Cape Passaro took place on 11 August 1718 and is also known as the Battle of Avola or the Battle of Syracuse. Its roots lay in the settlement that ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Louis XIV hoped to unite France and Spain under Bourbon rule after Charles II, the last Spanish Habsburg king, died. The resulting war lasted fourteen years. The Peace of Utrecht took two years to negotiate and gave Britain Gibraltar and Menorca while barring a union of the Bourbon crowns. Philip V, his Italian wife, and his Italian chief minister wanted to recover Spain's lost positions in Italy. Spanish forces moved into Sardinia and Sicily, and disputes at the French court helped bring Britain, France, Austria, and other powers together against Spain. Britain then sent a fleet to stop the Spanish expedition even though the two states had not declared war.
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The post-Utrecht crisis behind Cape Passaro
The battle grew from the Peace of Utrecht and Spain's attempt to recover its former Italian positions, which drew Britain, France, Austria, and other powers into the War of the Quadruple Alliance.