The Largest Battle of The Revolutionary War

And why was it in Europe

(Public domain)

The Revolutionary War is known for some famous battles like Lexington, Bunker Hill, and Yorktown, but none of these battles were particularly large. Many battles were relatively small affairs, with thousands of troops taking part rather than tens of thousands. Bunker Hill, for example, only featured a couple of thousand soldiers on each side. Even Yorktown, the great siege that largely ended the fighting in North America, only featured around 15,000 troops in total. That is why the Great Siege of Gibraltar is such an enigma when it comes to Revolutionary War battles.

The Great Siege of Gibraltar lasted over three years and featured nearly 100,000 soldiers at its peak. It was by far the largest battle of the Revolutionary War, and it is one that few people know anything about. As the war began to sap British strength, Spain and France saw an opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the British Empire. Spain had long coveted Gibraltar, and together with France, they thought they could lay siege to the rock and wrest it out of British hands. It was a good idea. Britain did not have the strength to hold the island with any great numbers.

The result was a massive siege effort that saw over 65,000 troops on one side and just 6,000 on the other. Spain and France outnumbered the British 10…