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112-581: In 1573, a company of Foot Guards was raised. In 1599, a guard regiment, called His Highness' Guard Regiment of Foot, or the Regiment Nassau, was created. A second guard regiment, the Regiment of Foot Guards, was raised in 1643, into which the Company of Foot Guards was incorporated. When Prince Willem III became Stadtholder, the Regiment of Foot Guards lost its guard status and became a line regiment;

224-783: A Test Act barring Catholics from public office. That summer De Ruyter again defeated the Anglo-French fleets, now under Prince Rupert , at the two battles of Schooneveld and at the Battle of Texel , while a Dutch fleet in the Americas recaptured New Amsterdam from the English. Pressure to end the war mounted in England and Charles made peace in the Treaty of Westminster of February 1674. This combination of events led Louis to pursue

336-468: A plaquette extolling the magnanimity of the French king. For Louis, a campaign was not complete without some major siege to enhance his personal glory. The quick surrender of so many cities had been somewhat disappointing in this respect. Maastricht having escaped him for the time being, he turned his attention on an even more prestigious object: 's-Hertogenbosch, which was considered "inexpugnable". The city

448-736: A "policy of exhaustion that emphasised sieges and the gathering of war taxes, raids, and blockades over full-scale battles". In support of this strategy, Swedish forces in Swedish Pomerania attacked Brandenburg-Prussia in December 1674 after Louis threatened to withhold their subsidies. It resulted in the 1675–1679 Scanian War and the Swedish-Brandenburg War , whereby the Swedes tied up the armies of Brandenburg, Denmark and some minor German principalities. Meanwhile,

560-448: A clear, if minor, victory. However, he then persisted with a series of frontal assaults against the advice of his subordinates, and the battle degenerated into a number of confused and costly firefights. William halted his march and established a defensive line, mainly composed of Dutch infantry, centred on the nearby Priory of St Nicolas. Just to the north, Assentar rallied the cavalry who had fled from Seneffe, and brought them back into

672-574: A crossing and a dry spring meant that the river could be forded at many points. Nevertheless, there seemed to be no alternative but to make a last stand at the IJssel. However, should the enemy outflank this river by crossing the Lower Rhine into the Betuwe , the field army would fall back to the west to prevent being surrounded and quickly annihilated. The commander of Fort Schenkenschanz protecting

784-708: A division of the Spanish Netherlands, convincing Louis his objectives could only be achieved by force. The Dutch received limited French support during the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667) but increasingly preferred a weak Spain as a neighbour to a strong France. Shortly after talks to end the Anglo-Dutch War began in May 1667, Louis launched the War of Devolution , rapidly occupying most of

896-526: A fast capitulation, starting the Siege of Groningen on 21 July. On 14 June, William arrived with the remnants of the field army, some eight thousand men, at Utrecht . The common citizens had taken over the city gates and refused him entrance. In talks with the official city council, William had to admit that he had no intention to defend the city but would retreat behind the Holland Water Line ,

1008-524: A formation dictated by the poor roads. The left column was commanded by de Souches, the right by the Marqués de Assentar , commander of the Spanish Army of Flanders , with the bulk of the infantry and artillery in the centre under William. A vanguard of 2,000 cavalry covered the gaps between the columns, with another 5,200 bringing up the rear led by Vaudémont . At 5:30 am, Condé rode out to observe

1120-562: A key ally against the Dutch. In May, the main French army under Louis himself attacked the largely undefended Spanish territory of Franche-Comté . Condé remained on the defensive in the Spanish Netherlands, while a Dutch-Spanish army led by William of Orange and Count Monterrey spent June and July attempting to bring him to battle. When this proved unsuccessful, William proposed invading French Flanders , which would threaten Condé's rear and force him to fight. Monterrey agreed, since it gave

1232-560: A month's pay in advance for the survivors and five new Dutch regiments. With Condé unable to replace his losses to the same extent, the Allied numerical advantage was greater than before Seneffe, and William proposed another invasion attempt. However, one less appreciated advantage held by the French over their opponents in this period was the benefit of an undivided command and unified strategy. For different reasons, neither Monterrey or de Souches were willing to risk another battle, and William

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1344-710: A rapid victory, Louis was forced into a war of attrition around the French frontiers; in August, Turenne ended his offensive against the Dutch and proceeded to Germany with 25,000 infantry and 18,000 cavalry. Frederick William and Leopold combined their forces of around 25,000 under the Imperial general Raimondo Montecuccoli ; he crossed the Rhine at Koblenz in January 1673 but Turenne forced him to retreat into northern Germany. The faltering offensive caused financial problems for

1456-466: A series of inundations protecting the core province of Holland. Eventually, the council of Utrecht delivered the keys of the gates to Henri Louis d'Aloigny (the Marquis de Rochefort), to avoid plundering. On 18 June, William withdrew his forces. The flooding was not ready yet, only having been ordered on 8 June, and the countryside of Holland was defenceless against the French. On 19 June, the French took

1568-537: A series of frontal assaults which led to heavy casualties on both sides with no concrete result. Fighting continued until nightfall, when the French withdrew to their original positions, and William retired the next day in good order. Despite heavier casualties, the Allies retained their numerical advantage, and for the rest of the war Condé largely remained on the defensive. Of the two other battles in Flanders before

