After San Sebastian was in his hands, Berwick received the submission of many of the leading figures of the surrounding Basque province of Guipúzcoa, who suggested that they would rather be subjects of Louis XV and their province should be annexed by France. Berwick also received similar messages from Catalan leaders, who had during the earlier War of the Spanish Succession supported the rival Austrian candidate Charles and were still resentful of the loss of much of their independence following the Fall of Barcelona in 1714.