Charles III of Spain - Conquest of Naples and Sicily

Conquest of Naples and Sicily

Royal styles of Charles I, Duke of Parma
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Your Royal Highness
Alternative style	Sir

Further information: War of the Polish Succession

In 1733, at the death of Augustus II, King of Poland,there was a succession crisis in Poland. France supported a different contender to the throne, than the contender favored by Austria and Russia. France and Savoy formed an alliance that sought to acquire territory from the Austrian monarchy. Spain, who had signed in late 1733 a pact of alliance, the Bourbon Compact, with France also was brought into the conflict. The Spaniards had a marginal role in battles in north Italy. Charle's Mother, as regent, saw the opportunity to regain the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, which Spain had lost in the Treaty of Utrecht: the two kingdoms had been divided between Savoy and Austria, with Sicily being occupied by Austria in the 1720 Treaty of the Hague.

On 20 January 1734, Charles at the age of 18 years was given his majority, and he was able to be "free to govern and to manage in a manner independent its states". He was also named commander of all Spanish troops in Italy, a position he shared with José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar.

Charles, who had the title Charles I of Parma, embarked on a military campaign to take Naples and Sicily. On 27 February King Philip issued a declaration of his intention to capture the Kingdom of Naples, claiming to free it of "excessive violence by the Austrian Viceroy of Naples, oppression and tyranny". After inspecting the Spanish troops at Perugia, Charles ordered the army to march toward Naples on 5 March. The march passed through the Papal States then ruled by Clement XII.

The Austrians, already fighting the French and Savoyard armies to retain Lombardy, had only limited resources for the defense against the Spanish invasion of Naples, and were divided on how best to defend against it. Even though the Emperor wanted to keep Naples, the majority of the Neapolitan nobility were against him, and some conspired against his viceroy. This was because they hoped that Philip would give the kingdom to Charles, who would be more likely to live and rule there, rather than having a viceroy and service a foreign power. On 9 March the Spanish took Procida and Ischia, two islands in the Bay of Naples. A week later they defeated the Austrians at sea. On 31 March (his sister Maria Ana Victoria's 16th birthday) the Bourbon troops closed in on the Austrians in Naples. The Austrian General Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun's defensive position was flanked, and he was forced to withdraw to Capua. This allowed Charles and his troops to advance onto the city of Naples itself.

The Austrian viceroy, Giulio Borromeo Visconti, and the commander of his army, Giovanni Carafa, left some garrisons holding the city's fortresses, and withdrew to Apulia. There they awaited reinforcements that they hoped would provide the resources needed to defeat the Spanish. The Spanish entered Naples and quickly gained control over the Austrian-held fortresses in the early days of April. During that interval, Charles received the compliments of the local nobility as well as the city keys and the privilege book from a delegation of the city's elected officials.

Chronicles of the time reported that Naples was captured "with humanity" and that the combat was only due to a general climate of courtesy between the two armies, often under the eyes of the Neapolitans that approached with curiosity. The first fort that was taken by the Spanish army was the fortress of Carmine (10 April), with Sant'Elmo falling on 27 April, the Castel dell'Ovo on 4 May, and finally the New Castle on 6 May. This all occurred even though Charles had no military experience, seldom wore uniforms, and could only with difficulty be persuaded to witness a review.

Family of Charles in 1743