1680-575: A severe frost, Luxembourg began to cross the ice of the Water Line with eight thousand men, hoping to sack The Hague. A sudden thaw cut his force in half and he narrowly escaped to his own lines with the remainder, on his way back massacring the civilian population of Bodegraven and Zwammerdam . This increased the hatred against Luxembourg. The province of Utrecht was one of the richest regions of Europe and intendant Louis Robert had extorted large sums from its wealthy inhabitants. The French applied

1792-474: A strong defensive position, placing cannons along the access roads and hedges. The French were further hampered by the fact that the ground in front was unsuitable for cavalry, while their heavy guns had been left behind during the advance. Condé ordered Luxembourg and Navailles to attack the Allied flanks, while he himself stormed the village with the French and Swiss Guards . The assaults continued throughout

1904-600: A very problematic target. It had a population of 200,000 and could raise a large civil militia, reinforced by thousands of sailors. As the city had recently expanded, its fortifications were the best maintained in the Republic. Their normal armament of three hundred pieces was being enlarged by the militia hauling the reserve ordnance of the Admiralty of Amsterdam upon the ramparts which began to bristle with thousands of cannon. The low-lying surrounding terrain, below sea level,

2016-441: A year. Budgets were approved and contracts issued to increase the army to over 80,000 but assembling these men would take months. Negotiations with Frederick William to reinforce Cleves with 30,000 men were delayed by his demands for Dutch-held fortresses on the Rhine, including Rheinberg and Wesel . By the time they reached agreement on 6 May, he was occupied with a French-backed Swedish invasion of Pomerania , and could not engage

2128-712: The Bishopric of Münster and Electorate of Cologne allowed French forces to bypass the Spanish Netherlands, by attacking via the Bishopric of Liège , then a dependency of Cologne (see Map). Preparations were completed in April 1672, when Charles XI of Sweden accepted French subsidies in return for invading areas of Pomerania claimed by Brandenburg-Prussia . French armies of the period held significant advantages over their opponents; an undivided command, talented generals like Turenne , Condé and Luxembourg , as well as vastly superior logistics. Reforms introduced by Louvois ,

2240-496: The Electorate of Cologne , led by Luxembourg . The Dutch garrisoned forts intended to defend the Rhine crossings were still severely undermanned and poorly equipped. By 5 June, the French had captured Rheinberg , Orsoy and Burick , with minimal resistance; Wesel , perhaps the most important fortress, surrendered when the townspeople threatened to butcher the commanders, followed by Rees on 9 June. Having secured their rear,

2352-612: The Franco-Dutch War , near Seneffe in Belgium , then part of the Spanish Netherlands . A French army commanded by Condé and a combined Dutch , Imperial , and Spanish force under William of Orange . One of the bloodiest battles of the war, over 20% of those engaged on both sides became casualties, and the result is disputed. By 1674, Allied forces in the Spanish Netherlands were numerically superior to

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2464-826: The French and English East India Companies had been unable to seriously undermine the strong position of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in both the intercontinental route and in intra-Asian trades. The VOC secured its position in Asia by defeating the French garrison in Trincomalee and the English in the Battle of Masulipatnam , and besieged another French force in São Tomé , which fell in 1674. In broad terms, French strategy now focused on retaking Spanish possessions gained in 1667–1668 but returned at Aix-La-Chapelle, while preventing Imperialist advances in

2576-668: The Netherlands , an event remembered in Dutch history as the Rampjaar , or "Disaster Year". However, by late July their position had stabilised, while in 1673 concern over French gains brought support from Emperor Leopold I , Spain and Brandenburg-Prussia. England exited the war and made peace with the Dutch in February 1674. Having sought a quick and overwhelming victory, Louis XIV of France now faced war on multiple fronts. He changed focus, instead strengthening his borders with

2688-547: The Scheldt estuary, benefiting Amsterdam by eliminating its rival, Antwerp . Preserving this monopoly was a Dutch priority, but this increasingly clashed with French aims in the Spanish Netherlands , which included reopening Antwerp. William II of Orange 's death in 1650 led to the First Stadtholderless Period , with political control vested in the urban patricians or Regenten . This maximised

2800-674: The Secretary of War , helped maintain large field armies that could be mobilised much quicker. This meant the French could mount offensives in early spring before their opponents were ready, seize their objectives, then assume a defensive posture. As in other wars of the period, the army's strength fluctuated throughout the conflict; starting with 180,000 in 1672, by 1678 it had an authorised strength of 219,250 infantry and 60,360 cavalry, of whom 116,370 served in garrisons. The retention of border towns like Charleroi and Tournai in 1668 allowed Louvois to pre-position supply dumps, stretching from

2912-703: The Spanish Netherlands and Rhineland , while the Allies led by William of Orange sought to minimise any losses. By 1677, France had occupied Franche-Comté and made strategic gains in the Spanish Netherlands and Alsace , but neither side was able to achieve a decisive victory. Despite failing to conquer the Dutch Republic, the September 1678 Peace of Nijmegen is often seen as the high point of French power in this period. Spain recovered Charleroi from France, but in return ceded Franche-Comté, as well as much of Artois and Hainaut . Under William of Orange,

3024-613: The Upper Rhine , the Spanish wanted to recoup their losses in the Spanish Netherlands, while the Dutch prioritised retaking Grave and Maastricht. Accordingly, the Spanish returned to their garrisons, the Imperial troops recrossed the Meuse , and William assumed command of operations at Grave . Besieged since 28 June, the town finally surrendered on 29 October. Condé received a state reception at Versailles for Seneffe, but his health

