Fall of Ghent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fall of Ghent
Part of War of the Austrian Succession
Ghent in the eighteenth century
Date July 1745 Location Ghent, Austrian Netherlands 51°3′0.000″N 3°43′0.001″E / 51.05000000°N 3.71666694°E / 51.05000000; 3.71666694 Result French occupy Ghent
Belligerents
France	Austria  Great Britain Hanover  Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Comte de Lowendal

The Fall of Ghent happened on July 15, 1745. It was a key event during the War of the Austrian Succession. A French army of about 5,000 soldiers, led by Ulrich Frédéric Woldemar, Comte de Lowendal, surprised and captured the town of Ghent. Ghent was located in what was then called the Austrian Netherlands, which is modern-day Belgium. The soldiers defending Ghent didn't put up much of a fight.

Why Ghent Was Important

Ghent was a very important place for the Allied forces. These Allies included soldiers from Austria, Great Britain, Hanover, and the Dutch Republic. Since 1742, Ghent had been a major base for their army, known as the Pragmatic Army. This army was a group of different European forces working together.

A Key Supply Base

Ghent was especially important because it held a huge amount of military supplies. These supplies had been saved and not used. Losing Ghent meant the Allies lost all these valuable resources. This made the French capture of Ghent a big shock to them.

Near Miss for British Soldiers

Just before Ghent fell, a British army group, including a young officer named James Wolfe, had left the town. They were very lucky to leave when they did. If they had stayed, they would have been captured and become prisoners of war.

Battle of Melle

The Allied commander, Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, sent about 4,000 to 5,000 extra soldiers to help Ghent. These reinforcements were from Britain, Hanover, the Netherlands, and Austria. However, the French army stopped them at the Battle of Melle. Only about 1,000 of these soldiers managed to reach Ghent.

The Capture of Ghent

The French army surrounded Ghent completely. This is called "investing" a city. They took control of the town on July 11. The French commander, Lowendal, then started digging trenches and tunnels towards the city's main fort, called the citadel. This process is known as "sapping."

The Citadel Falls

The soldiers defending the citadel had no hope of getting help or more soldiers. Lowendal's army had also grown much larger, with 15,000 more troops arriving. The defenders felt very discouraged. On July 15, the French launched a sudden attack, called a coup de main, and quickly captured the citadel.

Aftermath and Prisoners

About 3,000 Allied soldiers were taken prisoner when Ghent fell. The French also captured a huge amount of military supplies. The next year, the French used Ghent as a starting point for another advance. This led to the Siege of Brussels, where they captured Brussels as well.