Treaty of Aranjuez (1779)

Treaty of Aranjuez

Treaty of Alliance between Spain and France
Conde de Floridablanca, Chief Minister of Spain 1777–1792
Context	Spain joins the Anglo-French War (1778–1783)
Signed	12 April 1779 (1779-04-12)
Location	Aranjuez, Spain
Negotiators	Comte de Vergennes Count of Floridablanca
Parties	France Spain

In the Treaty of Aranjuez (French: Traité d'Aranjuez; Spanish: Tratado de Aranjuez; 12 April 1779), Spain agreed to support France in its war with Britain. This was in return for assistance in recovering its former possessions of Menorca, Gibraltar and Spanish Florida.

While Spain refused to become formally involved in the American Revolutionary War, they allowed goods to be shipped through Louisiana, avoiding the British blockade while their recapture of Florida denied the Royal Navy bases on the Gulf Coast. Outside North America, they regained Menorca but failed to take Gibraltar, despite a huge investment of men and money.

With the exception of Menorca and Florida, the 1783 treaties between Britain, France, and Spain largely returned the position to that prevailing before the war.