3136-531: The federal command system , while the successful Raid on the Medway was largely due to English financial weakness. In 1667, the Dutch States Navy was at the height of its power, an advantage rapidly eroded by English and French naval expansion. The Anglo-Dutch War was primarily fought at sea, masking the poor state of the Dutch army and forts, deliberately neglected since they were viewed as bolstering

3248-489: The war ended in 1678, Cassel was sparked by an Allied attempt to relieve Saint-Omer , and Saint-Denis to prevent the French capture of Mons . Since both Louis XIV of France and the Dutch Republic viewed control of the Spanish Netherlands as essential for security and trade, it was a contested area for much of the later 17th century. In the 1667-68 War of Devolution with Spain , France occupied much of

3360-589: The 'Merlin' affair. Münster and Cologne entered the war on 18 May. The French offensive began on 4 May 1672 when a subsidiary force under Condé left Sedan and marched north along the right bank of the Meuse . Next day, Louis arrived in Charleroi to inspect the main army of 50,000 under Turenne , one of the most magnificent displays of military power in the seventeenth century. Accompanied by Louis, on 17 May Turenne met up with Condé at Visé , just south of Maastricht; supported by Condé, Louis wanted to besiege

3472-472: The 1668 Triple Alliance , between England, the Republic and Sweden . After the Alliance mediated between France and Spain, Louis relinquished many of his gains in the 1668 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle . While Breda and Aix-la-Chapelle were seen as Dutch diplomatic triumphs, they also presented significant dangers; De Witt himself was well aware of these, but failed to convince his colleagues. Louis considered

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3584-457: The 2nd battalion. The regiment was renamed His Majesty's Guard Regiment of Foot in 1689. From 1688 to 1699, it served as William III of Orange 's Guards regiment. Under King William III, the regiment served in England as his personal guard. During this time, it was also known as the "Blue Guards", because of the Nassau blue coats with yellow/orange cuffs and lining. After Willem III died in 1702,

3696-409: The Allied baggage train. However, this provided time for William and his subordinates, John Maurice and Aylva , to complete a new defensive line at Fayt. This consisted of 23 Dutch battalions, and around 12:00 pm de Souches deployed his Imperial troops on their left. Condé assumed the Allies were retreating towards Mons , and planned to roll up them up from behind. William however turned Fayt into

3808-418: The Allied movement, and quickly perceived their intention. The terrain they were crossing was marshy and broken up by numerous hedges, walls and woods, with limited exit points; gambling these factors would negate their superior numbers, Condé decided to attack. He sent 400 light cavalry under Saint Clar to skirmish with the Allied rearguard and slow down their march, while also despatching a cavalry brigade under

3920-542: The Allied positions on 21st. Since the Imperial troops would not fight without their guns, and the Dutch and Spanish could not face the French on their own, the Allies were forced to abandon the siege, along with most of their remaining equipment. After strong protests from the Dutch States General , de Souches was relieved of his command, but this did little to solve the reality of diverging objectives. Emperor Leopold preferred to focus Imperial resources on

4032-530: The Allied victory of Blenheim, but they greatly distinguished themselves at the Battle of Ramillies , under the command of Colonel Wertmüller, storming two French held villages on the Allied left. They also fought bravely and suffered heavy losses at Malplaquet, fighting under the command of the Prince of Orange on the Allied left flank. During the War of the Austrian Succession , they took part in

4144-406: The Allies moved into new lines facing the French left, running from Arquennes to Roux . By doing so, they hoped to tempt Condé into an attack, but when he simply shifted his troops to face the threat, the Allied leaders decided to bypass Seneffe , and advance straight into the French rear. At 4:00 am on 11 August, the Allies set out in three columns, each marching parallel to the French positions,

4256-488: The Company of Foot Guards was transferred to a new guard regiment raised in 1672, named His Highness' Guard Regiment of Foot. This regiment lost all its commanders in the Battle of Seneffe (August 11, 1674); the commander of the Regiment Nassau, Major General Van Solms, amalgamated both regiments into one guard regiment, the Nassau Regiment becoming the 1st battalion, and His Highness' Guard Regiment of Foot becoming

4368-456: The Dutch pioneered the development of platoon fire, which allowed infantry formations to fire continuously, which gave the Dutch an advantage in firepower over armies not using the platoon fire system. The Blue Guards of the Allied armies under the command of John Churchill , a British general, and distinguished themselves in the Battles of Malplaquet and Oudenaarde . They were not present at

4480-651: The Dutch recovered all the territory lost at the beginning, making him dominant in domestic politics. This position helped him create the anti-French Grand Alliance that fought in the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War , and subsequent 1701 to 1714 War of the Spanish Succession . As part of a general policy of opposition to Habsburg power in Europe, France backed the Dutch Republic during the 1568 to 1648 Eighty Years War against Spain . The 1648 Peace of Münster confirmed Dutch independence and permanently closed

4592-618: The Dutch support from Brandenburg-Prussia , Emperor Leopold , and Charles II of Spain . In August 1673, an Imperial army opened a new front in the Rhineland , and Louis responded by withdrawing from the Netherlands, retaining only Grave and Maastricht . In January 1674, Denmark–Norway joined the anti-French coalition, while in February the Treaty of Westminster ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War , depriving Louis of

