| Siege of Ypres | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Franco-Dutch War | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |  United Provinces  Spain | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Louis XIV Vauban | Dom Francisco de Pardo | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown number of casualties 2,200 surrendered | ||||||
The siege of Ypres in the Spanish Netherlands took place between March 18 and March 25, 1678, as part of the Franco-Dutch War, and ended with the conquest of the city by the French.
In October 1677, Mary Stuart, niece and possible successor of Charles II of England, married William III of Orange, concluding the rapprochement between England and the Dutch Republic, who had been at war with each other until 1674. Louis XIV decided to invade the Spanish Netherlands to counter a possible English military intervention against him.
The Dutch expected an attack against Namur. [1] [2] But Louis XIV directed his troops towards Ghent, taking the city on March 9, and then turned immediately west in the direction of Ypres.
On March 18, the French, led by Vauban, started digging approach trenches towards the citadel. The city was defended by a Spanish garrison under Dom Francisco de Pardo, who ordered the surroundings of the city flooded. [3] But the French had already advanced too much to be stopped by this action. The city was pounded by 22 high caliber guns and 12 mortars. After one week, the works had advanced so far, that Louis XIV ordered an attack in the night of March 24–25. The city was quickly conquered and the defenders capitulated by dawn. Only the citadel held out for one more day, after which the surviving 1600 valid men and 600 wounded also surrendered. [4]
In April, Vauban started reconstructing and modernising Ypres' fortifications, giving it the form that can still be seen today. Louis de Crevant, Duke of Humières became governor of the city.
In England, Charles II raised some 20 regiments to be shipped to Ostend, but then hesitated to go to war with France. In the meantime, negotiations started between France and the Dutch Republic, leading to the Treaty of Nijmegen on August 10.
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Seriously, Monseigneur, the king should think a little about making his "own garden". This confusion of friendly and enemy places does not please me. You are forced to maintain three for one. Your people are tormented by it, your expenses greatly increased and your forces greatly diminished, and I add that it is almost impossible for you to be able to put them all in order and equip them. I say further that if, in the disputes which we have so often with our neighbours, we should come to play a little misfortune, or fall into a minority, most of them would go away like they came. That is why, either by treaty or by a good war, Monseigneur, always preach the square, not of the circle, but of the garden. It's a beautiful and good thing to be able to keep one's fate in one's own hands.