Siege of Maastricht (1673)

After the French troops captured Ghent and Brussels , they moved to Maastricht , which was then under the rule of the United Provinces along with the Principality of Liege. June 11, 1673 they began a siege of the city. Maastricht had an agreement with the Spanish troops on protection, so there were two garrisons in the city - Dutch and Spanish. The general command of the garrison was carried out by Jacques de Fario.

Maastricht was the first city to be besieged by Sebastien de Vauban, a master of military tactics of his era. After shelling the city walls, Vauban ordered the construction of ramps and the gradual digging of zigzag trenches towards the walls. The final goal of these actions was the laying of barrels of gunpowder against the walls and their undermining.

June 24 was the day of memory of John the Baptist, and Louis XIV personally participated in a solemn mass in front of the troops. After the mass, the royal regiments launched a large-scale attack on the city. One of the regiments was commanded by Charles de Castelmore, better known as the Count of D'Artagnan. During a bloody battle, the French managed to capture part of the wall. But when it seemed that the victory was very near, Louis returned his generals and marshals to the original, in order to attribute the victory to himself.

The English mercenaries, led by James Scott, the Duke of Monmouth, tried to find another way into the city, but fell under heavy shelling and lost 300 people. After this, the inspired Dutch regained their positions on the walls and forced the French to retreat. Then the French king decided to bring heavy guns closer to the city and begin a massive shelling of the city. Fearing complete destruction, the inhabitants of Maastricht surrendered for a week.

Sebastien de Vauban received the first experience of a successful siege near Maastricht. Englishman James Scott was praised for his actions during the siege by the French. Ironically, after peace in 1678, Scott found himself on the Dutch side and began to fight against the French.

In the summer of 1676, William III of Orange tried to return the city, but the attempt failed miserably. After the conclusion of peace in 1678, Maastricht returned to Dutch control.

The conquest of Maastricht was considered one of the greatest military successes of Louis XIV and was reflected in the artistic interpretation of the acts of the Sun King. In particular, the king’s participation in the siege is depicted on the ceiling of the Mirror Hall in the Palace of Versailles (pictured below, right, foreground).

•  

  Louis XIV at Maastricht , thin. P. Minyar

•  

  Arrival of Louis XIV in a camp near Maastricht, thin. A.F. van der moehlen

•  

  The capture of Maastricht (Mirror Hall, Palace of Versailles), thin. C. le Brun

•  

  The capture of Maastricht (bas-relief on the Gates of Saint-Denis)

Charles Ogier de Castelmore, Count of D'Artagnan , "field marshal" of the French musketeers, was killed by a stray bullet during the siege of Maastricht on June 25, 1673 . A century and a half later, he became the prototype of the hero of the books of Alexander Dumas the father . In Maastricht, he was erected a bronze statue in a city park.

• (Fr.) John A. Lynn, Les guerres de Louis XIV: 1667-1714, Perrin, 2010.