strategic regions

Wikipedia:
The rise in piracy is coupled to the discovery and subsequent exploitation of America and the conflicts between the great powers. Although the pirates, in theory, were out of control and the protection of any nation, they took advantage, and even came to support them, provided that the victims were his most staunch enemies, so sometimes you can confuse the difference between a pirate and a privateer. Azores and the Canary Islands became strategic locations in the maritime routes from Europe, America and Asia (on the path to the Indian Ocean along Africa). And the precious treasures of the new species were discovered a large ground for pirates booty. As these treasures Americans stopped in the Canary Islands or the Azores Islands on its way to Old Europe piracy soon emerge in the seas near the islands. Also this strategic situation that caused the boats that went to America pass through the islands to obtain supplies of food and water, road and attacked some coastal population.

In the Canary Islands acted pirates of all nationalities, but were mainly British, French, beberiscos and the Netherlands.


Representation of the attack of Admiral Dutch Pieter van der Does Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1599). Since the early years of conquest occurred attacks that what was intended looting and the capture of indigenous Guanches to be slaves. Beberiscos also acted razing villages that existed in retaliation to the rides that were made in North Africa.

In the sixteenth century, reigned in Spain Carlos I and his new empire in addition to much of Europe was spreading across America. Because of the rivalry with France the first Spanish pirates who were active in the Canaries during his reign were French people who are not conformed with the boats but also entered the coastal villages and destroyed. The prey was customary in these early pirates.

But during the reign of Philip II, notably the death of his wife Mary Tudor England, English pirates began lashing the Canary coast due to the large Spanish-English rivalry. In the final years of the sixteenth century would join this activity the Dutch.

In the seventeenth century piracy in the Canary Islands is intensifying, thanks in part to the weakening of the Spanish empire and the many wars with France and Flanders. Insecurity, not only to navigate the islands, but also the lives of islanders opposed to pirate attacks are believed makes Captain General of the figure with both military and political functions. Also arriving in the Canaries a number of engineers to provide towers and castles to the Canary coast to deal with attacks by pirates and other enemy forces in Spain.

In the eighteenth century the English attack intensifies, not only for the purpose of obtaining treasures and prey, but also with the intention to invade and occupy the islands. They are repelled many of these attacks in major cities but in the "smaller islands" These pirates are successful because of the weakness of defensive stocks.
 
Wikipedia:
Apart from a better defense of the Canary Islands, an event memorable for this land was what led to the decline in piracy islands substantially. This was the failed attack Horatio Nelson in 1797 at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.


Nelson lost an arm in the attack on TenerifeLa claim many of British Pirate attacks was to seize the islands on behalf of England rather than prey. It was finally dispensed with pirates or corsairs and a Spanish admiral appears, with its fleet, on July 25 1797 off the coast of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. When you attack the troops resisted the Canaries, under the command of General Gutierrez, and a French detachment was in the island. In the confrontation Nelson lost an arm when hit by a cannon ball. Nelson is overwhelmed by the unexpected progress of the battle and had to capitulate. Since signing a peace on earth, in which he is not trying to take over the Canaries. The biggest defense of the islands along the decline of piracy makes it little by little people and capital to become established on the coast, gaining in importance and respect to the development of the interior
 
Canaries, Azores and Madeira are of great strategic importance. WI it changed hands?. WI Nelson achieved his goal and get the Canaries?
 
WI any nation, for example Italian be established there? WI Genoa were there before Casille or Portugal?
Wikipedia:
In the fourteenth century is the "rediscovery" of the islands by the Europeans, followed numerous visits to Mallorca, Portuguese and Genoese. This process is part of the so-called European expansion by the Atlantic, which would have its peak in the arrival of Columbus to America. Developments in the field of navigation provided the feat, which had as its primary motivation in this first stage, the most direct access possible to gold in Central Africa. In this context, Lancelloto Geneve Malocello navigator landed in Lanzarote in 1312 and Ruiz de Vizcaya Martin Avendaño in 1377. The Mallorcan established a mission to the islands (Bishopric of Telde), which remained in force from 1350 until 1400.
 
Top