Luxembourg campaigns
Luxembourg campaigns | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Eighty Years' War, Henry IV's succession and the Franco-Spanish War (1595–1598) | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Dutch States Army Duchy of Bouillon Kingdom of France (1595) |
Army of Flanders Prince-Bishopric of Liège (1595) | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Philip of Nassau La Tour d'Auvergne Héraugière (1595) Henry IV (1595) |
Mansfeld Verdugo (1595) La Motte (1595) Ernest (1595) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Dutch at Sankt Vith 1593: 500 infantry[1][2] 1200 cavalry[1][2] | Unknown |
The Luxembourg campaigns were two military campaigns by the Dutch Republic and the Duchy of Bouillon against the Spanish Southern Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War in 1593 and 1595. The first was undertaken by a Dutch States Army commanded by Philip of Nassau to the Duchy of Luxembourg in early 1593, with the aim of distracting the Spanish Army of Flanders to a different part of the Habsburg Netherlands, create confusion and block the importation of new pro-Spanish troops to the Low Countries via the Spanish Road.[3] Other goals were dealing economic damage to Spain, and supporting the Protestant claimant to the French throne Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV) and the Protestant prince of Sedan and duke of Bouillon, Henry de La Tour d'Auvergne.[4]: 249
The first campaign did not result in territorial gains, but did do damage to the Luxembourgish countryside,[4] and successfully managed to distract the Spanish army.[3] Two years later, a similar campaign to Luxembourg led to the temporary occupation of Huy in neutral Liège by the Dutch States in February–March 1595, but they were soon expelled and the Duke of Bouillon was also driven away from Luxemburg's border fortresses again.[5][6]
Background
Peter Ernst von Mansfeld, Spanish governor-general 1592–1594. |
Prince Maurice, Dutch captain-general 1589–1625. |
Since 1589, the
The stadtholder of Luxembourg was Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, whom Alexander Farnese appointed as the new governor-general of the Spanish Netherlands in December 1592. By attacking Luxembourg, the attention of the new governor-general was particularly targeted. Spanish troops would be sent to reinforce Luxembourg, leaving the Dutch States Army in the Northern Netherlands more space to manoeuvre. Maurice of Nassau, son of the late William the Silent, and captain-general of the Dutch Republic as well as stadtholder of its most important provinces, was responsible for besieging Spanish strongholds in the north, and would benefit from the southern campaign. New Spanish troops also arrived in the Netherlands via the Spanish Road through Luxembourg, so if this southeastern province was controlled by the Dutch Republic, the Spanish troops in the north would be cut off and weakened even further.[3]
The Dutch Republic's plans were supported by the Huguenot Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, French marshall since 1592 and married to Charlotte de La Marck, Duchess of Bouillon and Princess of Sedan (because she died childless in 1594, Henri inherited both lands).[7] Henri sought to expand his duchy's territory.[3] The Duchy of Bouillon bordered on Luxembourg; this gave the Republic a good base. Moreover, the Protestant German princes, who had so far stayed neutral, might be persuaded to join the Dutch side in the war if the Spanish troops were thus weakened.[3]
First campaign
Preparations
On 14 January 1593, Philip of Nassau departed from
Siege of Sankt Vith
Meanwhile, the Duke of Bouillon had already taken several places in Luxembourg from Spanish hands.
