Siege of Mons (1691)
Siege of Mons (1691) | |||||||
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Part of the Nine Years' War | |||||||
Louis XIV Accepting the Surrender of Mons | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
France |
Spain Dutch Republic Holy Roman Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Duc de Boufflers Louis, Grand Dauphin |
Marquis of Gastañaga | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
92,000[1] 90 guns | ~4,800[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
No data | No data |
The siege of Mons, 15 March–10 April 1691, was a major operation fought during the
Background
French forces had secured considerable success in 1690. In July Luxembourg fought and won his tactical masterpiece at the Battle of Fleurus, nullifying any Allied hopes of invading France, whilst at sea, Admiral Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet off Beachy Head. In August Catinat had triumphed at the Battle of Staffarda in northern Italy (although his force was too small to gain any strategic advantage). The only bright spot for the Grand Alliance in 1690 was King William's victory over James II in Ireland at the Battle of the Boyne.[3] Yet despite the battlefield successes, French forces in 1690 had failed to break the coalition ranged against the ambitions of King Louis.
In 1691 the French had planned for a double strike:
Meanwhile, in Ireland the war continued into 1691, but William now felt secure enough on his new throne in the British Isles to return to the war on the Continent. William entered The Hague on 5 February to organise his army for the coming campaign. After securing forces totalling 220,000 men, the Stadtholder-King retired to his country home. In mid-March, surrounded by representatives of the Grand Alliance, he received news that Mons was under siege.[6]
Siege
Louvois engineered the considerable preparations for the siege throughout the preceding winter: stores were filled with supplies in
Louis, accompanied by members of his court, joined his army in the Spanish Netherlands to take control of the armies in theatre, arriving at the front on 21 March. The King's besieging army of 46,000 (under the direction of his great engineer, Vauban) surrounded the town and its garrison of some 4,800 men. The Allies had formed an army of 38,000 under William to relieve the city, but Luxembourg's army of observation, also 46,000 strong, denied the Allies any possibility of disrupting the operation.[8]
Marshal Boufflers began the investment on 15 March; the trenches were opened ten days later. In one of the most intense attacks of all King Louis’ wars, two batteries, each consisting of 12 mortars, bombarded the city in preparation for the assault; by 30 March, the French had fired 7,000 cannonballs and 3,000 mortar shells.[9] Inevitably, at 17:00 on 8 April, the besieged inhabitants beat the chamade; conditions were settled, and the remaining men of the garrison marched out two days later.[9]
Aftermath
The siege had begun and ended before the normal commencement of campaigning. Louis returned to
William, meanwhile, arrived at Anderlecht on 2 June to take command of the Allied army of 63 battalions and 180 squadrons, totalling 56,000 men.[9] Luxembourg successfully manoeuvred to prevent William besieging Dinant, but subsequent manoeuvres produced little action. After William left his troops in the command of the Prince of Waldeck, Luxembourg's cavalry routed part of the Allied army at Leuze on 18 September, before all combatants returned to winter quarters.
Notes
- ^ Chandler: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough, p. 308. All statistics taken from Chandler.
- ^ Lynn states 6,000
- ^ Wolf: The Emergence of the Great Powers: 1685-1715, p. 44
- ^ Wolf: Louis XIV, p. 562
- ^ Chandler: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough, p. 241
- ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p. 216
- ^ Chandler: The Art of Warfare in the Age of Marlborough, p. 224
- ^ Wolf: Louis XIV, p. 563
- ^ a b c d e Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p. 218
- ^ a b Wolf: Louis XIV, p. 564
References
- ISBN 0-946771-42-1
- Lynn, John A. The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman, (1999). ISBN 0-582-05629-2
- ISBN 0-06-139750-4
- Wolf, John B. Louis XIV. Panther Books, (1970). ISBN 0-586-03332-7