Siege of Namur (1692)

Siege of Namur (1692)
Part of the Nine Years' War

Siege of Namur, June 1692 by Martin Jean-Baptiste le vieux
Date25 May–30 June 1692
Location
Namur, Spanish Netherlands
(present-day Belgium)
50°28′N 04°52′E / 50.467°N 4.867°E / 50.467; 4.867
Result French victory
Belligerents
 France  Spain
 Holy Roman Empire
 Dutch Republic
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of France King Louis XIV
Kingdom of France Marquis de Vauban
Kingdom of France Duc de Boufflers
Spain Duke of Barbançon
Dutch Republic Menno van Coehoorn
Strength
120,000[1][2]
151 guns
6,000[3]
8,000-9,000[4]
Casualties and losses
7,000 killed or wounded[5] 4,000 killed or wounded[6]

The siege of Namur, 25 May–30 June 1692, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War, and was part of the French grand plan (devised over the winter of 1691–92) to defeat the forces of the Grand Alliance and bring a swift conclusion to the war. Namur, sitting on the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers, was a considerable fortress, and was a significant political and military asset. French forces, guided by Vauban, forced the town's surrender on 5 June, but the citadel, staunchly defended by Menno van Coehoorn, managed to hold on until 30 June before capitulating, bringing an end to the 36-day siege. Concerned that King William III planned to recapture the stronghold, King Louis XIV subsequently ordered his commander-in-chief, the duc de Luxembourg, to join battle with the Allies in the field, resulting in the bloody Battle of Steenkerque on 3 August.

  1. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p. 225. Statistics taken from Lynn. Wolf puts the French strength as high as 130,000.
  2. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672–1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning, p. 226.
  3. ^ Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714, p. 225. Statistics taken from Lynn. Wolf puts the French strength as high as 130,000.
  4. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672–1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning, p. 226.
  5. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672–1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning, p. 226.
  6. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672–1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning, p. 226.

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