beginning of January, just before the extremely severe winter of 1709 sets in.
On the Upper Rhine and in Italy this year no important operations take place.
In Catalonia progress by Orleans remains restricted to the seizure of Tortosa.
On the other hand the Anglo-Netherlands fleet takes possession of the Isle of
Sardinia, and further Minorca including the important harbour of Port Mahon.
BOOK VIII
The campaign oj 1709
The spring and summer of 1709 formed the darkest periods of the war for
France. Louis xiv was willing to make far-reaching concessions, but during
negotiations conducted at The Hague the allies nevertheless rejected all
leniency so that the weapons were again to decide. Villars was now at the head
of the Royal Army and he is to be given credit for inspiring the troops with
new courage and confidence. He covered the French border by means of an
extensive system of defence lines and the allies deemed it inadvisable to attack
this line. Therefore, they laid siege to Tournai, where Surville had to surrender
after a month. The garrison withdrew in the citadel, a masterpiece of fortifi
cation works, the capture of which also took about a month following a
remarkable, chiefly underground struggle. The allies thereupon decide to lay
siege to Mons, leading to the gory battle of Malplaquet. Marlborough and
Eugene keep the battlefield, however, at the cost of no less than 20,000 killed
and wounded. Half of these fell to the Netherlands troops under Johan Willem
Friso, who had had to fight against a superior force, which was entrenched in
very strong positions. As it was judged inadvisable to pursue the retreating
enemy, the seizure of Mons, which surrendered 21 October, remained the
only fruit of the victory.
BOOK IX
The campaign of 1710
In the spring of 171 o peace negotiations began again but failed anew owing to
the excessive demands of the allies. In April the allies began their campaign with
the siege of Douai. After efforts had been taken by Villars to relieve the town,
however without result, the town fell after a two months' heroic defence by
Albergotty 23 June. The allies lost 8,000 men. As Villars remained systemati
cally within his lines, a series of sieges followed, notably of Bethune, St Venant
and Aire. Particularly the siege of Aire, where Goësbriand lead the defence,
was extremely heavy and caused great losses, on account of the surrounding
inundations, the muddy terrain and the many rains, which resulted in a stag
gering increase of sick men. The campaign ended with the capture of the town
on 8 November. All four sieges had cost the allies 19,000 men killed and wound
ed. It was the last campaign under the joint command of Marlborough and
Eugene of Savoy. The Netherlands troops were placed after the death of Ouwer-
kerk in 1708 under the command of the Count of Tilly, who, although no
incompetent general, could not rival his two far more famous colleagues in
military glory and distinction.
This year the campaign in Spain proceeded in a remarkable manner. Guido
van Starhemberg, supreme commander of the allied troops under Charles ill,
defeated the Spaniards near Almenara 27 July and again near Saragossa 20
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