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Today, it's one of
Europe's largest democracies
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and greatest military powers.
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But standing at the crossroads
between continents,
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Spain has repeatedly faced
invasions from both
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inside and outside Europe.
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It has been the battleground
for conflict over land,
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wealth, and more than
anything, ideas.
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This is the extraordinary
story of the defense of Spain.
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From centuries of
religious struggle.
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It would
seem like they're now caught in
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a trap where they would be
utterly destroyed.
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Through vicious
battles to protect
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the riches of its empire.
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When they finish their
terror attack on the city,
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Cádiz lay in ruins.
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All leading to one
of the most bitter civil wars
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of the 20th century.
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People started pouring
into the tunnels.
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Thousands of men, women,
children, the elderly,
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just trying to escape the
nightmare above their heads.
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Every country is a
prisoner of its geography,
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bordered by mountains,
rivers, seas, or stone.
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And every country must defend
these borders from attack.
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On land, in the air,
and on the high seas.
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This series explores the
incredible structures,
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ingenious weapons, and
brilliant strategies
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that have shaped Europe's most
battle-hardened countries
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over the last thousand years,
and played a crucial role
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in creating the
nations we see today.
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The vast castles,
palaces, and cathedrals of Spain
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are amongst the grandest
and most exotic in Europe.
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Striking monuments that whisper
the epic history of a nation.
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Its very soul forged in
brutal conflict
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under two mighty empires.
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{\an8}Lying to Europe's far southwest,
Spain occupies most of
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{\an8}the Iberian Peninsula,
almost touching the
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{\an8}northern tip of Africa.
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{\an8}1,300 years ago, it stood at the
frontier of the largest empire
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{\an8}the world had yet seen.
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{\an8}A mighty Islamic caliphate,
stretching from Central Asia
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all the way to the
Straits of Gibraltar.
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Where in 711, the caliphate
launched an invasion
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that would change Spain forever.
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Armies of several
thousand Islamic warriors
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made a grab for Spain's fertile
land and vast mineral resources.
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{\an8}Within a few years, the
invaders had claimed
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{\an8}most of the Iberian
Peninsula for the Caliphate.
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{\an8}It was just the beginning
of a long conflict
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between Christian Europe and
the North African invaders.
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Historian, Dr. Onyeka Onubia
has come to Southwest Spain,
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the heart of Islamic power,
to investigate the tactics
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and battles in this struggle.
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The people that came
from Africa and Asia Minor
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are colloquially called Moors,
and they were to rule large
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parts of the Iberian Peninsula
for almost eight centuries.
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They called their
kingdom Al-Andalus.
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And the Moors brought
with them to Al-Andalus,
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a sophisticated new culture.
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What was it
to live under Moorish culture?
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Well, this culture was a
synthesis of ancient Greek,
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ancient Roman, African mores,
with Islamic Muslim traditions
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all mixed in together.
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And what you see here
with running water
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and underground heating
is an indication
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of that civilization, that
opulence, that finery,
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perhaps some of the most
advanced civilization
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that was existing in Western
Europe at this time.
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But whilst in the South,
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Islamic Spain flourished
and grew rich.
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{\an8}To the North, Christian armies
began taking back territory.
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{\an8}Al-Andalus also became
vulnerable to growing threats of
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invasion from the sea.
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In the struggle for the
survival of Islamic Spain,
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one place would prove critical,
a lucrative trade link
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connecting Al-Andalus to
the rest of the Muslim
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world and the Mediterranean,
the southern port of Malaga.
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In 1057, Malaga was
under the control of
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an ambitious Islamic warlord,
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the Emir of Granada,
Badis Ibn Habus.
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And his number one priority
was to defend this vital port.
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Ibn
Habus needed to build a
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place that was strong
geographically,
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strategically, militarily.
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A fort that would
be impregnable.
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His solution was the Alcazaba.
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Perched on a hill on the
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southeastern edge of the city,
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the Alcazaba overlooks the port
and dominates its surroundings.
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Geographically, it's
in a strong position.
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Attack, if it came,
would be seen
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from everywhere in the citadel.
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But it is the defensive
design of this citadel
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that makes it unique.
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It had two tiers, a
high outer wall with
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regularly spaced towers,
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and a fortified inner enclosure
that protected the palace.
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Even if assailants penetrated
the heavily fortified entrance,
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they would find themselves
in a maze-like passageway,
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facing a series of strong gates.