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4704-753: The Dutch were poorly prepared for a campaign against France; available funds had mostly been invested in the fleet, at the expense of their land defences. Most of the Dutch States Army was based in the three southern fortresses of Breda , 's-Hertogenbosch and Maastricht; in November 1671, the Council of State reported these as being short of supplies and money, with many fortifications barely defendable. Most units were substantially below strength; on 12 June, one officer reported his official strength of eighteen companies had only enough men for four. This

4816-623: The English coast. The French squadron under d'Estrées and English squadrons under the Duke of York failed to properly coordinate, which meant that the French ended up fighting a separate battle with Lieutenant-Admiral Adriaen Banckert . This led to mutual recriminations between the two allies. Although ship losses were roughly equal, the Battle of Solebay ensured the Dutch retained control of their coastal waters, secured their trade routes and ended hopes of an Anglo-French landing in Zeeland . Anger at

4928-484: The French army under Condé, which was based along the Piéton river near Charleroi . William took the offensive and sought to bring on a battle by outflanking the French positions, but the broken ground forced him to divide his army into three separate columns. Condé launched a cavalry attack on the Allied vanguard, and by midday on 11 August had halted their advance. Against the advice of his subordinates, he then ordered

5040-411: The French army were dangerously overextended. In the autumn of 1672, William tried to cut them off, crossing the Spanish Netherlands via Maastricht in forced marches to attack Charleroi , the starting point of the supply route through Liège, though he had to abandon the siege quickly. The absence of the Dutch field army offered opportunities for the French to renew their offensive. On 27 December, after

5152-600: The French border to Neuss in the Rhineland . 120,000 men were allocated to attacks on the Republic, split into two main groups; one at Charleroi, under Turenne, the other near Sedan , commanded by Condé. After marching through the Bishopric of Liège, they would join near Maastricht , then occupy the Duchy of Cleves , a possession of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg . At the same time 30,000 mercenaries, paid by Münster and Cologne and led by Luxembourg, would attack from

5264-488: The French in 1672. The Maastricht garrison was increased to 11,000, in the hope they could delay the French long enough to strengthen the eastern border; the cities provided 12,000 men from their civil militia , with 70,000 peasants conscripted to build earthworks along the IJssel river. These were unfinished when France declared war on 6 April, followed by England on 7 April, using a manufactured diplomatic incident known as

5376-472: The French left, repeated attacks by Navailles on the Dutch positions were also repulsed. Although some troops finally managed to penetrate their lines around 19:00, William and Nassau-Siegen quickly moved the cavalry up, and restored the position after some hard fighting. Two hours later, Condé finally suspended all operations, although isolated firefights continued. Many soldiers slept on the battlefield, and both armies held their positions, expecting to renew

5488-507: The French occupation of Kleve and lack of money temporarily drove Brandenburg-Prussia out of the war in the Peace of Vossem . However, in August, the Dutch, Spain and Emperor Leopold, supported by other German states, agreed the anti-French Alliance of The Hague, joined by Charles IV of Lorraine in October. In September, the resolute defense by John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen and Aylva in

5600-537: The French peace terms. They then travelled to Heeswijk Castle, but the Accord of Heeswijk they agreed there was even harsher, England and France promising never to conclude a separate peace. France demanded the areas of Brabant, Limburg and Guelders. Charles tried to right matters by writing a very moderate letter to William, claiming that the only obstacle to peace was the influence of De Witt. William made counteroffers unacceptable to Charles but also on 15 August published

5712-531: The French. Arriving at the Dutch army camp in Nieuwerbrug , they proposed to install William as monarch of a Principality of Holland. In return he should pay ten million guilders as "indemnities" and formalise a permanent military English occupation of the ports of Brill, Sluys and Flushing . England would respect the French and Münsterite conquests. To their surprise, William flatly refused. He indicated that he might be more pliable if they managed to moderate

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5824-594: The Holland war theatre, camped around Boxtel and Louis took residence in Heeswijk Castle . The news that the French had penetrated into the heart of the Republic led to a general panic in the cities of the province of Holland. Blaming the States regime for the Dutch collapse, their populations rioted. Members of the city councils were by force replaced by Orangist partisans or in fear of reprisals declared for

5936-408: The January 1668 Partition Treaty with Leopold confirmation of his right to the Spanish Netherlands, a point reinforced by Aix-la-Chapelle, despite his concessions. He no longer saw the need to negotiate, and decided their acquisition was best achieved by first defeating the Republic. The Dutch also over-estimated their own power; defeat at Lowestoft in 1665 exposed the shortcomings of their navy and

6048-601: The Low Countries for France not equalled until 1810. The Generality Lands included the fortresses of Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch and Maastricht. Their possession would have greatly facilitated the conquest of the Spanish Netherlands, and the remaining Republic would have been little more than a French satellite state. De Louvois, rather bemused that the Estates had not capitulated but still considered some damage control possible, demanded far harsher terms. The Dutch were given

6160-583: The Lower Rhine abandoned his position. When he arrived at Arnhem with his troops, immediately a force of two thousand horse and foot under Field Marshal Paulus Wirtz was sent out to cover the Betuwe. At arrival they intercepted French cavalry crossing at a ford pointed out to them by a farmer. A bloody encounter fight followed but in this Battle of Tolhuis on 12 June, the Dutch cavalry was eventually overwhelmed by French reinforcements. Louis personally observed

