Siege of Cuneo (1691) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Cuneo |
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| Part of the Nine Years' War | |||||||
 Siege of Cuneo 1691 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Duchy of Savoy Spanish Empire Holy Roman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Marquis de Feuquières Vivien de Bulonde |
Victor Amadeus II of Savoy | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Data pending | Garrison, + 2,500 relief force |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~700–800 | Data pending | ||||||
The Siege of Cuneo happened on June 28, 1691, during a big war called the Nine Years' War. It took place in a region called Piedmont-Savoy, which is now part of northern Italy. This siege was part of a plan by the French King Louis XIV to fight against Victor Amadeus, the Duke of Savoy. The Duke had joined a group of countries called the Grand Alliance the year before.
France wanted to capture Cuneo to get a strong position on the Piedmont Plain. This would let their army, led by Marshal Catinat, stay east of the Alps mountains during winter. However, the French commanders made many mistakes. Also, help arrived for Cuneo's defenders from the Holy Roman Empire. Because of these reasons, the siege was a big failure for France. They lost about 700 to 800 soldiers. Even though France had taken other important places like Nice and Montmélian, their army was not ready to attack more. King Louis XIV later offered a peace deal to Duke Amadeus. But the Duke had received many new soldiers and felt strong enough to keep fighting.
Contents
Why the Siege Happened: The Background
In June 1690, Duke Victor Amadeus of Savoy decided to join the Grand Alliance. He wanted to be free from French control. But in the first battle, he lost badly to Marshal Catinat at the Battle of Staffarda. After that, Catinat used France's main base at Pinerolo to capture more towns nearby.
However, the French army had problems with communication and getting enough supplies. They didn't have enough food or soldiers. So, by the end of 1690, they had to leave the Piedmont plain. They moved to their winter camps west of the Alps mountains.
France's Early Attacks in 1691
France started their attacks early in 1691. In March, Catinat moved his army into the County of Nice. He attacked the coastal towns of Nice and Villefranche. It was very important for France to capture these towns. If they didn't, the Grand Alliance could use them to attack France by land and sea. But if France captured them, it would be easier for them to attack southern Piedmont.
Villefranche quickly gave up to Catinat on March 20. The town of Nice also surrendered fast. But its main fort held out against a French group until April 1. France captured Nice and only lost about 100 men. Now, almost the entire county was under King Louis XIV's control. Of all the Duke of Savoy's towns west of the Alps, only Montmélian was still in his hands.
The Siege of Cuneo
In Piedmont, the Marquis de Feuquières marched southwest from Pinerolo on April 18. He went to attack the Vaudois and French Huguenots (Protestants who had fled France) in Luserna. Feuquières had lost a battle there the year before. This time, he met little resistance. He destroyed the town and killed many people living there. Meanwhile, Catinat damaged the route between Turin and Susa.
France could not capture Turin, the capital of Piedmont, because they didn't have enough soldiers or supplies. But Catinat did take Avigliana on May 29. After that, he sent a large group of soldiers under Feuquières and Bulonde to attack Cuneo. Cuneo was located on the Stura river in southern Piedmont.
Why the Siege Failed
Capturing Cuneo would have allowed the French army to stay east of the Alps during the winter of 1691–92. But the two French commanders made many mistakes, and the attack became a complete disaster.
When the French commanders heard that a relief force was coming, they panicked. This force included Imperial cavalry led by Prince Eugene of Savoy and Spanish troops led by the Marquis of Leganés. One of the French commanders, Bulonde, lost his courage and ended the siege. The French army lost between 700 and 800 soldiers. They left behind their supplies, wounded soldiers, and heavy cannons. The army turned into a fleeing crowd as they tried to get back to Catinat's main force near Turin. The soldiers defending Cuneo had held their ground. They were still strong when Prince Eugene arrived. After making sure Cuneo was safe, Eugene returned to Turin.
What Happened Next
In July, Feuquières managed to get more soldiers and money to France's main fort at Casale. This fort was cut off on the far eastern border of Duke Amadeus's land. This was the only time during the war that supplies reached Casale. However, French forces in Italy still had problems with supplies and not enough soldiers.
Earlier, on June 9, Catinat had taken Carmagnola. But in August, 13,000 Imperial troops arrived to help Duke Amadeus. These troops had just finished fighting against the Ottomans in the War of the Holy League. With these new soldiers, Amadeus's army grew to 45,000 men (on paper). On September 26, the Grand Alliance forces crossed the Po river to take back Carmagnola. Because France didn't have enough soldiers there, Carmagnola surrendered to the Grand Alliance on October 8.
Fighting in the Duchy of Savoy
Meanwhile, the Marquis de La Hoguette, who led French forces in the Duchy of Savoy, raided the Aosta Valley. This was to prepare for the siege of Montmélian. The Aosta Valley was one of the two main paths through which Amadeus could send help from Piedmont to Savoy. (France had captured Susa in November 1690, blocking the other direct path). Hoguette went as far south as Bard before returning to Savoy. He destroyed all the bridges and crossing points behind him.
Montmélian could not be properly attacked until November because France lacked siege cannons. But when it became clear that no help was coming from Piedmont, the town's leader finally gave up the main fort on December 22.
Peace Talks and Continued War
Even though France didn't achieve much in Piedmont, Catinat now controlled almost all of the County of Nice and the Duchy of Savoy. In peace talks during the summer, King Louis XIV wanted to keep his gains in Nice, several towns in Piedmont, and Montmélian. He also expected about 2,400 of Amadeus's soldiers and three dragoon (mounted infantry) regiments to join French forces against the Grand Alliance on other battlefronts.
However, on July 16, King Louis XIV's very important and aggressive War Minister, Louvois, died. Twelve days later, Louis XIV brought back the more moderate Pomponne to his main council. This change would affect the political direction of France.
Now facing a stronger enemy and unable to keep his forces supplied in Piedmont, Louis XIV offered new peace terms in December. But these terms were very different from his original demands at the start of the war in Italy in May 1690. Louis XIV was now ready to pay Savoy for the costs of the war. The places France had conquered would be given to neutral countries. Casale would be destroyed. And if Charles II, the King of Spain, died, Louis XIV would help Amadeus conquer the Milanese region.
However, by this time, Amadeus was not ready to seriously negotiate. He expected his army to be stronger in the next year's fighting season. So, the peace terms were rejected, and the fighting continued the following year.
Sources
- Lynn, John A (1999). The Wars of Louis XIV: 1667–1714. Longman. ISBN: 0-582-05629-2
- MacMunn, George (1933). Prince Eugene: Twin Marshal with Marlborough. Sampson Low, Marston & CO., Ltd.
- Maffi, Davide (2010). La cittadella in armi. Esercito, società e finanza nella Lombardia di Carlo II 1660-1700. Milan: FrancoAngeli, 2010. ISBN: 8856821141
- Wolf, John B. (1970). Louis XIV. Panther Books. ISBN: 0-586-03332-7