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An attacking
force needs momentum, speed,
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in order to take a
castle like this.
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This design, with its
sharp turns and bends
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and close quarters,
prevents that momentum.
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The attacking force
never gets the speed
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that it needs to
conquer this citadel.
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But the biggest
danger would come from above.
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The attacking
army would be met by spears,
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boiling oil, waste, or the
defender's main weapon,
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the short bow and the crossbow.
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Crossbows were easy to use
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and deadly accurate
at short range.
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With the battlements providing
protection for reloading,
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the short bow and skilled hands
was ideal for rapid shooting,
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the perfect weapons for
defending the citadel.
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As the attackers emerged
into the open courtyard,
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they would run into a murderous
hail of bolts and arrows
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coming from every angle.
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High
up on these walls,
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the genius of Ibn
Habus's design is clear.
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We have towers,
turrets, and walkways
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protecting other towers,
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turrets, and walkways in
intersecting arcs of fire.
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Any attacker is being
met by not just one,
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but several lines of defense.
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It's genius.
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It was a sort of
lethal medieval computer game
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with increasing levels
of impossibility.
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The people
that constructed these palaces
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must have felt that they
were beyond attack,
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safe and secure in
their citadel of power.
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The defenses of the
Alcazaba was so formidable
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that in its first 400 years,
there was not a single
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attempt to lay siege to it.
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But its day of
reckoning was coming.
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{\an8}The Christian armies continued
a gradual advance south
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{\an8}until by the 15th century, all
that was left of Al-Andalus
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{\an8}was the Emirate of Granada.
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Governed from Granada's
sumptuous Alhambra Palace,
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Islamic Spain was about to
face its sternest test.
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The armies of
Christian monarchs,
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King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella,
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now outnumbered
those of the Moors,
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and they were
coming for Malaga.
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With them, they brought
state-of-the-art
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weaponry, artillery, with
the power to fire into
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the very heart of its citadels.
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In May 1487, the
armies of Ferdinand and Isabella
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surrounded the city of
Malaga with 80,000 troops,
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and the largest artillery
Spain had ever seen.
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They blockaded the port so
that no one and no supplies
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could get in or out,
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and then demanded that
the Moors surrender.
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But the leaders of just
15,000 Moorish defenders,
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hardened and charismatic,
Hamet el-Zagri, refused,
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and he had reason
to be confident.
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The Moors had updated Malaga's
defenses with an imposing wall
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up to four meters
thick around the city,
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and an extra outer wall
to protect against attack
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from the north.
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But el-Zagri's secret
weapon lay to the east,
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where a steep hill offered
a strategic vantage point.
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Here, the Moors had
constructed a secondary,
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highly fortified castle,
overseeing and towering
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above the Alcazaba, the
Castle of Gibralfaro
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Gibralfaro
was really state-of-the-art.
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El-Zagri's biggest advantage
was that this fortification
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had been constructed with
modern technology in mind,
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with the knowledge that
they may be attacked
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with gunpowder,
cannons, and guns.
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Look around and see that we're
in an elevated position,
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high up on this mountain.
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This position is
strategically important
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because it holds
the higher ground.
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This meant the
defenders in Gibralfaro
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could take potshots at an
attacking army all day long,
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whilst the attackers
would be helpless
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to do anything about it.
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The parapets
and towers were constructed
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with a particular elevation,
making it impossible for
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Ferdinand or Isabella's cannons
or guns to reach the top.
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Malaga had the
strongest fortifications
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in all Al-Andalus.
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But it faced the
greatest firepower
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the country had ever seen.
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The future of Spain, of
Islam and Christianity
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hung on the coming battle.
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And it began with
large batteries of
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Ferdinand's cannons
opening fire.
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After weeks of bombardment,
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they finally breached
the outer wall.
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The Moors fought fiercely to
keep Ferdinand's troops out.
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{\an8}But eventually, they
were forced to retreat
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{\an8}behind the main city wall.
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{\an8}It would
seem like the defenders are
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{\an8}now caught in a trap
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where they would be
utterly destroyed.
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Now, Ferdinand
brought in a new weapon,
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his heavy Lombard cannons,
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00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,720
firing 30 kilogram
iron shot to try and
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smash Malaga's main city walls.
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But the walls held firm.