6272-462: The Marquis de Rannes to seize the high ground north of Seneffe. Around 10:00 am, de Rannes came into contact with Vaudémont, who asked for infantry support and was sent three battalions under William Maurice . These were placed near the bridge over the Zenne river that flowed through Seneffe, with his cavalry just behind. Despite gout so severe he was unable to wear riding boots, Condé himself led

6384-533: The Rhineland and Spain. Münster was forced to signe a peace treaty with the Dutch Republic in April 1674 and Cologne followed in May. In England, the alliance with Catholic France had been unpopular from the start and although the real terms of the Treaty of Dover remained secret, many suspected them. The Cabal ministry that managed government for Charles had gambled on a short war but when this proved not to be

6496-402: The Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comté . In July, the Treaty of Breda ended the Anglo-Dutch War, leading to talks between the Dutch and Charles II of England on a common diplomatic front against France. This was supported by Spain and Emperor Leopold , who was also concerned by French expansion. After his first suggestion of an Anglo-French alliance was rejected by Louis, Charles entered

6608-559: The Spanish Netherlands. He freed 12,000 Dutch prisoners of war for a small ransom, to avoid having to pay for their maintenance, allowing the majority to rejoin the Dutch States Army, which by August contained 57,000 men. In June, the Dutch seemed defeated. The Amsterdam stock market collapsed and their international credit evaporated. Frederick William, the Elector of Brandenburg, in these circumstances hardly dared to threaten

6720-460: The Spanish an opportunity to recapture the key border town of Charleroi . On 23 July, William was joined near Nivelles by Imperial troops under de Souches , giving him a total of about 65,000. Having occupied Franche-Comté, Louis sent Condé substantial reinforcements, and by early August he had 45,000 men entrenched along the Piéton river, which joined the Sambre at Charleroi. Concluding these positions were too strong to attack, on 9 August

6832-425: The Stadtholderate had come to an end, the Republic was reformed and became the Batavian Republic. The Dutch Guards and other guard units, as representatives of the Ancien Régime , were disbanded the same year. Battle of Seneffe Upper Rhine France Southern Italy North Germany and Scandinavia Pyrenees Americas Naval battles The Battle of Seneffe took place on 11 August 1674 during

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6944-435: The afternoon, and each time were repulsed with heavy loss. On the French right, Luxembourg's attack was delayed as his troops were busy looting the baggage train, and it took him some time to restore order. Reinforced with troops detached from the centre, he almost broke through, but was eventually thrown back. At about 17:00, Condé realised Luxembourg's men were exhausted, and ordered them to assume defensive positions. On

7056-458: The alleged lack of support from D'Estrées increased opposition to the war, and the English Parliament was reluctant to approve funds for essential repairs. For the rest of the year, this restricted English naval operations to a failed attack on the Dutch East India Company Return Fleet. In early June, the Dutch headquarters at Arnhem prepared itself for a French onslaught on the IJssel Line. Only twenty thousand troops could be assembled to block

7168-450: The anti-Dutch allies, especially England. Münster was in an even worse condition; on 27 August it had to abandon the siege of Groningen. Whereas the Dutch had managed to supply the city through waterways at its northern edge, Von Galen's troops were starving and had largely deserted. Largely due to an effective guerrilla campaign by troops from Friesland under Hans Willem van Aylva against their supply lines. Also, his siege mortars had lost

7280-444: The armies of Münster and Cologne, reinforced by a French corps under de Luxembourg, advanced to the north along the river, after having taken Grol on 10 June and Bredevoort on 18 June. The IJssel cities panicked. Deventer seceded from the Republic and again rejoined the Holy Roman Empire on 25 June. Then, the province of Overijssel surrendered as a whole to the bishop of Münster, Bernard von Galen , whose troops plundered towns on

7392-410: The army of Cologne from the Münsterite forces. From that point onwards, Von Galen would wage a largely separate campaign. He started to besiege Coevorden on 20 June. Von Galen, nicknamed "Bomb Berend", was an expert on artillery ammunition and had devised the first practical incendiary shell or carcass . With such fire shot he intimidated the garrison of Coevorden into a quick surrender on 1 July. He

7504-401: The artillery duel with the fortress cannon, gradually having been destroyed. Before the end of 1672, the Dutch under Carl von Rabenhaupt retook Coevorden and liberated the province of Drenthe, leaving the Allies in possession of only three of the ten—the territories of Drenthe , Staats-Brabant , and Staats-Overmaas were also part of the republic—Dutch provincial areas. The supply lines of

7616-630: The basis of "holding their ground" at the end of the fighting, but neither gained a clear advantage, and the overall strategic position remained largely unchanged. Condé had failed to take advantage of his initial success, and his poorly judged attacks rescued William from a serious defeat. Historians are divided on the result; it has variously been described as a French victory, an Allied success, or essentially inconclusive. Casualties on both sides were enormous, with estimates of Allied losses ranging from 10,000 to 15,000, including prisoners. The dead included Sir Walter Vane, deputy commander of

7728-469: The battle from the Elterberg . Condé was shot through the wrist. In France, this battle was celebrated as a major victory and paintings of the Passage du Rhin have this crossing as their subject, not the earlier one at Emmerich. Captain-General William Henry now wanted the entire field army to fall back on Utrecht. However, in 1666 the provinces had regained full sovereignty of their forces. Overijssel and Guelders in June 1672 withdrew their troops from

