Siege of Dunkirk (1658) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Dunkirk
Part of the Franco-Spanish War and Anglo-Spanish War
Map showing the Siege of Dunkirk and the Battle of the Dunes with the blockade of the English fleet in 1658
Date 25 May – 24 June 1658 Location Dunkirk, Spanish Netherlands 51°02′18″N 2°22′39″E / 51.0383°N 2.3775°E / 51.0383; 2.3775 Result Anglo-French victory Dunkirk handed over to English Commonwealth as per treaty
Belligerents
France Commonwealth of England	Spain English Royalist exiles
Commanders and leaders
Vicomte de Turenne Sir William Lockhart Edward Montagu	Marquis of Lede  †
Strength
12,000 infantry 8,000 cavalry 18 warships	2,200 infantry 700-800 cavalry
Casualties and losses
	1,600-1,700

The Siege of Dunkirk in 1658 was a big military event. It involved the armies of France and England. Their goal was to capture the strong port city of Dunkirk from Spain. Dunkirk was a key base for privateers, who were like legal pirates. These privateers often attacked English merchant ships.

Dunkirk is a port city on the southern coast of the English Channel. It was part of the Spanish Netherlands back then. The city was very important and had changed hands many times before. French and English forces were led by Marshal of France Turenne. The siege lasted about a month. It included many attacks from the city's defenders. There was also a major attempt by the Spanish army to rescue the city. This rescue attempt led to a famous battle called the Battle of the Dunes.

How the Siege Started

Vicomte de Turenne

In 1657, France made an agreement with Oliver Cromwell, England's leader. England agreed to join the war against Spain. They would send troops and ships to fight in the Spanish Netherlands. In return, Cromwell said England would help only if Dunkirk was given to them after it was captured.

This agreement was renewed in 1658. The French army, led by Turenne, quickly moved towards Dunkirk. They even captured some Spanish troops along the way. Turenne had about 7,000 soldiers. Heavy rains and flooded lands made it hard to move. His opponents had opened the sluices, which are gates that control water flow. This flooded the low-lying areas.

People told Turenne he couldn't bring his cannons in such conditions. But he kept going and managed it. His soldiers often marched through deep water, holding their weapons above their heads. They even built roads for their supplies and cannons. When Turenne reached the dike at Bergues, the Spanish were surprised. They thought he would go to Cambrai. The Spanish troops, led by the Marquis of Lede, quickly went back into Dunkirk. This made the city's defense stronger. The Duke of York, an English royalist, also tried to get his troops into Dunkirk. But he arrived too late, as the city was already surrounded.

The Siege Begins

Turenne started surrounding Dunkirk on May 25. More soldiers soon arrived, bringing the French and English forces to about 20,000 men. Turenne quickly took over the smaller forts outside the city. He then built strong defensive lines. These lines, called circumvallation and contravallation, were like walls. They stretched from one side of the sea to the other. This trapped the city's defenders inside and kept outside help from getting in.

An English fleet of 18 warships, led by Mountagu, blocked Dunkirk from the sea. The Spanish were caught off guard. They couldn't send any more soldiers into Dunkirk. Don Juan of Austria and Condé quickly gathered their forces at Ypres to try and rescue the city.

Getting supplies to the French was tricky. The shores were blocked with chains and barriers. But most supplies came by boat from Calais. Turenne also built bridges over the flooded areas to keep his army connected. Young King Louis XIV and Cardinal Mazarin were nearby. They helped arrange for supplies and ammunition. Trenches were dug on the east side of Dunkirk on the night of June 4-5. More French troops and the 6,000 English soldiers joined in. The English, led by Lockhart, attacked from the west side of Dunkirk. The French attacked from the east.

Early Attacks and Challenges

Siege of Dunkirk

On the first night after the trenches were opened, the city's cavalry tried to attack the French. But they were pushed back. The next morning, all the cavalry from Dunkirk, with 20 cannons covering them, tried again. The French cavalry fought back each time. They chased the Spanish back to their defenses, even though they faced cannon fire.

On the fourth day, a strong wind blew sand into the faces of the French soldiers, blinding them. The Dunkirk defenders used this chance to rush out. They filled in part of the French trench. About 100 French soldiers were killed or wounded. The wind and strong tides also made it hard to keep the defensive lines on the beach side. The French put up huge wooden fences, but the tides knocked them down. After that, French cavalry watched the shore. They placed bombs on the shore when the tide was out and removed them when it came in.

