Madeleine Caulier | |
---|---|
Born | 1680 Avelin, France |
Died | 1712 (aged 31–32) Denain, France |
Occupation(s) | Servant, soldier |
Madeleine Caulier (born 1680 in Avelin, died 1712 near Denain) was a French servant, soldier, and heroine of the War of the Spanish Succession, a figure who is partially legendary.
Madeleine Caulier is a semi-legendary figure, as – according to French historian Sarah Dumortier – there is a lack of conclusive archival evidence to confirm her actual existence. [1]
She was said to have been born in Avelin in 1680, during the reign of Louis XIV. Madeleine was a poor village girl who worked as a servant at an inn called Le Tournebride. [1] [2]
On 11 July 1708, in the seventh year of the War of the Spanish Succession, French forces were defeated at the Battle of Oudenarde. This victory opened the way for the anti-French coalition’s forces deeper into Flanders. [3] On August 14 of that year, an army of 110,000 soldiers under the command of Duke John Churchill and Prince Eugene of Savoy began the siege of the heavily fortified city of Lille. Though a French army was dispatched to relieve the city, they did not dare to engage the allies in open battle, instead attempting maneuvers and diversionary actions to force the allies to abandon the siege. [3]
One of the French soldiers serving in the Lille garrison was Madeleine Caulier’s brother. This allowed her to pass through one of the city gates. [4] According to one version, French officers, learning of this, asked her to deliver a message to the besieged city, to which she agreed. [5] In other accounts, the French staff stopped at the inn Le Tournebride, and after overhearing a conversation among officers about how to deliver a message to Lille, Madeleine volunteered her help, surprising those present. [6]
The next morning, Madeleine set out on her journey. She encountered difficulties along the way and was reportedly stopped by allied guards at one point. [4] When questioned by the English, she claimed she was traveling to Ronchin to visit her sick father (or uncle). [1] She was brought before General William Cadogan, who allowed her to continue her journey. Eventually, she reached Lille and delivered the message to Marshal Louis-François de Boufflers. [lower-alpha 1] [4] Accounts differ on whether she delivered a hidden letter or memorized the message. [1]
Upon her return to Avelin, the Duke of Burgundy sought to reward her. However, she declined any monetary reward. [7] Her only wish was to become a soldier, and this request was granted. [8] Disguised as a man, she fought in a dragoon regiment. [7] [8] Madeleine is believed to have died on 24 July 1712 during the victorious Battle of Denain. [8] [9] According to another, though less likely, version, she fell in the 1709 Battle of Malplaquet. [1]
Since 1881, a square in the Fives district of Lille has borne the name Madeleine Caulier. A metro station opened near the square in 1983 was also named Caulier . In January 2024, a petition was submitted to the city authorities requesting the station's name be changed to Madeleine Caulier to more clearly highlight that it honors a female heroine. [1] [10]
Sébastien Le Prestre, seigneur de Vauban, later styling himself as the marquis de Vauban, commonly referred to as Vauban, was a French military engineer and Marshal of France who worked under Louis XIV. He is generally considered the greatest engineer of his time, and one of the most important in European military history.
The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690 near Fleurus, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, now in modern Belgium, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. A French army led by Marshall Luxembourg defeated an Allied force under Waldeck.
The Battle of Denain was fought on 24 July 1712 as part of the War of the Spanish Succession. It resulted in a French victory, under Marshal Villars, against Dutch and Austrian forces, under Prince Eugene of Savoy.
The Battle of Malplaquet took place on 11 September 1709 during the War of the Spanish Succession, near Taisnières-sur-Hon in modern France, then part of the Spanish Netherlands. A French army of around 75,000 men, commanded by the Duke of Villars, engaged a Grand Alliance force of 86,000 under the Duke of Marlborough. In one of the bloodiest battles of the 18th century, the Allies won a narrow victory, but suffered heavy casualties.
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV.
Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince of Martigues, Marquis then (1st) Duke of Villars, Viscount of Melun was a French military commander and an illustrious general of Louis XIV of France. He was one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France.
Louis François de Boufflers, Duke of Boufflers was a prominent French soldier in the age of Louis XIV of France. He was created count of Cagny and duke of Boufflers and named marshal of France. He was famed for his excellent defensive leadership during the sieges of Namur and Lille, next to his conduct during the Battle of Malplaquet.
The War of the Reunions (1683–84) was a conflict between France, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, with limited involvement by Genoa. It can be seen as a continuation of the War of Devolution (1667–1668) and the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678), which were driven by Louis XIV's determination to establish defensible boundaries along France's northern and eastern borders.
Louis, Dauphin of France, Duke of Burgundy, was the eldest son of Louis, Grand Dauphin, and Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria and grandson of the reigning French king, Louis XIV. He was known as the "Petit Dauphin" to distinguish him from his father. When his father died in April 1711, the Duke of Burgundy became the official Dauphin of France. He never reigned, as he died in 1712 while his grandfather was still on the throne. Upon the death of Louis XIV in 1715, the Duke of Burgundy's third son became Louis XV.
The arrondissement of Lille is an arrondissement of France in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region. It has 124 communes. Its population is 1,237,472 (2016), and its area is 879.5 km2 (339.6 sq mi).
Marie-Madeleine Jarret, known as Madeleine de Verchères was a woman of New France credited with repelling a raid on Fort Verchères when she was 14 years old.
The 1695 Siege of Namur or Second Siege of Namur took place during the Nine Years' War between 2 July and 4 September 1695. Its capture by the French in the 1692 siege and recapture by the Grand Alliance in 1695 are often viewed as the defining events of the war; the second siege is considered to be William III's most significant military success during the war.
The Battle of Ekeren, which took place on 30 June 1703, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. A Bourbon army of around 24,000 men, consisting of troops from France, Spain and Cologne, surrounded a smaller Dutch force of 12,000 men, which however managed to break out and retire to safety.
The siege of Lille was the salient operation of the 1708 campaign season during the War of the Spanish Succession. After an obstinate defence of 120 days, the French garrison surrendered the city and citadel of Lille, commanded by Marshal Boufflers, to the forces of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene.
Christian de Montmorency-Luxembourg, prince of Tingry, count of Beaumont and count of Luxe, was a marshal of France (1734).
The French Royal Army was the principal land force of the Kingdom of France. It served the Bourbon dynasty from the reign of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century to that of Charles X in the 19th, with an interlude from 1792 to 1814 and another during the Hundred Days in 1815. It was permanently dissolved following the July Revolution in 1830. The French Royal Army became a model for the new regimental system that was to be imitated throughout Europe from the mid-17th century onward. It was regarded as Europe's greatest military force for much of its existence.
Events from the year 1670 in France
Marie Madeleine Agnès de Gontaut (1653–1720) was a French aristocrat.
Joseph Marie de Boufflers, 2nd Duke of Boufflers was a French nobleman and senior military officer.
Charles François de Boufflers, Marquis de Remiencourt was a French military officer and nobleman.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link){{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)