7840-434: The battle next morning, but an intense burst of firing broke out around midnight, with men killed on both sides. Once calm was restored, Condé ordered his troops to fall back on Charleroi. William wanted to pursue them, but his colleagues would not agree, notably de Souches, the Imperial commander. Instead, he ordered his troops to fire a triple salvo to claim victory, then withdrew to Mons. Both sides claimed victory on

7952-434: The battle". French military engineer and strategist Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban argued Seneffe showed siege warfare was a better way to achieve victory than costly battles, and Louis ordered Condé to avoid a repeat. Although Allied casualties were higher than those of the French, they were quickly replaced by troops from nearby garrisons. In addition, a large convoy arrived outside Mons on 31 August, bringing supplies,

8064-442: The battle. They were driven back twice, but several French assaults on the priory were repulsed with heavy losses. When Assentar was mortally wounded in a third charge, the cavalry retreated in confusion, riding over their own infantry, and allowing the French to capture the priory. This last attempt was led by Condé, who was unhorsed and had to be rescued by his son . After taking St Nicolas, Luxembourg's troops then captured much of

8176-434: The bulk of the French army began to cross the Rhine at Emmerich am Rhein ; Grand Pensionary De Witt was deeply shocked by the news of the catastrophe and concluded "the fatherland is now lost". Although the situation on land had become critical for the Dutch, events at sea were much more favourable. On 7 June, Dutch Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter attacked the Anglo-French fleet as it took on supplies at Southwold on

8288-457: The campaign in Germany in 1743, the Battles of Fontenoy and Rocoux and the defence of Brussels and of Bergen op Zoom . After the war, the Republic maintained a policy of strict neutrality. The Dutch Guards came into action once again during the campaigns of 1793 and 1794 against the armies of Revolutionary France. After the Dutch Republic had been invaded by the French troops in 1795 and

8400-441: The case, opinion quickly turned against it, while the French were also accused of abandoning the English at Solebay. Opposition to the alliance with France further increased when Charles' heir, his Catholic brother, James , was given permission to marry Mary of Modena , also a devout Catholic. In February 1673, Parliament refused to continue funding the war unless Charles withdrew a proposed Declaration of Indulgence and accepted

8512-418: The cause of the Prince of Orange. Pamphlets accused the regenten of having betrayed the Republic to Louis and De Ruyter of wanting to deliver the fleet to the French. When the French peace terms became known on 1 July, they caused outrage. The result was to bolster Dutch resistance. On 2 July, William was appointed stadtholder of Zealand and on 4 June of Holland. The new stadtholder William III of Orange

8624-477: The choice of surrendering their southern fortresses, permitting religious freedom for Catholics and a payment of six million guilders, or France and Münster retaining their existing gains – thus the loss of Overijssel, Guelders and Utrecht – and a single payment of sixteen million livres. Louis knew perfectly well that the delegation did not have the mandate to agree such terms and would have to return for new instructions. However, he also did not continue his advance to

8736-542: The confederated army. The French army made little effort to cut off the escape route of the Dutch field army. Turenne recrossed the Lower Rhine to attack Arnhem, while part of his army moved to the Waal towards Fort Knodsenburg at Nijmegen . Louis wanted to besiege Doesburg first, on the east side of the IJssel, taking it on 21 June. The king delayed the capture somewhat to allow his brother, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans , to take Zutphen some days earlier. On his right flank,

8848-507: The east. One final element was a planned English landing in the Spanish Netherlands but this ceased to be a viable option as the Dutch retained control of the sea. The French had demonstrated their new tactics when over-running the Duchy of Lorraine in mid 1670, while the Dutch were given accurate information on their plans as early as February 1671. These were confirmed by Condé in November and again in January 1672, Dutch regent de Groot describing him as "one of our best friends." However,

8960-456: The eastern borders of Münster. A single loyal ally remained: the Spanish Netherlands. They well understood that if the Dutch capitulated, they too would be lost. Although officially neutral, and forced to allow the French to transgress their territory with impunity, they openly reinforced the Dutch with thousands of troops. Concern at French gains brought the support of Brandenburg-Prussia , Emperor Leopold and Charles II of Spain . Instead of

9072-522: The elite Maison du Roi cavalry across the Zenne above Seneffe, and scattered Vaudémont's cavalry, whose headlong flight temporarily disrupted the Spanish troops immediately behind them. Simultaneous assaults by de Rannes and the duc de Luxembourg eventually overwhelmed the Allied infantry in Seneffe, who were either killed or taken prisoner. By midday, Condé had inflicted significant losses and gained

9184-565: The elite Scots Brigade , François Palm, Colonel of the Dutch Marines , and Assentar, whose body was later returned by Condé for burial. French casualties were between 7,000 to 10,000 dead or wounded, with particularly heavy losses among the officer corps. These shocked the French court, one contemporary writing "We have lost so much by this victory that without the Te Deum and captured flags at Notre Dame, we would believe we had lost

9296-500: The fleet overseas to continue the fight. Louis feared the English wanted to claim Staats-Vlaanderen which he saw as French territory because the County of Flanders was a fief of the French crown. In secret he arranged an informal warband of six thousand under Claude Antoine de Dreux to quickly cross the officially neutral Spanish Flanders and execute a surprise assault on the Dutch fortress of Aardenburg , on 25–26 June. The attempt