A few days later, the English tried to storm the city's outer defenses several times. But they couldn't get a foothold and were pushed back with many losses. The French also tried from their side without success. On June 13, the French took some advanced defenses. But they couldn't fully capture the main outer wall.

The Battle of the Dunes

The Spanish and their allies now understood Turenne's plan. They gathered their army at Ypres by the end of May. The Spanish relief army marched towards Dunkirk. They arrived on the sand dunes about 3 miles from the city on June 13. That morning, the Spanish army was seen marching along the coast from the east.

The Spanish army set up camp on the sand dunes. They were in a hurry to reach Dunkirk. So, their cannons were left more than a day's march behind. Don Juan believed Turenne wouldn't attack them before their cannons arrived. Both Condé and the Duke of York warned Don Juan that Turenne would attack right away. But Don Juan didn't believe them. Turenne immediately moved towards the Spanish army. There were some small fights on the night of June 13. Turenne decided to launch a full attack on the morning of June 14.

Sir William Lockhart of Lee

The Battle of the Dunes began around 10 in the morning. The Spanish army had about 6,000 foot soldiers and 8,000 cavalry. Their right side was on the sea, and their left side was on the canal. They faced a French army of about 6,000 foot soldiers, 8,000 cavalry, and 10 cannons. The French had their left side on the sea and their right on the canal.

The battle lasted about two hours. By noon, Turenne had won a complete victory. The Spanish forces were defeated. They lost about 1,200 killed, 3,000 wounded, and 5,000 captured. The French lost only about 400 soldiers, most of them English. The French chased the fleeing Spanish until nightfall. One royalist regiment kept fighting until French officers told them the rest of their army had retreated. Most of the French Frondeurs, led by Condé, retreated in an orderly way. While the battle was happening, the Dunkirk defenders attacked the English camp. They burned it and took all their supplies.

Dunkirk Falls

With the defeat of the Spanish relief army, Dunkirk's fall was certain. The French soon captured a key part of the city's defenses. The English also gained a foothold on Fort Leon. Three days after the battle, the Marquis de Crequis led his troops to capture another part of the outer defenses. They suffered many losses. The English also tried hard but couldn't get a firm hold until the outer defenses were abandoned.

The Marquis of Lede, Dunkirk's governor, was asked to surrender again. He refused and fired his guns. Shortly after, the Marquis was badly wounded and died a few days later. With their brave governor gone and no hope of rescue, Dunkirk surrendered on June 25. The siege had lasted 22 days from when the trenches were opened. The remaining 1,800 soldiers marched out the next day. Lockhart entered with two English regiments. King Louis XIV himself gave the keys of Dunkirk to the new governor, Sir William Lockhart, on June 26, 1658.

What Happened Next

After capturing Dunkirk and winning the Battle of the Dunes, Turenne continued his advance. He captured many other towns and forts. These included Veurne, Diksmuide, Gravelines, Ypres, and Oudenarde. The victory at the Battle of the Dunes and the capture of Dunkirk were very important. They led to the end of the Franco-Spanish War. This war ended with the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees.

Through this treaty, France gained new lands from Spain. These included Roussillon, Perpignan, Montmédy, parts of Luxembourg, Artois, and other towns in Flanders. A new border between France and Spain was set at the Pyrenees mountains. Spain also had to accept all the lands France had gained in an earlier peace treaty.

The Spanish defeats at Dunkirk and the Battle of the Dunes stopped the Royalists' plans to invade England. Cardinal Mazarin, a French leader, kept his promise to Oliver Cromwell. He handed Dunkirk over to the English Commonwealth. England had already received Fort Mardyck, which the French captured earlier in 1658.

Cromwell died two months after the Battle of the Dunes. His son, Richard, became the new leader. But his rule ended after nine months, and England fell into confusion. This led to Charles II returning to the throne in May 1660. While France gained a lot of land, England had removed Spain's biggest privateering base. The number of English merchant ships captured by privateers was cut in half between 1657 and 1658. Charles II later sold Dunkirk back to the French in 1662 for £320,000.

Images for kids

• 

  Royal Standard of England (1603-1649)