Thus England and Holland united to support Charles of Habsburg who had dynastic rights. Clearly the claim of the Habsburg House was the weakest; even so a war began at a European level, concentrated, of course, in Spain. All the interested powers moved chips to obtain support for their candidates in the Peninsula.
On the one hand, there was Philip V who matched perfectly the centralist model of Castile, the strongest kingdom on the Peninsula. On the other, Charles of Habsburg, represented the model of the House of Austria, which came as a glove to the Crown of Aragon, and especially Catalonia. The fact that the Crown of Aragon supported the Habsburgs did not mean, far from it, that it departed from national sentiment, but that for each kingdom the best thing for Spain was a king and not the other; they were non-secessionist patriots, a constant misrepresentation on the part of modern Catalan nationalism.
On August 4, 1704, Admiral Rooke and the Dutch Prince Hesse-Darmstadt with a force markedly superior to the Spanish garrison succeeds in seizing the Rock. The native population of Gibraltar fled, moving to the bordering municipality of San Roque, whose City Council today is still called "Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Gibraltar en San Roque" (Town Hall of the City of Gibraltar in San Roque). Finally, the archduke Charles inherited the German empire with which he loses the interest to reign Spain. Queen Anne of Great Britain agreed with King Louis XIV of France to end the War of Succession by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The main lines of the Treaty were, first of all, to recognize Philip V as King of Spain. In second term, the Austrian Empire takes the Spanish low countries as well as Naples and Sardinia, while the Kingdom of Savoy annexes Sicily. In third and last term, England would have right to trade with the Spanish Indies, and also be able to do so with slaves. As for the territories, England annexes Menorca and Gibraltar.
But as International Law itself fixes, mere occupation is not a motive for the acquisition of sovereignty; That is why the analysis of history is key in order to see if a particular piece of land has followed the steps of the rest of their homeland over time.
As we can see, in the case of the autonomous cities, Ceuta has more than 420 years of Spanish history plus another 84 previous years of Portuguese sovereignty, while Melilla has more than 500 years of Spanish sovereignty. On top of that, these two cities were never effectively controlled and developed by any other country. During the colonization era in North Africa, both Ceuta and Melilla (as well as the rock Vélez de la Gomera) were always organized outside the Spanish protectorate of Morocco, which is why these enclaves were never considered as colonies, being of Spanish sovereignty as much as any other territory in Peninsular Spain. Morocco, on the other hand, became independent from France in 1956.
Unlike the Spanish North African cities, Gibraltar was registered by the UN in 1946 as "non-autonomous territory". Already in 1963, in the middle of a decade of decolonization by the European powers, Gibraltar is included in the list of territories to be decolonized by the United Nations. It is detailed how Gibraltar destroys the national unity and the territorial integrity of Spain, rendering it incompatible with the UN Resolutions agreed on the subject (Resolution 1.514, sixth paragraph, of 1960).
And finally, an unrelated thought. It is very beautiful to imagine what would have happened if there was no New World or if it was discovered at a different moment. Would the Christian kingdoms have taken over north Africa and fight the Saracens and the Ottomans? Maybe the arabic kingdoms united to fight the christian menace of a post-reconquista expanding into their homeland? All these thoughts are represented in some of the missions in the game. That's why I love this game so much!
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