Siege of Douai (1710) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Douai (1710)
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
A plan of the siege of Douai in 1710 by Naudin
Date 22 April – 25 June 1710 Location Douai Result Grand Alliance victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic  Great Britain Habsburg monarchy	France
Commanders and leaders
Guillaume le Vasseur des Rocques John William Friso Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau	François Albergotti
Strength
27,000	7,500-8,000
Casualties and losses
8,000	3,000

The Siege of Douai was an important battle during the War of the Spanish Succession. It happened in 1710, from April 22 to June 25. The battle took place in the city of Douai, which is in France.

This siege was part of a larger plan by the Allied forces. These forces included soldiers from the Dutch Republic, Great Britain, and the Habsburg monarchy. They were fighting against France. The Allied army was led by commanders like the Prince of Orange and Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau.

During the siege, the French army, led by Marshal Claude Louis Hector de Villars, 1st Duke of Villars, tried to help the city. This led to a four-day standoff with the main Allied army, led by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy. In the end, the Allied forces won. After taking Douai, they moved on to besiege another city called Béthune.

Why Douai Was Important

The frontière de fer or pré carré as it was planned by Vauban

In 1710, the War of the Spanish Succession was still going on. The Allied forces had a big goal: they wanted to break through France's strong defenses. These defenses were a double line of fortresses in northern France. People called them the frontière de fer, which means "iron border." If the Allies could break through, they hoped to march all the way to Paris.

The Allied army was very large, with about 165,000 soldiers. It was split into two main groups. One group was Anglo-Dutch (from Britain and the Netherlands) and was led by the Duke of Marlborough. The other group was Imperial (from the Holy Roman Empire) and was led by Prince Eugene.

They decided to start by attacking the strong fortress of Douai. Douai was important because it had a large supply of weapons and gunpowder. After Douai, they planned to attack Arras or Cambrai. If those attacks also succeeded, the path to Paris would be open.

Managing such a huge army was hard. The commanders had to make strict rules to stop soldiers from looting or bothering local people. They also had a massive job supplying the army. Every day, 1500 carts had to bring bread from bakeries in nearby cities like Lille and Tournai.

The Siege Begins

Getting Ready to Attack

Map of the fortress and siege works by Eugène Henri Fricx

Douai was a tough place to attack. It was located next to the Scarpe River. The land around it was marshy, and the French had flooded parts of the countryside to make it even harder for attackers. The French army inside the fortress had about 8,000 soldiers, led by General Albergotti.

North of the main fortress was a smaller one called the Scarpe fortress. It was only a few hundred meters away. The city's defenses also included underground tunnels and mines. This meant the attackers would have to dig their own tunnels.

The Allied army surrounded Douai in a wide semi-circle. The attacking force had 40 battalions (groups of soldiers) and 32 squadrons (groups of cavalry). They also brought 70 large siege guns and 80 mortars. An engineer general named Guillaume le Vasseur des Rocques was in charge of the technical side of the siege. They also had 6,000 workers to dig trenches and build a wall around the city. This wall, called a circumvallation, was finished by May 5, 1710.

After building the wall, the Allies started digging trenches on the west side of the city. They planned to attack two main points: the Esquerchin gate and the Okre gate. On May 7, the French soldiers tried to stop them. About 1,200 French troops rushed out of the Okre gate in a surprise attack called a sortie. They scattered the Allied workers and destroyed some trenches. But Allied troops quickly pushed them back.

The siege continued slowly but steadily. The French defenders fought bravely, making it difficult for the Allies to advance quickly. Marlborough and Prince Eugene visited the siege works every day. They knew they had to hurry because they expected the French army, led by Villars, to arrive soon and try to rescue the city.

The Standoff with Villars

The French army was slower to get ready for the campaign than the Allies. It wasn't until mid-May that Marshal Villars had his army together. On May 20, he held a meeting with his generals. They decided to try and break the siege of Douai. Villars's army was huge, with 153 battalions and 262 squadrons. They left Cambrai on May 22.

