François de Créquy
Encyclopedia
François, chevalier de Créquy and marquis de Marines (1625 – 3 February 1687) was marshal of France
.
dating back to the 10th century.
He took part as a boy in the Thirty Years' War
, distinguishing himself so greatly that at the age of twenty-six he was made a maréchal de camp, and a lieutenant-general before he was thirty.
He was regarded as the most brilliant of the younger officers, and won the favor of Louis XIV
by his fidelity to the court during the second Fronde
.
In 1667 he served on the Rhine, and in 1668 he commanded the covering army during Louis XIV's Siege of Lille
, after the surrender of which the king rewarded him with the marshalate. In 1670 he overran the Duchy of Lorraine.
Shortly after this Turenne, his old commander, was made marshal-general, and all the marshals were placed under his orders. Many resented this, and Créquy, in particular, whose career of uninterrupted success had made him over-confident, went into exile rather than serve under Turenne.
After the death of Turenne and the retirement of Condé
, he became the most important general officer in the army, but his overconfidence was punished by the severe defeat of Conzer Bruck (1675) and the surrender of Trier
and his own captivity which followed.
But in the later campaigns of the Franco-Dutch war
he showed himself again a cool, daring and successful commander, and, carrying on the tradition of Turenne and Condé, he was in his turn the pattern of the younger generals of the stamp of Luxembourg
and Villars. He died in Paris on 3 February 1687.
on 13 August 1702; and Nicolas Charles, sire de Créquy, was killed before Tournai
in 1696 at the age of twenty-seven.
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
.
Life
He was born in the military Créquy familyCréquy family
-Origins:Créquy , is a French family which originated in Artois, and took its name from a small lordship of Créquy, in the present Pas-de-Calais...
dating back to the 10th century.
He took part as a boy in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, distinguishing himself so greatly that at the age of twenty-six he was made a maréchal de camp, and a lieutenant-general before he was thirty.
He was regarded as the most brilliant of the younger officers, and won the favor of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis 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...
by his fidelity to the court during the second Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
.
In 1667 he served on the Rhine, and in 1668 he commanded the covering army during Louis XIV's Siege of Lille
Siege of Lille (1667)
See also Siege of Lille The Siege of Lille was a siege of the city of Lille during the War of Devolution. Louis XIV's forces besieged the city from August 10 to August 28, 1667. It was the only major engagement of the war....
, after the surrender of which the king rewarded him with the marshalate. In 1670 he overran the Duchy of Lorraine.
Shortly after this Turenne, his old commander, was made marshal-general, and all the marshals were placed under his orders. Many resented this, and Créquy, in particular, whose career of uninterrupted success had made him over-confident, went into exile rather than serve under Turenne.
After the death of Turenne and the retirement of Condé
Condé
-Places in France:*Condé, Indre, in the Indre département*Condé-en-Brie, in the Aisne département*Condé-Folie, in the Somme département*Condé-lès-Autry, in the Ardennes département*Condé-lès-Herpy, in the Ardennes département...
, he became the most important general officer in the army, but his overconfidence was punished by the severe defeat of Conzer Bruck (1675) and the surrender of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
and his own captivity which followed.
But in the later campaigns of the Franco-Dutch war
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
he showed himself again a cool, daring and successful commander, and, carrying on the tradition of Turenne and Condé, he was in his turn the pattern of the younger generals of the stamp of Luxembourg
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg
François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Piney, called de Luxembourg was a French general, marshal of France, famous as the comrade and successor of the great Condé.-Early years:...
and Villars. He died in Paris on 3 February 1687.
Family
Francois de Créquy had two sons, whose brilliant military abilities bade fair to rival his own. The elder, François Joseph, marquis de Créquy (1662-1702), already held the grade of lieutenant-general when he was killed at LuzzaraBattle of Luzzara
The Battle of Luzzara was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession, which was fought on 15 August 1702 near Luzzara, Italy.-Prelude:In the summer of 1702, after taking Guastalla, the French under Louis Joseph, duc de Vendôme turned north, with the intention to besiege Borgoforte...
on 13 August 1702; and Nicolas Charles, sire de Créquy, was killed before Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
in 1696 at the age of twenty-seven.