9408-499: The fortress immediately but Turenne convinced him it would be folly to allow the Dutch time to reinforce other positions. Avoiding a direct assault on Maastricht, Turenne prevented it being reinforced by occupying outlying positions at Tongeren , Maaseik and Valkenburg . Leaving 10,000 men to cover Maastricht, the rest of the French army crossed back over the Meuse, then advanced along the Rhine, supported by troops from Münster and

9520-559: The fortress of Naarden close to Amsterdam. In a defeatist mood a divided States of Holland – Amsterdam was more pugnacious – sent a delegation to de Louvois in Zeist to ask for peace terms, headed by Pieter de Groot . The French king was offered the Generality Lands and ten million guilders. Compared to the eventual outcome of the war, these conditions were very favourable to France. It would have led to territorial gains in

9632-544: The gold and silver reserves of the Amsterdam banks. Their loss would mean the collapse of Europe's financial system and the personal bankruptcy of large segments of the French elite. Relations with England were also delicate. Louis had promised Charles to make William Henry the Sovereign Prince of a Holland rump state and puppet state. He very much preferred that it would be France pulling the strings but there

9744-597: The guards fought included the Nine Years' War (1688–1697) in which distinguished themselves at the Battles of the Boyne and Fleurus along with the siege of Limerick . After the death of William III in 1702, the regiment went back to the Netherlands and during the War of the Spanish Succession (1702–1712) was the backbone of the Dutch Army. In that war, the Dutch Army was the second largest in Europe. In particular,

9856-463: The influence of the States of Holland and Amsterdam, the power base of Johan de Witt , Grand Pensionary from 1653 to 1672. He viewed his relationship with Louis XIV of France as crucial for preserving Dutch economic power, but also to protect him from his domestic Orangist opponents. Although France and the Republic concluded an assistance treaty in 1662, the States of Holland refused to support

9968-416: The letter to incite the population. On 20 August, Johan and Cornelis de Witt were lynched by an Orangist civil militia, leaving William in control. Observing that the water around 's-Hertogenbosch showed little sign of receding, Louis became impatient and lifted the siege on 26 July. Leaving his main force of 40,000 behind, he took 18,000 men with him, and marched to Paris within a week, straight through

10080-416: The long logistical lines between France and the Dutch Republic. The French position in the Netherlands became untenable and Louis was forced to evacuate French troops from the Dutch Republic. This deeply shocked Louis and he retreated to Saint Germain where no one, except a few intimates, were allowed to disturb him. The next year only Grave and Maastricht remained in French hands, while the war expanded into

10192-472: The loop. In revenge, they stopped funding his Dutch Guards, and he contemplated abdication: "I am so angry (William to Heinsius) about what is happening in the House of Commons in the matter of the troops, that I can hardly concentrate my thoughts on anything else. I foresee that I shall have to come to extreme decisions and that I shall see you in Holland earlier than I had intended". Notable campaigns in which

10304-557: The north of the Dutch Republic had now finally forced Von Galen to withdraw, while William crossed the Dutch Waterline and recaptured Naarden . In November, a 30,000-strong Dutch-Spanish army, under William's command, marched into the lands of the Bishops of Münster and Cologne. The Dutch troops took revenge and carried out many atrocities. Together with 35,000 Imperial troops, they then captured Bonn , an important magazine in

10416-498: The not-unusual method of mettre à contribution : unless noble refugees or Amsterdam merchants made regular payments, their luxury mansions would be burnt down. This made the general the favourite subject of Dutch anti-French propaganda. Special books were published highlighting the outrages he committed, illustrated by Romeyn de Hooghe . The most common Dutch school book, the Mirror of Youth , that had been dedicated to Spanish misdeeds,

10528-491: The opposite might happen too: that a French advance would lead to the Orangists taking power and capitulating to England. The province of Zealand had already decided to rather make Charles their lord than be subjugated by the French. Only fear of the military power of De Ruyter's fleet had kept them from surrendering outright to the English. De Ruyter would not tolerate any talk of capitulation and intended, if necessary, to take

10640-455: The power of the Prince of Orange . In preparation for an attack on the Republic, Louis embarked on a series of diplomatic initiatives, the first being the 1670 Secret Treaty of Dover , an Anglo-French alliance against the Dutch. It contained secret clauses not revealed until 1771, including the payment to Charles of £230,000 per year for providing a British brigade of 6,000. Agreements with

10752-698: The regiment was renamed the Dutch Guards. The uniform became dark blue with poppy red lining and cuffs; white metal buttons on the coat, and white lace loops; waistcoat and breeches became white. This uniform was worn throughout the 18th century. In 1699, William negotiated the Second Partition Treaty (with France) in coordination with the Dutch Estates General and Bentinck but left the English Parliament out of

10864-590: The region before the Dutch-led Triple Alliance forced them to withdraw in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668) . After this, Louis decided the best way to achieve his territorial ambitions was to first defeat the Dutch. When the Franco-Dutch War began in May 1672, French troops quickly overran large parts of the Netherlands , but by July the Dutch position had stabilised. The unexpected success of his offensive had encouraged Louis to make excessive demands, while concern at French gains brought