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Still refusing to surrender,
El Zegri launched raids to
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terrorize the Christian camps.
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So the Christians
decided to escalate.
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And in Queen Isabella,
they had a mastermind
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of logistics to do it.
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They brought in thousands more
troops and mobile siege towers.
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In response, the Moors
dug underneath the towers
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and blew them up.
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But however fiercely
the Moors fought,
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they could not
break the blockade.
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The
attackers managed to stop
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00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:27,200
the importation of food
and the water ran out.
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Finally, after three
months of fighting,
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00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,600
Ferdinand destroyed
the tower guarding
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a key bridge to the city,
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allowing the Christian
troops to pour in.
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By now, the citizens
of Malaga had resorted
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00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,440
to eating cats,
dogs, and leaves.
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And on the 13th of August,
they threw themselves on the
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00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:02,880
mercy of Ferdinand and Isabella.
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But El Zagri and his
troops in the Alcazaba
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refused to surrender,
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still hoping for
reinforcements to arrive.
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Against the odds,
they fought on.
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Eventually,
the defenders in Alcazaba
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were forced to move
from their position
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up here to Gibralfaro.
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The Alcazaba was
connected to Gibralfaro
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by a fortified corridor
called the Coracha.
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The Coracha was an escape
route where soldiers and
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00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,200
weapons could be moved
in a time of withdrawal
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from one citadel to another.
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00:15:54,840 --> 00:16:00,720
El Zegri's men climbed
the Coracha to Gibralfaro.
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00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,920
There, the
enemy threw everything at them,
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but they couldn't
break the defences.
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El Zegri held out
inside the fortress complex
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for about a week, but in
the end, it wasn't the
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00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:15,640
fortifications that failed.
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His reinforcements
never arrived.
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00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,400
Ferdinand had destroyed them
before they got to Malaga.
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00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,960
When El Zegri realised
this, he had no choice.
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00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,560
On 19th August 1487, he
finally surrendered.
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Most of his troops and
the citizens of Malaga
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were sold as slaves.
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00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,200
El Zegri himself died in jail.
247
00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,440
Around Malaga, the Muslim
symbol of the crescent moon
248
00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:50,880
was replaced with
that of the cross.
249
00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,640
The small mosque in
Gibralfaro was consecrated
250
00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:58,080
as a Christian chapel.
251
00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:08,760
{\an8}But it would take Ferdinand and
Isabella another five long years
252
00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:13,440
{\an8}of bloody fighting,
until in 1492, they
253
00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,200
finally captured Granada.
254
00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:22,200
After nearly 800 years, all of
Spain was Christian once again.
255
00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,080
But this power couple were only
just beginning their conquests.
256
00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,000
The very same year, they
made a momentous decision
257
00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:37,840
and took a gamble to
finance a young sailor
258
00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:39,680
called Christopher Columbus.
259
00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,400
To search for a route
to India by going west.
260
00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,600
Out of the ashes of the
Islamic Caliphate,
261
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,120
a new empire was about to rise.
262
00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:56,360
The Spanish Empire.
263
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,000
In October 1492,
Christopher Columbus landed
264
00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:09,000
in the Bahamas with
just three small ships.
265
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,200
A seismic event that was to
catapult Spain
266
00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,680
to the status of
world superpower.
267
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:20,840
{\an8}Its new empire soon spread
through the Caribbean
268
00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,520
{\an8}and large swathes of
North and South America.
269
00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:30,600
For the indigenous peoples,
though, it was catastrophic.
270
00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:35,320
Along with modernisation and a
new religion came enslavement.
271
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,360
Millions died through
war and disease,
272
00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,000
whilst the Spanish took vast
273
00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,240
quantities of gold and silver
back to the mother country.
274
00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,760
Most of this treasure
came through
275
00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:55,040
the Atlantic port of Cádiz, a
city precariously positioned at
276
00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:57,080
the tip of a narrow peninsula.
277
00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,880
Historian Claudio Lozano
has been investigating
278
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:08,200
how these riches also made Cádiz
vulnerable to Spain's enemies.
279
00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,320
The moment
that you are bringing all this
280
00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:13,400
wealth from the New World,
281
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,920
and also not only the wealth,
but also all the mythology
282
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:21,160
about El Dorado and about a
really wealthy New World,
283
00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,000
I mean, all the landing
points, specifically Cádiz,
284
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:25,800
become a target immediately.
