Siege of Lille

Overview

The siege of Lille was the main operation of the 1708 campaign season during the War of the Spanish Succession. Following their victory in the Battle of Oudenaarde, the Allies decided to besiege Lille, an important French city and perhaps the strongest fortress in Europe. 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 of Savoy.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Siege of Lille, begun on 12 August 1708, was a major Allied operation during the War of the Spanish Succession, bringing a combined United Provinces force of 35,000 under commanders including Eugene, Marlborough, Orange, Ouwerkerk, and Tilly against a French garrison of 16,000 led by Boufflers, with Vendôme, Burgundy, Berwick, and Maximilian II among the French commanders in the wider theater. Allied casualties of 13,000–16,000 against French losses of 7,000 indicate that the operation, whatever its outcome, was among the costlier engagements of the war for the attacking side. The scale of forces committed and the seniority of commanders on both sides reflect the strategic weight attached to Lille as an objective within the broader contest over the Spanish Netherlands during this phase of the conflict.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (10)