SUMMARY
THE ARMY OF THE STATES-GENERAL
VOLUME II
BOOK V
The campaign oj 1706
1706 marks a turning-point in the war. From now on the Allied Powers
definitely predominate and for France it becomes increasingly difficult to sus
tain the struggle. 23 May Marlborough gains the magnificent victory near
Ramillies, resulting in the loss of the greater part of the Southern Netherlands.
Here a new government is established, in which the Republic and England have
the deciding vote. Most of the towns submit without resistance. After the
French army withdraw behind the French border, the Allied Powers con
tinue their campaign with four sieges, leading in succession to the capture of
the fortresses of Ostend, Menin, Dendermonde and Ath.
Another major disaster befell the French in Italy, where Eugene of Savoy
defeated Orleans and Marsin near Turin. This lead not only to the relief of the
encircled capital of Piémont, but as the defeated army retreated across the
Alps, the whole of North Italy was lost for Louis xiv. That the French general
Medavi defeated an allied auxiliary army under the hereditary prince of Hesse-
Kassel near Castiglione delle Stivere two days after the battle near Turin, could
not change the course of affairs. 1 3 March 1707 Joseph 1 and Louis xiv concluded
an agreement, in accordance with which the French abandoned the fortresses
still held in North Italy and were permitted to retreat unhindered. Still occupied
by the French remained but a few harbours on the coast of Tuscany.
At first fortune was also with the Allied Powers in the Iberian Peninsula. 12
May the allied fleet relieved Barcelona, which was besieged by Tessé; under
heavy losses and leaving behind the entire siege-train, the French retreated
across the Pyrenees. Saragossa and the whole of Aragon chose the side of the
Habsburg throne-pretender. From Portugal the Portugese-English-Netherlands
troops advanced after the seizure of Alcantara and Ciudad Rodrigo on Madrid
and occupied the town 2 g June. However, the majority of the Spanish people
chose the side of Philips v. The dilatory conduct of Charles 111 and the fact that
the allied forces in Aragon and Valencia failed all contact, while Philips v kept
on receiving reinforcements, turned the scale to the advantage of the latter.
Following the joining with a weak auxiliary corps under Charles ill near
Guadalajara 6 August, Madrid had again got lost and the Franco-Spanish troops
under the command of Berwick had regained supremacy.
In the beginning of September the situation for the Allied Powers, encircled
on all sides by a hostile population, had become so critical that the troops had
to withdraw to the kingdom of Valencia. Many a hazard had to be overcome and
great were the dangers before the allies arrived here in the beginning of October,
where they occupied winterquarters. It was the devotion of the Spanish people
which had saved the throne of Philips v.
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