285
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,840
The worst attack
on Cádiz came in 1596,
286
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,240
during a bitter
two-decade-long war
287
00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,000
with newly Protestant
England and Holland.
288
00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:48,560
150 ships
plus 15,000 men under
289
00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:50,720
command of Queen Elizabeth I.
290
00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:54,600
At dawn
on Sunday 30th June,
291
00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,640
the guns of the
English Royal Navy
292
00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,640
opened fire on the Spanish
warships guarding the
293
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:01,400
treasure fleet in the bay.
294
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,160
Cádiz's gun batteries
and warships were
295
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,280
unable to stop the attackers,
296
00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:12,680
who entered the bay and ran amok
amongst the treasure fleet.
297
00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:19,000
Then they broke into the
city and ransacked it.
298
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,520
Their crew
rampages across the city,
299
00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,160
burning every single building,
300
00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,120
looting whatever
treasure they could.
301
00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,680
Imagine the terror of
the people living here,
302
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,200
seeing their city burning,
303
00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:33,960
their loved ones being killed
304
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,200
and everything of value
stolen from them.
305
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,360
When they finished their
terror attack on the city,
306
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:43,480
Cádiz lay in ruins.
307
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,840
It was a
disaster for Spain.
308
00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,400
The loss of Cádiz threatened her
309
00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,160
supply routes and
the empire itself.
310
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:03,120
The Spanish were
forced to make a choice -
311
00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,640
either protect Cádiz
or abandon it.
312
00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,680
So the King of Spain decided on
an ambitious plan to rebuild it
313
00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:11,720
under the country's foremost
314
00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,480
military engineer,
Cristóbal de Rojas.
315
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,560
To make Cádiz impregnable,
de Rojas adopted
316
00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,080
the latest ideas from European
state-of-the-art fortresses.
317
00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:28,240
First, to guard the city
against attack from the sea,
318
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,160
he constructed a
star-shaped fort,
319
00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,520
Castillo de Santa Catalina.
320
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,560
Its pointed
bastions armed for
321
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,040
defensive fire in
all directions.
322
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,800
The bay itself was shielded
by a natural gateway,
323
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,840
back then with no
bridge crossing it.
324
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,720
De Rojas designed two
new forts to guard it.
325
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,320
On the east bank,
Castillo Matagorda.
326
00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,600
On the west bank,
Castillo Puntales.
327
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:05,360
Between them, these forts gave
the Spanish complete control
328
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,160
over the sea routes in
and out of the bay.
329
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,880
To protect its citizens,
Cadiz's own defenses
330
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,200
were extended with a thick,
heavily armed curtain wall.
331
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,840
Cádiz
defenses against sea attack
332
00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,040
were the most ambitious
military work in the country,
333
00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:30,480
transforming the city into one
of the best protected in Spain.
334
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,120
{\an8}Over the
next two centuries,
335
00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:43,040
{\an8}Cádiz faced a series of attacks
by England and her allies.
336
00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,160
{\an8}But thanks to its
robust fortifications,
337
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,800
none of them managed to break
through to the city or the bay.
338
00:22:56,360 --> 00:23:01,280
Cádiz seemed impregnable,
and Spain's empire continued
339
00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:05,080
to flourish right up until
the end of the 18th century.
340
00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:08,840
But a new threat was coming,
341
00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,400
from a growing
empire to the north.
342
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,440
And the whole of
Spain would depend
343
00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,920
on the fortifications
of Cádiz for its survival.
344
00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,960
{\an8}In 1803, the
Napoleonic Wars began.
345
00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,760
{\an8}To start with, Spain
supported France
346
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,240
{\an8}against Britain and Portugal.
347
00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,760
But that was to
change dramatically
348
00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:45,040
when Napoleon decided
to invade Spain.
349
00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:49,400
{\an8}In 1808, the Spanish
government fled Madrid,
350
00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:56,240
{\an8}moving first to Seville, then
retreating all the way to Cádiz.
351
00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,160
So
Cádiz was the last hope
352
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:00,880
to recover the
independence of Spain.
353
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,200
Could Cádiz
now defend itself
354
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,360
against an attack from the
land by Napoleon's mighty army?
355
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:17,160
Since the 1500s, the formidable
Puerta de Tierra, or Land Gate,
356
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,400
dominated the
approach to the city.