Marlborough and Prince Eugene had been preparing for this. They studied the land around Douai to find good places for a big battle. They chose two possible battlefields and built strong defenses there. These defenses included fieldworks with earthen walls and places for artillery. They also improved roads and built new bridges over the Scarpe River. This would allow their army to move quickly.

Map of the camp of the Allied army covering the siege

On May 24, Villars's army got close to the Allies. There were some artillery fights. Villars then decided to approach from a different direction, near Arras. Marlborough and Prince Eugene moved their army into their prepared defensive lines in the plain of Lens.

On May 30, Villars's army advanced towards the Allied lines. The Allied commanders were a bit surprised because their defenses weren't fully finished. They quickly sent 20 battalions from the besieging troops to reinforce the front line. The Allied army was set up with infantry in the middle and cavalry on the sides.

Villars's army faced them. Villars had a good view of the battlefield from a small hill. However, a deep stream ran through the plain, dividing his army. Villars rode to see the Allied defenses. He seemed unsure about attacking. That night, he held another meeting with his generals. Some thought an open battle was too risky, while others were more hopeful. The cautious opinion won. Villars stayed in his position for four more days. Finally, on June 4, he decided to retreat. He had not achieved anything. The Douai garrison now knew no quick help was coming.

The Final Push

While Villars was nearby, the siege had slowed down. Some Allied troops had been moved to face Villars. But once Villars retreated, the Allies focused on the siege again. They brought more troops back to the walls of Douai. They dug their trenches closer and closer to the fortress. The French defenders still tried to stop them with many surprise attacks.

Underground, Allied miners and French counter-miners fought fiercely. The French even exploded mines under Allied attacking groups. But between June 5 and 19, the Allies made steady progress. They captured parts of the outer defenses, like the glacis and covertway. Their artillery also made several large holes in the fortress walls.

By June 19, these holes were big enough for a direct attack. This attack led to many casualties on both sides. On June 24, the Prince of Anhalt successfully attacked two ravelins (parts of the defenses). His troops took them with little resistance. The smaller Scarpe fortress north of the city was also surrounded by the Allies on June 22.

With the Allies closing in, General Albergotti knew he couldn't hold out much longer. It was French policy to surrender a fortress if it became clear it would fall. This way, they could save their soldiers. So, on June 25, Albergotti raised a white flag. This meant he wanted to discuss surrender terms.

After some talks, Albergotti agreed to surrender both the city and the Scarpe fortress. In return, his troops were allowed to leave with the honours of war. This meant they could march out with their weapons and flags. They were also given a safe conduct to travel to Cambrai. On June 29, 1710, Albergotti and his 4,500 troops left Douai as free men.

The French lost about 3,000 soldiers during the siege. The Allied forces lost more, with about 8,000 killed or wounded.

What Happened Next

After taking Douai, the Allies appointed General Reinhard Vincent Graf von Hompesch as the new governor of the city. The engineer Des Roques became governor of the Scarpe fortress.

The original plan was to attack Cambrai next. But too much time had passed. Also, Villars had gathered his army there, making a siege very difficult. The Allied commanders decided to attack Béthune instead. They didn't attack Arras because the French army's horses had eaten all the grass nearby, making it hard to supply their own horses there.

Both armies continued to have problems getting supplies. The Allies used the Lys River to transport supplies from their base in Ghent. However, on September 19, 1710, a French force from Ypres attacked one of these supply convoys. The French won, capturing General Frederick Christiaan van Reede, 2nd Earl of Athlone and destroying the convoy. They even blew up vessels carrying gunpowder, which damaged the riverbed and made water transport difficult for a while.

King Louis XIV of France rewarded General Albergotti for his defense of Douai. He gave him a special honor called the blue ribbon of the Order of the Holy Spirit. Albergotti also became the governor of the Saarlouis fortress. Other French officers who fought in Douai also received honors.

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