Plundering of rural Luxembourg
In a letter to
Interlude
Fall of Geertruidenberg
The first campaign failed to occupy any territories for the Dutch Republic in the south, but did magnage to lure Mansfeld to Luxembourg. The Spanish constructed several cantonments in Liège in the middle of February.[4] This allowed Maurice to encircle Geertruidenberg and he had enough time to construct sconces and prevent Mansfeld's army from relieving the city. Geertruidenberg surrendered to Maurice on 24 June 1593.[4]: 269 After some unsuccessful manoeuvring between States' and Spanish forces around Fort Crèvecoeur and 's-Hertogenbosch in July and August, the Dutch States attempted to supply the Duke of Bouillon with the means to hire mercenaries for a new campaign against Luxembourg, but the money transport was attacked by Spanish cavalry on 17 August south of Lommel, and was forced to retreat.[4]: 273
Meanwhile, Henry of Navarre converted to Catholicism in July 1593 in order to be recognised as the king of France by the Catholic League, allegedly saying: 'Paris is well worth a Mass'. Although he succeeded in this, his Protestant allies in the Dutch Republic fiercely condemned this decision; moreover, they doubted whether Henry was still a reliable military ally. Henry of Navarre declared that he would not abandon the Republic, and continued sending money and troops to combat Spain.[4]: 248–249
Surprise of Eupen
In autumn, Philip of Nassau tried to conquer the fortified city of Limbourg on the river Vesdre. This time he left Nijmegen on 30 October 1593 with 7 cornets (210–420 riders) and 400 footsoldiers, arriving at the walls of Limbourg in the night of 3 November, delayed by heavy rainfall. Because part of the Dutch troops got lost due to rain and darkness, he cancelled the assault, and instead took Eupen by surprise on the next day. The Spanish garrison there fled sought refuge in a church, but Philip ordered his troops to set it on fire. After about 80 Spanish soldiers perished in the flames, the remainder surrendered. The night of 6 November saw Philip return to Nijmegen with the prisoners of war.[4]: 285–286
Henry of Navarre was finally recognised as Henry IV of France when he was crowned in Chartres in February 1594, and held his entry into Paris in March 1594. Maurice conquered Groningen in July 1594, while unpaid Spanish soldiers in Northern France mutinied in August, followed by Italian troops in Brabant; the latter plundered the city of Tienen until their overdue wages were finally fulfilled.[6]
Second campaign
Occupation of Huy
On 17 January 1595, the new French king Henry IV declared war on Spain, ordering duke Henry of Bouillon to launch another campaign through Luxembourg and together with Dutch States forces take the town of
Luxembourgish border fortresses recapture
Meanwhile, Francisco Verdugo had followed Fuentes' orders to move from Lingen to the south in order to oust duke Henry of Bouillon from several Luxembourgish fortresses, namely Yvoix (present-day Carignan), La Ferté-sur-Chiers, and Chauvency-le-Château.[5] Although Verdugo received fewer troops from Fuentes than requested, he nevertheless succeeded in reconquering the Luxembourgish border fortresses from the Bouillonese with his small improvised force, before requesting to be discharged around June 1595, and dying in September 1595.[5][6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Bormann, Michael (1841). Beitrag zur Geschichte der Ardennen (in German). Druck und Commissions- Debit der Fr. Lintz'schen Buchhandlung. pp. 242–243. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "Verwüstung & Zerstörung". Geschichte Sankt Vith (in German). Gemeinde Sankt Vith. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Robert Jacobus Fruin (1861): Tien jaren uit den tachtigjarigen oorlog, 1588-1598
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mulder, Lodewijk (1869). "Iets over de veldtochten van prins Maurits: 1593". Het Vaandel: Tijdschrift voor Onderofficieren (in Dutch). 1869: 247–287.
- ^ a b c d J.F.J. van den Broek, Voor god en mijn koning: het verslag van kolonel Francisco Verdugo over zijn jaren als legerleider en gouverneur namens Filips II in Stad en Lande van Groningen, Drenthe, Friesland, Overijssel en Lingen (1581-1595) (2009), p. 26, 35. Assen: Uitgeverij Van Gorcum.
- ^ a b c d Pirenne, Henri (1925). Geschiedenis van België. Deel 4 (in Dutch). Gent: Samenwerkende Volksdrukkerij. pp. 205–207. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
- ^ Encarta Encyclopaedia Winkler Prins (1993–2002) s.v. "La Tour d'Auvergne. § Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne I". Microsoft Corporation/Het Spectrum.
- ^ Landolt, H.M.F. (1861). Militair woordenboek (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff. p. 324.