357
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,960
But it was breached during
the English attack of 1596.
358
00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:31,640
So Cristóbal de Rojas had to
improve the land fortifications.
359
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:38,440
He designed giant zigzagging
bastions, interspersed with deep
360
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:40,720
ditches and sloping ramparts.
361
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,640
A terrifying challenge
for any invader.
362
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,120
And even if, as was common,
363
00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,360
the attackers deployed miners
to dig under the walls,
364
00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:55,960
they'd be in for a shock.
365
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,760
Caving expert Eugenio Belgrano
is taking Claudio to see
366
00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,160
Cádiz's secret
underground weapon.
367
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,440
During the 18th century,
the Spanish built a web
368
00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:23,560
of three kilometres of tunnels
underneath the fortifications.
369
00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:35,600
These tunnels had small rooms
that we called 'hornillos'
370
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,480
which were filled
with gunpowder.
371
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:41,600
When the engineer knew that the
enemy tunnel was getting close
372
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,320
they would blow up
this whole tunnel
373
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,160
making it impossible to lay
siege to the city of Cadiz.
374
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,120
It's
very impressive for me
375
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,320
that underground
defence, combined with
376
00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,800
the ground defence, made the
city completely impregnable.
377
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,800
The French
discovered that not only
378
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:10,160
was the Land Gate impregnable,
the bay was now swarming with
379
00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:13,280
warships of Spain's
new ally, Britain.
380
00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:15,480
Their best chance was to
approach from
381
00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,400
the opposite side of the bay,
along the Trocadero Peninsula,
382
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:22,400
for a surprise
assault on Fort Matagorda,
383
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,120
which was not equipped for
an attack from the land.
384
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,000
British reinforcements were
summoned to defend the fort.
385
00:26:32,360 --> 00:26:35,880
A company of
the 94th Regiment of Foot
386
00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,800
were scrambled to ferry
arms and men across the bay.
387
00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:45,680
But it
wasn't enough.
388
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:49,400
All the
efforts were futile,
389
00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,960
due to the overwhelming power
of the French artillery.
390
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,800
The French
had brought up
391
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,840
30 heavy-caliber
guns, firing 24-pound shots,
392
00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:05,840
giving the defending garrison
of 140 men little chance.
393
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,360
The battle was
a blow for the defenders.
394
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,600
Half of them were
wounded or killed.
395
00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,040
And the remaining men
were forced to retreat.
396
00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,880
But even with the
French in Matagorda,
397
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,000
the residents of Cadiz,
over three kilometres away,
398
00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:31,040
were out of range of their guns,
399
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:33,080
and protected by the Royal Navy.
400
00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,480
So Napoleon's engineers
hatched an audacious plan -
401
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,320
to build a new weapon
with a much greater
402
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,200
range than any other
cannon in existence.
403
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,480
Fort Matagorda itself
is no more,
404
00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,960
but close to where
it once stood,
405
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,520
there remain enormous
concrete footings.
406
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,320
A series of platforms to support
407
00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,360
10 giant howitzer cannons
of 8 inches calibre,
408
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,280
and with a range of up to
five kilometres,
409
00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:09,320
easily enough to reach Cadiz.
410
00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:13,840
They were known
as Grand Mortars.
411
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,560
Now the French unleashed a
massive bombardment of huge
412
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:22,600
exploding grenades on Cadiz.
413
00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,280
But this technology was untried.
414
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,800
The Grand
Mortar was very powerful,
415
00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:39,040
but was inaccurate.
416
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,800
Many of the shells
never exploded.
417
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,920
Even one of the shells
fell into the city,
418
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,560
into a crowded place,
and nobody was injured.
419
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,760
The siege
continued for eight months,
420
00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,080
but Cadiz remained impregnable.
421
00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,200
Well supplied and heavily armed,
422
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,880
it even sent regular
sallies of guerrillas
423
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,440
to disrupt the
French supply lines.
424
00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:08,040
Across Spain, guerrilla
attacks like this became
425
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,160
an increasing nightmare
for Napoleon.
426
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,480
{\an8}To the north, aided by the
Portuguese and British,
427
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,440
{\an8}they pushed the French back,
428
00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:21,360
{\an8}threatening to cut off
Napoleon's forces around Cadiz.
429
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:29,640
So, on the 24th of August 1812,
the French besiegers finally
430
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,080
packed up and headed home.
