Rhine campaign of 1713 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rhine campaign of 1713
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
A portrait of Claude de Villars
Date May – November 1713 Location Upper Rhine, Holy Roman Empire Result French victory Successful siege of Landau Successful siege of Freiburg
Belligerents
France	Austria
Commanders and leaders
Claude de Villars Marquis de Bezons Arthur Dillon	Eugene of Savoy Duke of Württemberg
Strength
240 infantry battalions 300 cavalry squadrons	85 infantry battalions 115 cavalry squadrons

The Rhine campaign of 1713 was a successful military operation by France against the Holy Roman Empire. This was the last part of a big war called the War of the Spanish Succession. Most countries had already made peace, but the Holy Roman Empire had not.

There were no huge battles during this campaign. Instead, the French army surrounded and captured two important cities: Landau and Freiburg im Breisgau. This made parts of Germany like the Palatinate and Württemberg open to French control. Because of this, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire finally agreed to make peace.

Why the War Continued

On April 11, 1713, many countries signed the Treaty of Utrecht. This treaty officially ended most of the War of the Spanish Succession. Countries like Great Britain, Portugal, Savoy, and the Dutch Republic made peace with Spain and France.

However, the Habsburg monarchy (Austria) and the Holy Roman Empire refused to sign the treaty. They wanted to keep fighting France.

Emperor Charles VI's Reasons

Emperor Charles VI had several reasons for continuing the war alone.

• Loss of Spain: A powerful group in the Habsburg court was very upset. They felt they had lost the Spanish throne, which was a major goal of the war. Their allies had recognized Philip V as the new King of Spain.
• More Concessions: This group wanted to fight one more campaign. They hoped to get more from France as a way to make up for losing Spain. To do this, they moved soldiers from Spain and Italy to fight on the Rhine.
• Hope for France's Future: The French king, Louis XIV, was very old. His young heir was also sick. Some hoped that France might soon have its own problem with who would rule next. This could force France to make peace quickly.

The Campaign Begins

By 1713, both France and the Holy Roman Empire were tired from years of war. They didn't have as many soldiers or as much money as before.

France first thought peace would happen, so they didn't prepare much. But when the Habsburgs gathered their army on the Rhine River, France quickly got ready. They brought together a large army near Strasbourg. They also had a smaller group of soldiers near the Sarre and Moselle rivers. In total, France had about 300 cavalry groups and 240 infantry groups.

French Army Leadership

The French army was led by Marshal Villars. He was known as France's most successful army commander during the war.

Imperial Army Challenges

Eugene of Savoy moved all his soldiers from the Spanish Netherlands to the Upper Rhine. He planned to work with armies from other German states. However, the Holy Roman Empire's armies were much smaller than they should have been. This was because they no longer received money from other countries.

Eugene of Savoy's combined army had only about 115 cavalry groups and 85 infantry groups. This was about one-third the size of the French army. Because of this, Eugene had to keep his main army behind strong defenses. These defenses were called the Ettlingen Line of fortifications. This meant Marshal Villars had the advantage and could decide where to attack.

Villars's Strategy

Marshal Villars had several choices for his attacks.

• Crossing the Rhine: He could try to cross the Rhine River. Then he could capture strong points on the other side. This would allow him to take supplies from southern German states. It would also put pressure on the Emperor.
• Pushing East: A further push into Bavaria could help him bring back Elector Maximilian. Maximilian was France's ally who had lost his throne.
• Staying on the Left Bank: Villars could also stay on the left bank of the river. He could then take control of the Electoral Palatinate. This would force the Palatinate to help France's war efforts.
• Attacking Ettlingen Line: Finally, Villars could try to push Eugene out of the Ettlingen Line. This might open up all of Germany to French attacks.

Throughout the campaign, Villars used tricks to hide his real plans from Eugene. He made it look like he would attack in one place, but then he would go somewhere else. This kept Eugene's army stuck behind the Ettlingen Line. This way, Eugene could not stop Villars's siege operations.

Sieges of Landau and Freiburg

On June 3, Villars gathered his troops at Fort-Louis. He made a big show of preparing to cross the Rhine. This made the Imperial forces believe he wanted to go around the Ettlingen Line.

Instead, most of his army quickly moved north. They crossed the Queich and the Speyerbach rivers. Villars captured Speyer to stop Eugene from sending troops west. On June 24, Villars sent the Marquis de Bezons to surround Landau.

Capture of Landau

The city of Landau was defended by Charles Alexander, Prince of Württemberg. The city held out for 52 days. It finally surrendered on August 20. This was two days after French engineers blew big holes in its walls. Meanwhile, Arthur Dillon had also captured Kaiserslautern.

Villars did not allow the defenders of Landau the usual "honors of war." This meant they were not allowed to march out with their flags and weapons. Instead, he made them prisoners of war. Many people at the time thought this was harsh. The garrison had fought bravely. Villars might have done this because Eugene had treated French defenders similarly the year before.

Capture of Freiburg

After securing the Palatinate, Villars decided to attack again. This time, he moved into Württemberg and Swabia. He wanted to put more economic and land pressure on the Emperor.

To hide his movements, Villars crossed the Rhine with a small group at Fort-Louis. Again, he made it seem like he was threatening the Ettlingen Line. But his main army crossed further south, at Kehl. This was near the Imperial fortress of Freiburg.

Villars left a small force along the Ettlingen Line. He then went to Kehl through Strasbourg. There, he took charge of the siege. He surrounded Freiburg on the night of September 30 to October 1. Villars wanted to capture the city and its fortress before winter snows arrived. He ordered large attacks by French grenadiers. A big assault broke through the walls, and the city was captured on November 2.

To save Freiburg from more damage, the fortress defenders asked Eugene for permission to surrender. They surrendered on November 16. During all this, Eugene of Savoy could not risk a battle. He could only watch as the French captured the cities.

Peace Negotiations

After these victories, Louis XIV of France asked to start peace talks. The Holy Roman Empire agreed. Marshal Villars and Prince Eugene of Savoy met in the city of Rastatt in Baden-Baden. They began long and complex talks. These negotiations lasted until March 7, 1714. On that day, the Treaty of Rastatt was signed. This treaty finally ended the War of the Spanish Succession for the Holy Roman Empire.

Sources

• THE WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION, CAMPAIGNS AND NEGOTIATIONS, By C. T. ATKINSON, M.A, pag. 435
• Les Bourbons. LES TRAITES DE RASTATT ET DE BADEN METTENT UN POINT FINAL A LA GUERRE DE SUCCESSION D'ESPAGNE