War of the Quadruple Alliance

The War of the Quadruple Alliance, fought from 1718 to 1720, pitted Spain against a coalition of Austria, Great Britain, France and Savoy, joined by the Dutch Republic in 1719. Spain sought to recover territory it had lost under the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, and landed troops on Sicily in July 1718. The Quadruple Alliance was formed on 2 August, and nine days later the Royal Navy defeated a Spanish fleet at the Battle of Cape Passaro. Operations centred on Sicily and Spain, with minor engagements in North America, and the Jacobite rising of 1719 in Scotland is treated as a related conflict. Austrian forces retook Sicily in October 1719 and the British sacked Vigo, which pushed Spain to seek terms. The Treaty of The Hague in 1720 restored the earlier position, with Savoy and Austria exchanging Sardinia and Sicily.