431
00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,680
Spain's government
had been protected.
432
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,800
Cadiz was the only city in
Western Europe to
433
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:45,160
hold out against
Napoleon's attack.
434
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,760
All the
defences worked perfectly.
435
00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,080
I find that very impressive.
436
00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:52,880
Cadiz resisted.
437
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,560
The Peninsula
War was the last time that
438
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:00,360
a foreign power
would occupy Spain.
439
00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:04,840
But the conflict left
the country shattered.
440
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,160
The next century would see it
441
00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:13,360
tear itself apart
over very different ideas
442
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:15,320
of what a modern
Spain should be.
443
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,800
{\an8}Following the
Napoleonic Wars,
444
00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,400
{\an8}the Spanish Empire
began to collapse.
445
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:31,680
{\an8}And by the early 20th century,
446
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,880
{\an8}there was virtually
nothing left.
447
00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,800
Without the riches that
the Empire brought,
448
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,480
Spain was reduced to one of the
449
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:44,080
poorest agrarian
economies in Europe.
450
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,760
Conflict grew between
those who favoured
451
00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,720
modern ideas like
democracy or socialism,
452
00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,000
and those who
yearned for the
453
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,600
glorious past of a
powerful empire,
454
00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,680
a strong church and a
strong authoritarian state.
455
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:17,760
In 1936, right-wing nationalist
rebels led by Francisco Franco
456
00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:21,280
launched a military coup against
the socialist republican
457
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:23,720
government under Manuel Azana.
458
00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,760
A polarised nation was sucked
into a vicious civil war.
459
00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,880
Urban areas in the south-east
largely sided
460
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,320
with Azana's
republican government,
461
00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,680
whilst the more conservative
north and south-west mainly
462
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:42,920
supported Franco's nationalists.
463
00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,800
One republican-supporting
town would
464
00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,800
become infamous for a
new type of warfare,
465
00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:54,640
first seen during the Spanish
Civil War - Guernica.
466
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:04,720
It was the afternoon of Monday
26th April 1937 - Market Day.
467
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,040
The main square was packed
when the church bells of
468
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,080
Santa Maria sounded the alarm.
469
00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,280
Nationalist aircraft
darkened the skies above.
470
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,440
Over three hours, 50 tons
of high-explosive and
471
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,080
incendiary bombs rained down,
472
00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:28,320
flattening three-quarters
of the town.
473
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:34,160
Those who tried to escape
were mercilessly
474
00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:35,760
strafed by fighter planes.
475
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,560
Hundreds were
killed and injured.
476
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,840
The horror of the
attack was captured
477
00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:49,640
in Picasso's shocking
painting, "Guernica".
478
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:58,440
And Guernica was
just one of many.
479
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,640
The Spanish Civil War would
be the first war in history
480
00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,040
that featured systemic
carpet bombing of civilians.
481
00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,720
And it happened right
across the country.
482
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:22,520
Former Marine Arthur Williams is
a military historian and pilot,
483
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,520
who's come to southern Spain
to investigate the bombings
484
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:29,160
and the extraordinary response
of the civilian population here.
485
00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:32,880
It's
hard to picture on an
486
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,000
ordinary day like this,
all these years later,
487
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,440
how the thousands
of people going
488
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,800
about their busy
day-to-day lives
489
00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:43,520
would have defended themselves
against an unannounced attack
490
00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,400
when bombs started falling from
the sky and shells started
491
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,440
exploding in random places.
492
00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,520
You can only imagine
the bloody chaos
493
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,600
and confusion that
would have ensued.
494
00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,600
But how did
a rebel like Franco
495
00:33:57,680 --> 00:33:59,400
get his hands on
these machines?
496
00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,960
The aircraft were supplied by
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
497
00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:11,520
Both saw a strategic advantage
in neutralising Spain
498
00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,200
for any future conflict.
499
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,120
The German planes were
known as the Condor Legion
500
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:22,840
and displayed nationalist
diagonal crosses on their wings.
501
00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,160
They were a new
generation of aircraft,
502
00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:29,360
which would soon
become terrifying
503
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,040
Nazi icons of the
Second World War.
504
00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:38,720
And enabling this death from
the skies, a new fighter,
505
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,320
one of the planes that
strafed civilians
506
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:42,920
on that day in Guernica.
