Siege of Toulon (1707) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Toulon
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Fort St Louis, Toulon
Date 29 July – 21 August 1707 Location Toulon, France Result French victory
Belligerents
Habsburg monarchy  Savoy  Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
Victor Amadeus Prince Eugene Cloudesley Shovell Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg   †	Comte de Tessé Comte de Médavy
Strength
35,000	10,000 garrison 20,000 field force
Casualties and losses
13,000 dead, wounded, deserted or died of disease	Unknown 46 ships of the line scuttled

The Siege of Toulon was a big battle that happened from July 29 to August 21, 1707. It was part of a larger conflict called the War of the Spanish Succession. During this siege, an army from Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire, helped by the British navy, attacked the French city of Toulon.

The attacking forces did not have enough soldiers for a full siege. They were also outnumbered by the French army. After losing about 13,000 men, mostly from sickness, they had to go back to Piedmont. To stop them from being captured, 46 French warships in the harbor were sunk on purpose. These ships were not brought back up until after the war. This event helped the British navy control the western Mediterranean Sea.

Even though the Allies lost, the battle had a big impact. It meant they could not attack France from its southern border, which was weaker. Instead, they had to fight on the stronger northern border. This battle also helped the House of Bourbon win in Spain, after their success at Almansa in April. It also ended major fighting in Italy.

What Started the War?

The War of the Spanish Succession began in November 1700. This was when Charles II of Spain, the king of Spain, died without any children. He chose Philip of Anjou, who was the grandson of Louis XIV of France, to be the next king. On November 16, 1700, Philip became the king of the Spanish Empire.

This empire included mainland Spain, parts of the Netherlands, large areas of Italy, and much of Central and South America. In 1701, arguments over land and trade rights led to war. France and Spain fought against the Grand Alliance. The Grand Alliance wanted Charles, the younger son of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, to be the king of Spain.

Fighting in Northern Italy

The war in Northern Italy was mainly about the Spanish-controlled areas of Milan and Mantua. These areas were very important for protecting the southern borders of Austria. In March 1701, French troops took control of both cities. Victor Amadeus of Savoy first joined forces with France. His daughter, Maria Luisa, even married Philip V.

However, in October 1703, Victor Amadeus changed sides and joined the Grand Alliance. During 1704, French Marshall La Feuillade captured Savoyard lands north of the Alps. These included Villefranche and the County of Savoy. At the same time, the duc de Vendôme led an attack in Piedmont. By the end of 1705, Victor Amadeus only controlled his capital city of Turin.

The lands of Savoyard state around 1700. Notice Nice and Savoy, which are now part of France.

Things changed in July 1706. Vendôme and his soldiers were sent to help France's northern border after they lost at the Battle of Ramillies. With help from German soldiers, Prince Eugene ended the Siege of Turin in September. Even though the French won a small victory at Castiglione, the war in Italy was mostly over. In March 1707, French troops in Lombardy were allowed to leave for Southern France. This made the Allies angry.

Why Attack Toulon?

However, this also freed up soldiers from the Holy Roman Empire and Savoy. Sir Richard Hill, the English ambassador to Savoy, had been trying to convince Victor Amadeus to attack the French naval base at Toulon. Taking Toulon would give the Allies control of the Western Mediterranean by sea. It would also help the Protestant Camisard uprising in Southern France.

Capturing Toulon would also force the French to move soldiers away from Spain. Plus, it would help Victor Amadeus get back Villefranche and Savoy.

The Siege of Toulon Begins

By April 1707, the Allies had gathered an army of 35,000 soldiers. But the plan was delayed in June when Emperor Joseph sent 10,000 troops to capture Naples. This gave France time to make its defenses around Toulon stronger. The Habsburg power was growing, and French soldiers were still in northwest Piedmont. This made Victor Amadeus careful about fighting outside Italy. Especially since Austria had not kept many promises from the 1703 Treaty of Turin.

With help from a Royal Navy fleet led by Admiral Cloudesley Shovell, Prince Eugene and Victor Amadeus crossed the Alps on July 6. They took back Nice. Then, they marched along the coast from Antibes to Cuers, reaching La Valette du Var by late July. But they moved slowly. The French victory at Almansa in April allowed them to send more soldiers from Spain. By the time the Allies reached Toulon on July 27, René de Froulay de Tessé had over 20,000 men nearby.

Fighting for the City

Toulon harbor had 46 warships, from 50 to 110 guns each. King Louis XIV was worried they might be burned. So, he ordered them to be sunk on purpose, to be brought up later. Their cannons were taken off and used in the land defenses. The Allies did not have enough soldiers or heavy cannons for a proper siege. Still, they captured the high ground of Santa Catarina above the port on August 6. Then, they took the outer parts of Fort Sainte-Marguerite on August 10.

Four days later, Tessé took back the high ground. This caused many losses for the Allies, including Johann Wilhelm of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, who died. The Camisard uprising, which was supposed to help, did not happen. Also, many French troops from Lombardy had gathered at Riez under the Comte de Médavy. They were a threat to the Allies from behind.

Even though a naval attack captured Fort St Louis on August 18, thousands of Allied soldiers got sick. So, Prince Eugene and Victor Amadeus decided to leave on August 22. After loading their siege cannons and as many sick soldiers as possible onto his ships, Admiral Shovell's fleet bombed the harbor for 18 hours. He sank two French warships, badly damaged many of those that were partly sunk, and destroyed the shipyards and naval supplies needed for repairs.

What Happened Next?

None of the French ships could be used again until after the war. Louis XIV decided to spend money on making his land army in Spain stronger instead of on the fleet. Even though the attack on Toulon failed, this event confirmed that the British navy controlled the Western Mediterranean. Also, the French having to move resources prevented them from fully using their victory at Almansa.

However, the Allies lost 13,000 soldiers, mostly from sickness. Marlborough thought it was a big defeat. It ended hopes of attacking France through its weaker southern border. Instead, the Allies had to fight a long, hard war on France's very strong northern border.

Prince Eugene and Victor Amadeus crossed the Alps again in early September. They drove out the remaining French soldiers in Northwest Piedmont. But Villefranche and the County of Savoy stayed under French control until 1714. Right after the siege, the British fleet went back to England. On October 22, 1707, mistakes in navigation caused four ships and 2,000 men to be lost, including Admiral Shovell. This led to the 1714 Longitude Act, which offered money prizes for finding a way to accurately figure out longitude (your position east or west).

Images for kids

• 

  Fort St Louis, Toulon

• 

  The lands of Savoyard state around 1700. Notice Nice and Savoy, which are now part of France.