During the War of the Spanish Succession, the strategic African cities of Oran and Mers el-Kebir, which until that time, had been under Spanish control, were taken by the Ottoman Dey of Algiers, taking advantage of the difficult time that Spain was going through.[8] With the war having ended, and with the resurgence of the new Spain as one of the major European powers, the King Philip V of Spain, organised an expedition to recoup the lost cities.[9] The expedition was, in part, funded by the successful offensive to the Republic of Genoa, led by the Admiral Don Blas de Lezo, in which Lezo demanded a payment of 2 million pesos, and to pay homage to the Spanish flag, or else he would bombard the city.[10][11] The Genovese finally accepted all the terms of the Spanish Admiral.[11] Of the 2 million pesos, a million and a half was to be destined for the new expedition.[11]