507
00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,680
This is the
Messerschmitt BF-109,
508
00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,320
and it was one of the
most important aircraft
509
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:55,080
in the history of
military aviation.
510
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,000
Only a few months after
its maiden flight,
511
00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,960
three BF-109s were sent to
Spain for real-world testing.
512
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,320
And when the aircraft
was introduced,
513
00:35:05,400 --> 00:35:08,080
it was the most advanced
fighter of its day.
514
00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:10,400
The Germans brought
around 150 of them
515
00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,760
to fight during
the Spanish Civil War.
516
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,880
Its revolutionary
light airframe and slim wings
517
00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,800
gave it a speed and
maneuvrability that in 1936
518
00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:24,680
made it the most feared
fighter in the world.
519
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:30,120
By contrast, the Republican Air
Force had a smaller number of
520
00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:33,280
Soviet and obsolete aircraft
that just couldn't compete.
521
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,520
The BF-109
supported bombers
522
00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:40,400
on a vast number
of air attacks
523
00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,520
that targeted the civilian
population all over Spain.
524
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:49,400
The aircraft's air superiority
was key to the devastating
525
00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:50,840
impact that those raids had.
526
00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,480
But in some cities,
civilians organised themselves
527
00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,360
to defend against the attacks.
528
00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,680
And here in the southern
city of Almeria,
529
00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,160
they came up with
something extraordinary.
530
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,320
To uncover
this masterpiece of defence,
531
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:09,720
we need to go underground.
532
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,120
Underneath Almeria's
streets lie almost
533
00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,720
five kilometres of
subterranean passages,
534
00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,880
known locally as the
'Refugios'.
535
00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:26,760
But what's
fascinating about these tunnels
536
00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:28,760
is that it's not a
military building.
537
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:31,760
It's not about
protecting soldiers or
538
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,000
helping a counter-offensive.
539
00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:37,600
It's purely for saving the
lives of ordinary people.
540
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,400
It took a huge
communal effort.
541
00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:48,240
From January 1937, hundreds of
volunteers helped professional
542
00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,360
miners to dig these tunnels.
543
00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,360
They excavated
these tunnels by hand,
544
00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:55,960
using just picks and shovels.
545
00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,960
The workers
toiled under intense
546
00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,920
time pressure to finish,
knowing that disaster
547
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,360
could come from the
sky at any moment.
548
00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:09,360
But barely a
few months
549
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,880
into the monumental
task, the Refugios
550
00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:16,800
would come under its greatest
test, in what would be one of
551
00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:18,920
the most shocking events
of the Civil War.
552
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,000
On the
29th of May 1937,
553
00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,720
off the coast of the
Spanish island Ibiza,
554
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:35,800
Soviet pilots flying bombers
555
00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,760
for the Spanish government
spotted a target,
556
00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:41,560
identified as a nationalist
battle cruiser.
557
00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,080
Only after hitting it
and killing or
558
00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:47,960
wounding around a
hundred sailors
559
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:49,840
did they discover
their mistake.
560
00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,800
It was a non-combatant
German warship on patrol
561
00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:57,400
the Deutschland.
562
00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,400
Hitler was furious and
decided to take revenge
563
00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:04,640
on the republican
city of Almeria.
564
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:11,280
At dawn on May 31st, just
over four months
565
00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:15,800
after its construction began,
566
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,120
Almeria's public
air raid shelter,
567
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,320
only one quarter built,
was called into action.
568
00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:24,600
German
warships moored along
569
00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:26,360
the coast opened fire on the city.
570
00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:30,360
People started pouring
into the tunnels,
571
00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,200
desperately trying
to seek refuge from
572
00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,000
the hell that was
unfolding above ground.
573
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,640
Hundreds of heavy
naval shells rained down
574
00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:41,920
on Almeria, destroying
200 buildings.
575
00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:45,240
You've
got to try to picture
576
00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:46,360
what it would have
been like down
577
00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:49,440
in these claustrophobic spaces,
with thousands of people -
578
00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:51,840
men, women, children,
the elderly
579
00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:54,600
stifling
conditions, just trying to
580
00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:57,960
escape the nightmare
above their heads.
581
00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,680
The only defence they had
was nine metres of soil.
582
00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:05,440
Forty civilians were killed,
583
00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,560
but it might have been hundreds
584
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:08,920
had it not been
for the Refugios.
