The 1676 Siege of Maastricht was a failed attempt by
William III of Orange
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from ...
to take the city, which had been occupied by the French since 1673. The siege took place during the
Franco-Dutch war of 6 July to 27 August 1676.
Background
In the 1667-1668
War of Devolution
In the 1667 to 1668 War of Devolution (, ), France occupied large parts of the Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comté, both then provinces of the Holy Roman Empire (and properties of the King of Spain). The name derives from an obscure law know ...
, France captured most of the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...
but the
Triple Alliance of the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, England and
Sweden forced them to relinquish most of these gains in the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ver ...
now moved to break up the Alliance; Sweden remained neutral in return for the payment of large subsidies, while England agreed to join the French against the Dutch in the 1670
Treaty of Dover
The Treaty of Dover, also known as the Secret Treaty of Dover, was a treaty between England and France signed at Dover on 1 June 1670. It required that Charles II of England would convert to the Roman Catholic Church at some future date and th ...
.
[Lynn 1999, p. 109-110.]
Alliances with
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
and the
Electorate of Cologne allowed the French to bypass defences in the Spanish Netherlands when they invaded the Dutch Republic in May 1672. They seemed to have achieved an overwhelming victory but the Dutch army then withdrew behind the
Dutch Water Line
The Dutch Waterline ( nl, Hollandsche Waterlinie, modern spelling: ''Hollandse Waterlinie'') was a series of water-based defences conceived by Maurice of Nassau in the early 17th century, and realised by his half brother Frederick Henry. Combine ...
and the gates were opened on 22 June, flooding the land and preventing further advances. On 4 July,
William of Orange was appointed
Stadtholder and repelled an invasion force from Münster, recapturing most of the territory lost in June.
![1672 Dutch War](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/1672_Dutch_War.jpg)
By late July, the Dutch position had stabilised, while concern at French gains brought them support from
Frederick William of Brandenburg-Prussia,
Emperor Leopold and
Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain (''Spanish: Carlos II,'' 6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), known as the Bewitched (''Spanish: El Hechizado''), was the last Habsburg ruler of the Spanish Empire. Best remembered for his physical disabilities and the War ...
. In August,
Johan and
Cornelis de Witt
Cornelis de Witt (; 15 June 1623 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch politician and naval commendant of the Golden Age. During the First Stadtholderless Period De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposition to th ...
, whose policies were blamed for the Dutch collapse, were lynched by an
Orangist mob, leaving William in control.
[Lynn 1999, p. 114.] Louis was now forced into another war of attrition around the French frontiers, with an
Imperial army opening a new front in the
Rhineland
The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section.
Term
Historically, the Rhinelands ...
.
[Lynn 1999, p. 117.]
Until the advent of railways in the 19th century, goods and supplies were largely transported by water, making rivers like the
Lys,
Sambre and
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
vital for trade and military operations. In June 1673, the French took
Maastricht
Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, which controlled a key access point on the Meuse but the Dutch recaptured
Naarden
Naarden () is a city and former municipality in the Gooi region in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Meren since 2016.
History
Naarden was granted its city rights in 1300 (the only t ...
in September 1673, while Münster and Cologne left the war in November. This was followed in early 1674 by
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
joining the Alliance and England agreeing peace with the Dutch in the
Treaty of Westminster. The French were now over-extended and withdrew from the Dutch Republic, retaining only Maastricht.
[Young, 2004, p. 132.]
The siege
In the summer of 1676 William III decided to put an end to the French presence in Maastricht. He was supported by
Carlos de Gurrea, Duke of Villahermosa and
Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands. On July 3, he martialed his forces found a great place near
Nivelles
Nivelles (; nl, Nijvel, ; wa, Nivele; vls, Neyvel) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. The Nivelles municipality includes the former municipalities of Baulers, Bornival, Thines, and Monst ...
, and began to march on Maastricht. The combined armies reached Maastricht on July 6. Under William's command were General
Georg Friedrich of Waldeck, while the Spanish forces were under de Gurrea. Also present were regiments from England (under the command of John Fenwick), as well as forces from
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
and the
Palatinate-Neuburg
Palatinate-Neuburg (german: Herzogtum Pfalz-Neuburg) was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505 by a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km², with a population of ...
.
Due to delays, the first assault on the fortified town wasn't until July 21, and was focused on the Zyl Fronts, in the northwestern section near the Bosch part. This was considered the weakest portion of the city's defenses. During the attacks in late July and August, the Dutch forces suffered a thousand casualties. During one of the attacks in early August, Karel Florentine of Salm, the lieutenant general of the infantry, and right hand of William III, suffered fatal injuries.
While the siege continued, peace talks were taking place at
Nijmegen. While these failed to lead to an end to the siege, they would eventually lead to the first
Treaties of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Republi ...
.
[Muller, p. 48]
William was given a letter by
Meinhard Schomberg on August 17, which had been sent to the commander of the fortress, and had been intercepted. The letter was informing the commander that a French relief column was on their way to break up the siege. William met with Waldeck at
Tongeren
Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the onl ...
, also present were the
Bishop of Osnabrück
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, the Marquis of Louvigny, as well as military officers from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. The siege continued, with the allied Dutch forces continuing to attempt to outflank the garrison through the suburb of
Wyck Wyck may refer to:
* WYCK, a Pennsylvanian AM broadcasting radio station
*Wyck, Hampshire, a village in England
*Wyck House, a historic house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*Wyck (Maastricht)
Wyck (; li, Wiek ) is a neighbourhood in Maastricht, ...
on August 23. However, with the impending arrival of the French relief column, the siege was abandoned on August 27.
Reasons for the failure of the siege varied. Some blamed weak command skills of the Dutch, while others thought it was due to a lack of support from William's allies. Another theory was that the low water level of the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
, made the supply of water for the Dutch forces inadequate.
Bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maastricht 1676
Conflicts in 1676
1676 in the Dutch Republic
Sieges involving the Dutch Republic
Sieges involving France
Sieges involving Spain
Battles in Limburg (Netherlands)
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...