Battle of Valenciennes (1656)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Valenciennes (16 July, 1656) was fought between the Spanish troops commanded by Don Juan José de Austria
against the French troops under Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
, in the outskirts of this French town, within the context of the Franco-Spanish War. It was one of only very few defeats that Vicomte de Turenne
, the French Marshal actually suffered, and the last great Spanish victory of the 17th century.
began to close in and surround the fortified town of Valenciennes
which was defended by a Spanish garrison under the command of Francisco de Meneses. The well organised siege began to exhaust the defenders. Towards the end of June, Don Juan José de Austria
, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands took the decision to come to the aid of Valenciennes
as its situation was becoming unsustainable.
The French army, consisting of 115 cavalry divisions and 31 of infantry, was divided into a further 2 divisions on each side of the river Scheldt, one of which was under the command of Turenne
and the other, under Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre
, with the communication problems that this caused.
Condé came down on Marshal's section with such vigour it surprised and destroyed the French resistance. Don Juan José de Austria
stood out due to his brave action, unleashing his might on the French quarters. Turenne
then repelled a false attack from the Spanish on his quarters, and went to the aid of Maréchal La Ferté
but it was in vain, so he felt obliged to retreat as far as Quesnoy
, where he reorganised his forces.
The Spanish captured 400 French officers including Maréchal La Ferté
, lieutenant of Turenne
and a further 4,000 soldiers (while French sources reduce these figures to 77 officers and 1,200 soldiers) including their belongings and provisions, including an assault train consisting of 50 cannons and all the correspondence of the French command with their court, which allowed the extent of their forces to be known. As for La Ferté's division only 2,000 managed to escape after tossing their arms and making a run for it in total disarray.
contributed greatly to lifting the moral of the Spanish tercio
s, producing in Europe
"one of those thunderous achievements that Spain came up with in better days."
Philip IV of Spain
ordered a gold medal to be printed to commemorate the victory and he had it sent to Condé together with a saber, also made of gold. However the French had the presence of mind to react and, aware of their superiority in numbers, did not allow themselves to be intimidated. Turenne
rapidly gathered his forces and restarted the campaign.
The Spanish victory ended up being counterproductive. The Habsburg court at Madrid
, encouraged by the great success, refused to compromise with French demands but Spanish forces were stretched to their limit, despite the victory at Valenciennes. Consequently, the war dragged on until 1659, when the Spanish government finally signed the unfavourable Treaty of the Pyrenees
.
John of Austria the Younger
John of Austria was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only natural son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged by the King and trained for military command and political administration...
against the French troops under Marshal Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, in the outskirts of this French town, within the context of the Franco-Spanish War. It was one of only very few defeats that Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, the French Marshal actually suffered, and the last great Spanish victory of the 17th century.
Prelude
On 18 May 1656 the French troops, commanded by Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
began to close in and surround the fortified town of Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
which was defended by a Spanish garrison under the command of Francisco de Meneses. The well organised siege began to exhaust the defenders. Towards the end of June, Don Juan José de Austria
John of Austria the Younger
John of Austria was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only natural son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged by the King and trained for military command and political administration...
, the governor of the Spanish Netherlands took the decision to come to the aid of Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
as its situation was becoming unsustainable.
The French army, consisting of 115 cavalry divisions and 31 of infantry, was divided into a further 2 divisions on each side of the river Scheldt, one of which was under the command of Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
and the other, under Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre
Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre
Henri II de La Ferté-Senneterre was a marshal of France and governor of Lorraine.- Life :The son of Henri I de La Ferté-Senneterre, a minister from an old knightly family in the Auvergne, Henri II was destined for a military career and fought for the first time under Maurice of Nassau, leader of...
, with the communication problems that this caused.
The Battle
On the night of 15 July just as the fortress was about to surrender, the Spanish army arrived consisting of 81 squadrons of cavalry and 27 of infantry. Don Juan's army dug in about a league from the enemy, preparing to launch an offensive. Four attacks were organised:- The Spanish and Irish infantryFlight of the Wild GeeseThe Flight of the Wild Geese refers to the departure of an Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3, 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland...
commanded by Don Juan José de AustriaJohn of Austria the YoungerJohn of Austria was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only natural son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged by the King and trained for military command and political administration...
and the Marquis of CaracenaLuis de Benavides Carrillo, Marquis of CaracenaLuis Francisco de Benavides Carrillo de Toledo, Marquis of Caracena, Marquis of Fromista was a Spanish general and political figure...
. - The nations under the command of the Prince of LignePrince of LignePrince of Ligne is one of the most prestigious Belgian noble titles. It goes back to the eleventh century and owes its name at the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belong to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the crusades...
, the General leading the cavalry. - Condé's troops including himself and the Duke of WürttembergWürttembergWürttemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
. - The new army which would be led by the Count of Marsin.
Condé came down on Marshal's section with such vigour it surprised and destroyed the French resistance. Don Juan José de Austria
John of Austria the Younger
John of Austria was a Spanish general and political figure. He was the only natural son of Philip IV of Spain to be acknowledged by the King and trained for military command and political administration...
stood out due to his brave action, unleashing his might on the French quarters. Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
then repelled a false attack from the Spanish on his quarters, and went to the aid of Maréchal La Ferté
Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre
Henri II de La Ferté-Senneterre was a marshal of France and governor of Lorraine.- Life :The son of Henri I de La Ferté-Senneterre, a minister from an old knightly family in the Auvergne, Henri II was destined for a military career and fought for the first time under Maurice of Nassau, leader of...
but it was in vain, so he felt obliged to retreat as far as Quesnoy
Quesnoy
Quesnoy may refer to:*Le Quesnoy, Nord, France*Louvignies-Quesnoy, Nord, France*Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, Nord, France*Le Quesnoy-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais, France...
, where he reorganised his forces.
The Spanish captured 400 French officers including Maréchal La Ferté
Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre
Henri II de La Ferté-Senneterre was a marshal of France and governor of Lorraine.- Life :The son of Henri I de La Ferté-Senneterre, a minister from an old knightly family in the Auvergne, Henri II was destined for a military career and fought for the first time under Maurice of Nassau, leader of...
, lieutenant of Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
and a further 4,000 soldiers (while French sources reduce these figures to 77 officers and 1,200 soldiers) including their belongings and provisions, including an assault train consisting of 50 cannons and all the correspondence of the French command with their court, which allowed the extent of their forces to be known. As for La Ferté's division only 2,000 managed to escape after tossing their arms and making a run for it in total disarray.
Aftermath
The victory at ValenciennesValenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
contributed greatly to lifting the moral of the Spanish tercio
Tercio
The tercio was a Renaissance era military formation made up of a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers or musketeers in a mutually supportive formation. It was also sometimes referred to as the Spanish Square...
s, producing in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
"one of those thunderous achievements that Spain came up with in better days."
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
ordered a gold medal to be printed to commemorate the victory and he had it sent to Condé together with a saber, also made of gold. However the French had the presence of mind to react and, aware of their superiority in numbers, did not allow themselves to be intimidated. Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne
Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
rapidly gathered his forces and restarted the campaign.
The Spanish victory ended up being counterproductive. The Habsburg court at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, encouraged by the great success, refused to compromise with French demands but Spanish forces were stretched to their limit, despite the victory at Valenciennes. Consequently, the war dragged on until 1659, when the Spanish government finally signed the unfavourable Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
.
See also
- Philip IV of SpainPhilip IV of SpainPhilip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
- Louis XIV of FranceLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
- Cardinal Mazarin
- Spanish Netherlands