10976-449: The west side of the IJssel, such as Hattem , Elburg and Harderwijk , on 21 June. Louis ordered Luxembourg to expel them again, as he wanted to make the duchy of Guelders a French possession. Annoyed, Von Galen announced to advance to the north of the Republic and invited de Luxembourg to follow him by wading through the IJssel, as no pontoon bridge was available. Exasperated, Luxembourg got permission from Louis to withhold his corps and

11088-412: The west. Several explanations have been given for this policy. The French were rather overwhelmed by their success. They had within a month captured three dozen fortresses. This strained their organisational and logistical capacities. All these strongholds had to be garrisoned and supplied. An intrusion into Holland proper seemed meaningless to them, unless Amsterdam could be besieged. This city would be

11200-590: Was a European conflict that lasted from 1672 to 1678. Its primary belligerents were France , backed at different times by Münster , Cologne , England , and the Swedish Empire , and the Dutch Republic , allied with the Holy Roman Empire , Spain , Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Norway . The 1672 to 1674 Third Anglo-Dutch War and 1675 to 1679 Scanian War are considered related conflicts. Fighting began in May 1672 when France nearly overran

11312-424: Was a distinct possibility that the uncle of the prince would be in control. Louis had not mentioned William in his peace conditions. The very patricians that the French king desired to punish were traditionally pro-French and his natural allies against the pro-English Orangists. He wanted to simply annex Holland and hoped that fear of the Orangists would cause the regenten to surrender the province to him. Of course,

11424-420: Was a total failure, the small garrison killing hundreds of attackers and taking prisoner over six hundred Frenchmen who had become pinned down in a ravelin . Louis also allowed his honour to take precedence over the raison d'état . The harsh peace conditions upon which he insisted were meant to humiliate the Dutch. He demanded an annual embassy to the French court asking pardon for their perfidy and presenting

11536-555: Was advised by his subcommanders to subsequently plunder the hardly defended Friesland and use vessels captured there to isolate Groningen , the largest city in the north. Alternatively, he could take Delfzijl, allowing a landing by an English expeditionary force. But the bishop feared the Protestant British would make common cause with the Calvinist Groningers and expected that his siege mortars would force

11648-479: Was easily flooded, making a traditional attack via trenches impractical. The battle fleet could support the fortifications from the IJ and Zuyderzee with gun fire, meanwhile ensuring a constant resupply of the food and ammunition stocks. A deeper problem was that Amsterdam was the world's main financial centre . The promissory notes with which many of the French military and the contractors had been paid, were covered by

11760-493: Was failing and the casualties had diminished Louis' trust in his abilities. He temporarily assumed command of French troops in the Rhineland in July 1675, but retired before the end of the year. In the longer term, Seneffe confirmed Louis' preference for positional warfare, ushering in a period where siege and manoeuvre dominated military tactics. The war became one of attrition, and although both sides were of similar strength, neither

11872-418: Was forced to compromise by besieging Oudenarde . Operations commenced on 16 September, and Condé began marching to its relief three days later. The Dutch and Spanish redoubled efforts to breach the walls before his arrival, but without advising his colleagues, de Souches sent the Imperial artillery off to Ghent . On 20 September, Condé took up position on the left bank of the Scheldt river and began bombarding

11984-468: Was given a general mandate to negotiate. Meanwhile, the polders of the Holland Water Line had slowly filled, forming an obstacle to a possible French advance. Charles thought that William's rise to power allowed to quickly obtain a peace favourable to England. He sent two of his ministers to Holland. They were received with jubilation by the population, who assumed they came to save them from

12096-453: Was not only a formidable fortress in itself, it was surrounded by a rare fortification belt. Normally its marshy surroundings would make a siege impossible but its presently weak garrison seemed to offer some possibility of success. After Nijmegen had been taken on 9 July, Turenne captured near 's-Hertogenbosch Fort Crèvecœur , which controlled the sluice outlets of the area, halting further inundations. The main French force, thus removed from

12208-466: Was now rewritten to reflect French atrocities. Until the advent of railways in the 19th century, goods and supplies were largely transported by water, making rivers such as the Lys , Sambre and Meuse vital for trade and military operations. The primary French objective in 1673 was the capture of Maastricht , which controlled a key access point on the Meuse; the city surrendered on 30 June. In June 1673,

12320-488: Was partly because with Prince William now of age, his Orangist supporters refused to approve additional military spending unless he was appointed Captain-General , a move opposed by de Witt. Aware of internal English opposition to the Anglo-French alliance, the Dutch relied on the provisions of the Triple Alliance requiring England and the Republic to support each other, if attacked by Spain or France. This assumption

12432-593: Was shared by the Parliament of England , who approved funding for the fleet in early 1671 to fulfil its obligations under the alliance. The true danger only became obvious on 23 March, when acting under orders from Charles, the Royal Navy attacked a Dutch merchant convoy in the Channel ; this followed a similar incident in 1664. In February 1672, de Witt compromised by appointing William as Captain-General for

12544-689: Was yet ready to negotiate peace. Knoop's detailed article on Seneffe translated into English 'I never heard anything else than: but: it's nothing, children, plug in; - and in an instant, the rank which had been cut down by the cannon was replenished. I shouted out to them that it was something after all; - one answered me that he would take revenge by tonight; - and I answered them that they should take this [cannon fire] while waiting in anticipation. Judge for yourself whether we were close!” Franco-Dutch War Upper Rhine France Southern Italy North Germany and Scandinavia Pyrenees Americas Naval battles The Franco-Dutch War

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