kingdom was divided between his two sons. James II became king of the new, and brief,Kingdom of Majorca. In 1285, Alfonso III of Aragon, son of Peter III of Aragon, seized power and his uncle James was forced to flee the island.
The successor of Alfonso III returned the power to James II. After his death in 1311, he was succeeded by his son Sancho I of Majorca.James III, nephew of Sancho, and only nine years old, became king in 1324. However, in 1344, King Peter IV of Aragon invaded, and re-incorporated the island into the Crown. James III was forced to flee to Rosselló.
Modern Era
From 1479, the Crown of Aragon was in dynastic union with that of Castile. The Barbary corsairs of North Africa often attacked the Balearic Islands, and in response coastal watchtowers and fortified churches were erected. In 1570, King Philip II of Spain and his advisors were considering complete evacuation of the Balearic islands. In the early 18th century, the War of the Spanish Successionresulted in the replacement of that dynastic union with a unified Spanish monarchy. In 1716 the Nueva Planta decrees made Majorca part of the Spanish province of Baleares, roughly equivalent to present-day Illes Balears province and autonomous community. In 1891 a disease destroyed Majorca’s vineyards and decimated the island's main source of income. From 1891 to 1895 Majorca witnessed a major emigration of islanders to mainland Spain and to the Americas.
20th century and today
A Nationalist stronghold at the start of the Spanish Civil War, Majorca was subjected to anamphibious landing, on August 16, 1936, aimed at driving the Nationalists from Majorca and reclaiming the island for the Republic. Although the Republicans heavily outnumbered their opponents and managed to push 12 kilometres inland, superior Nationalist air power mainly provided by Fascist Italy forced the Republicans to
