Siege of Charleroi (1672)

Siege of Charleroi
Part of the Franco-Dutch War
17th century depiction of Charleroi
Date 14–26 December, 1672 Location Charleroi, Belgium Result French victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	Kingdom of France
Commanders and leaders
William III of Orange	Unknown

The siege of Charleroi was a military operation launched by William III of Orange against the city of Charleroi which was under French control. The siege failed and William was forced to retreat.

Background

Charleroi was one of the cities annexed by France from the Spanish Netherlands after the war of Devolution. During the preparation of the French invasion of the Dutch Republic in 1672, Charleroi served as a supply point for the French army. It therefore functioned as a starting base for the French forces. ^[1]

Siege

After the battle of Woerden, William gained permission from the Dutch field marshals to commence the siege of Charleroi. William also gained the permission from the governor of the Spanish Netherlands, the Count of Monterey to besiege Charleroi, even though that was a risky move since it could potentially drag Spain into war with France. ^[2]

William encountered difficulties besieging the city due to the frozen ground. His chance to take Charleroi also depended on his allies: Monterey was not in a position to provide troops, and Raimondo Montecuccoli was awaiting battle in the Holy Roman Empire. William also learned that the Water Line was threatened as Luxembourg was preparing an offensive against Holland. Because of this, William was forced to abandon the siege and return to the Republic. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Aftermath

After the siege, Luxembourg attacked and slaughtered the villages of Bodegraven and Zwammerdam through Woerden. He had also planned to invade Den Haag, but the attempt failed due to heavy rain. ^[5] Although William's siege failed, it demonstrated that the Dutch army felt strong and confident enough to take major initiatives on their own. In France, Louis XIV was compelled to improve the defenses of Charleroi to prevent future attacks. ^[3]

References

1. Nimwegen 2020, p. 112.
2. Nimwegen 2020, p. 126.
3. Fruin 1972, p. 314.
4. Panhuysen 2016, p. 86.
5. Nimwegen 2020, p. 126-127.

Sources

• Nimwegen, Olaf. van (2020). De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672-1712, De strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning. Prometheus. ISBN   9044638718.
• Fruin, Robert (1972). De oorlog van 1672 (E-book ed.). Wolters-Noordhof. ISBN   9789001324155.
• Panhuysen, Luc (2016). Oranje tegen de Zonnekoning: De strijd van Willem III en Lodewijk XIV om Europa. Atlas Contact, Uitgeverij. ISBN   9789045023311.