585
00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:16,320
As soon as the coast was clear,
the labourers had to get back to
586
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,560
tunnelling their way
through the city.
587
00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:25,760
The shelters were designed
as a life support system,
588
00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,040
connected to the
services above ground.
589
00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,120
One of the
most ingenious aspects
590
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,520
of design for these shelters is
the fact that they tapped into
591
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,360
the city's already
existing infrastructure
592
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,280
to support the
thousands of people
593
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:42,080
that were taking
refuge down here.
594
00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:44,520
So, for example, of
course, humans need
595
00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:46,440
food and fresh
water to survive,
596
00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:49,800
and so you'll find that the
tunnels run underneath the
597
00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:51,640
city's existing market square.
598
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:54,920
Stairwells connected the food market
599
00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,800
and also the local
hospital to the shelters.
600
00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,400
Doctors and
the nurses, as soon as the
601
00:40:01,480 --> 00:40:03,240
balloon goes up and
the air raids start,
602
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,800
they can bring their patients
and medical supplies
603
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:06,960
and anything they need
604
00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:09,400
right down here really,
really quickly.
605
00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:14,240
This was geared up to be a fully
functioning operating theatre,
606
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:15,680
and, of course,
they needed that
607
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,720
because there are bombs
dropping above ground.
608
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:19,560
You know, you've got
casualties coming down
609
00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:21,920
here at a rapid rate, so
they've got to cater for that.
610
00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:31,400
It's impossible to
gauge the psychological damage
611
00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:33,080
to the civilians being bombed,
612
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:36,040
but there is a hint
in these tunnels
613
00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:37,800
of how it affected children.
614
00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,720
If we
have a look on this pillar,
615
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,040
you can see crude graffiti
depicting the scenes of the day.
616
00:40:50,240 --> 00:40:51,840
Here we've got several aircraft.
617
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,160
Look, there's four of
them coming towards us.
618
00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:55,960
There's the propellers,
the undercarriage.
619
00:40:58,560 --> 00:40:59,600
And then this is a house.
620
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,160
Presumably, these marks here are
the shells coming into the city.
621
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:13,480
Here you've
got children drawing what they
622
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:17,200
see, and these are warplanes,
overhouses and
623
00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:20,160
warships shelling their town.
624
00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:26,840
And in the innocence of youth,
625
00:41:26,920 --> 00:41:29,800
they've just captured
a moment in time.
626
00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:43,480
From the beginning
of the construction of
627
00:41:43,560 --> 00:41:45,720
the Refugios until
the end of the war,
628
00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:49,360
Almeria suffered around
40 aerial bombing raids.
629
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,400
The shelters may
have saved thousands of lives.
630
00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:03,920
The Refugios
tunnels aren't a fort or a castle.
631
00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:06,720
They're not designed to house
superweapons or give soldiers
632
00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:08,640
a tactical military advantage.
633
00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:12,840
They're purpose-built to protect
the lives of innocent civilians.
634
00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:18,560
And that has to make them one of
the most impressive defensive
635
00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:20,840
systems anywhere in Europe.
636
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,800
Thanks largely to
their air superiority,
637
00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,520
the nationalists edge
towards victory.
638
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:36,600
And on 31st March 1939, Almeria,
one of the last republican
639
00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,360
strongholds, was
forced to surrender.
640
00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,160
Its citizens emerged from
their underground shelters,
641
00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,000
safe, but to news of a
total nationalist victory.
642
00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:59,040
After the war, Almeria's
Refugios were
643
00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:01,920
largely forgotten
for nearly 60 years.
644
00:43:05,040 --> 00:43:07,440
By the time they were reopened,
645
00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,640
Franco's militaristic
regime was long gone.
646
00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:17,360
Today, Spain is still dealing
with national differences.
647
00:43:20,040 --> 00:43:24,200
But has transformed peacefully
into a progressive democracy.
648
00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:31,040
A place where conflicting ideas
are more likely to be dealt
649
00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:34,040
{\an8}with by dialogue than violence.
650
00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:38,560
{\an8}Its military has
stood back from
651
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:41,600
{\an8}politics and is once
again global-looking.
652
00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:45,360
{\an8}But instead of protecting
treasure fleets,
653
00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:49,360
{\an8}it takes part in security
operations under NATO,
654
00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:54,840
{\an8}the European Union and
the United Nations.