Bombardment of Algiers (1688) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bombardment of Algiers, 1688 |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of French-Algerian War 1681-88 | |||||||
 The bombardment of Algiers, 1688 |
|||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Algiers |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Jean II d'Estrées |
Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha |
||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| 31 warships 10 bomb galiots |
unknown | ||||||
The bombardment of Algiers in 1688 was a major naval attack. It was ordered by Louis XIV, who was the King of France at the time. His target was the city of Algiers, which was part of the Ottoman Empire and known as the Regency of Algiers. The main reason for this attack was that a peace agreement from 1683 had been broken by Algerian pirates. These pirates were capturing French ships and people.
The French fleet was quite strong. It had 31 warships and 10 special ships called bomb galiots. These bomb galiots were designed to fire powerful bombs. The entire fleet was led by a French admiral named Jean II d'Estrées.
The Attack on Algiers
Admiral d'Estrées and his fleet arrived at Algiers on June 26. They started attacking the city, and their bombs caused a lot of damage. However, the people of Algiers had learned from earlier attacks. They had made their city's defenses much stronger since the French had tried to attack in 1682 and 1683.
Because Algiers was better defended, the French fleet faced tough resistance. They lost several of their ships during the fighting. After 16 days of trying to force Algiers to agree to the peace treaty, the French fleet had to give up. They left without achieving their goal.
What Happened Next
Even though the French didn't win completely, their attack caused problems for the leader of Algiers, who was called the Dey. His name was Mezzo Morto Hüseyin Pasha. The French attack made the people of Algiers very unhappy with him. Because of this public anger, the Dey had to leave the city.
A new leader, Hadj Chabane, took over. He wanted to make a lasting peace with France. So, he sent an ambassador named Mohamed el Amin to Versailles, which was where the French King Louis XIV lived. They successfully negotiated a new peace treaty, and it was officially agreed upon in 1690. This new treaty helped bring an end to the conflict between France and Algiers for a while.
