Dauphin's Dutch War

Dauphin's Dutch War
Part of the Dauphin's Wars
Battle of Ulster
Date 5 August 1693 - 11 January 1694 (5 months and 6 days) Location Netherlands, Scotland Result Spanish-Irish victory Treaty of London Thwarting of William III's planned invasion of Ireland and Scottish Highlands 10,000 pound sterlings as war reparations Re-legitimization of James II and his successor's claims to the throne of England and Scotland
Belligerents
Spanish Empire Ireland and Scottish Highlands	England Supported by: Denmark-Norway
Commanders and leaders
Louis Dauphin James II Duke of Berwick	William III Anthonie Heinsius †
Strength
25,000 soldiers 11 ships 36 cannons 6,500 soldiers 8 ships 11 cannons	17,500 soldiers 20 ships 17 cannons
Casualties and losses
3,500 killed 5 ships sunk 8 cannons lost 1,200 killed 3 ships sunk 4 cannons lost	8,840 killed 8 ships sunk 9 cannons lost 4 captured

The Dauphin's Dutch War was a military conflict fought between the Spanish Empire and the Spanish supported Kingdom of Ireland and Scottish Highlands against the Kingdom of England. The informal Spanish-Irish alliance was respectively led by Louis Dauphin of Spanish France and James II of Ireland and Scottish Highlands while the English were led by King William III of England and Anthonie Heinsius, the Grand Pensionary of Holland. It was know for being one of the many series of wars led or initiated by Louis, later Charles X and III of England and France during his tenure as Dauphin of France.

Background

In 1688, the Catholic James II and VII was overthrown by the Protestant Prince of Orange, who subsequently became William III of England. Fleeing to safety in Spanish France, the exiled king sought for assistance from the powerful Spanish empress Anne. However, the Spanish empress refused to commit to any religious wars like her ancestor Charles I had done in the past. However, Louis Dauphin, the empress's younger brother who is also the empire's principal military commander was eager to seek further military action and experience.

Williamite War

Eventually, with Anne's approval, Louis Dauphin alongside James and the Duke of Berwick sailed for Ireland with a sizable army where after several small reverses, was able to finally overcome their adversaries. In 1690, by the treaty of Dublin, a "Kingdom of Ireland and Scottish Highlands" was established with James II as king while both Louis and his newfound friend Berwick became the kingdom's principal military commanders.

Prelude

By 1693, William had became restless of the possibility of a dual Spanish-Irish invasion of his kingdom. As a result, a plan was drawn up which would materialise in the form of a "lightning war" against Ireland before their Spanish allies could intervene and overwhelm the English forces.

However, Louis, who had been overseeing the defences in the Scottish Highlands area unexpectedly caught wind of the plan and in return had a letter sent back to Ireland, ordering his allies to prepare while the Dauphin sailed back to Spanish France in secrecy. Upon his arrival several days later, once more, with Anne's approval, the Dauphin mustered an army of 25,000 men and a sizable naval fleet to invade Holland, William's original power base.

Foreign Intervention

When the war began, major European powers were hesitant on joining with the exception of Denmark-Norway, which provided substantial aid to England and Austria, which allowed access and provided safe haven for Louis's campaign in Holland.

War

On the 5th of August, Louis and his men quickly marched for Holland through the Austrian Netherlands. Largely owing to generous Austrian aid, Louis and his men encamped themselves in Austrian territory before making any drastic attack on the fortifications in Holland.

With William himself preparing for a campaign in Ireland, the Grand Pensionary of Holland Anthonie Heinsius rallied a sizable army of 12,000 men in defence of the capital, whilst relying on the extensive network of forts, preferring not to engage the militarily skilled Louis in open battle.

After 3 weeks of encampment in the Austrian Netherlands, Louis decided on a strategy that would catch the Dutch by surprise. By his command, the entirety of the French army and naval forces laid siege to the western coastal city of Mildeburg, eventually capturing it three days later.

Following the unexpected capture of Middelburg, Heinsius quickly divided his 12,000 strong army into two equal groups, one respectively led by the Grand Pensionary and a Dutch commander, Mathijs Schumer. The two army groups would head to Middelburg from two directions while a Dutch naval fleet would simultaneously engage the Spanish navy present at the city.

Soon after, anticipating a Dutch response, Louis devised an extraordinary plan in which he would desert the city with an army 7,000 strong while the remaining 18,000 army was divided equally between two of his commanders, Philippe Vallotton and Didier Jacquard. Furthermore, Jacquard's army group was ordered by the Dauphin to siege down the cities on the far west while Louis and his men "retreated" further south.

Siege of Middelburg

Approximately 4 days after Louis and Jacquard's departures, the defending army in Middelburg immediately came under fire from the invading Dutch forces, led by Admiral Quinten Horstra and Lieutenant Mathijs Schumer. However, following an intense 4 days siege, the Dutch navy was unable to achieve a decisive victory against Admiral Tomás Laguna's equally matched Spanish navy. Eventually, on the 26th of November, the siege was momentarily lifted by the sudden flanking of Dutch troops by Jacquard's army from behind, which in turn led to a tactical retreat by the Dutch ships.

Battle of Breda and Tilburg

Meanwhile, the Grand Pensionary's army had been en route to the city on a different direction. Unexpectedly, Heinsius committed his own dreaded error when his men came into contact with Louis's French army. Almost immediately, the Dauphin and his men gave chase towards the fleeing Dutch troops. After a short skirmish near Breda, the Dutch troops were inflicted with considerable damage as they retreated further east to Tilburg.

With their bastion at Tilburg coming under immediate siege by the Dauphin's men, the Grand Pensionary and his own men attempted several maneuvers of escape but this turned out to be fruitless. After a week long siege however, upon the collapse of one of the city walls by a group of French miners, a close combat soon ensued near the rubble site, led by the determined Dutch resistant forces.

Dutch Defeat

Though the French were able to gain a bit of a momentum in the close combat, the Dutch troops continuously defended the city but upon the unexpected death of the Grand Pensionary who was reportedly stabbed in the chest by an enemy soldier, the resistance soon became quickly disorganized and upon an official surrender, all the remaining Dutch troops were kept as prisoners as 3 days later, the Hague itself, the capital of the Dutch state came under siege.

Irish Campaign

The death of the Grand Pensionary of Holland and the total defeat of the Dutch forces alarmed William. Ultimately, with the Spanish forces somewhat occupied in Holland, the English forces instead launched an invasion of Ireland from the north-east. In a 3 weeks long campaign, the English forces were decisively beaten by the reformed Irish army led by Berwick at the Battle of Ulster. Soon after, the victorious Irish forces attempted a counter-invasion of England itself but this was quickly repulsed.

Aftermath

With the defeat in Holland and Ireland itself, William and the English court had no option but to surrender. Eventually, by the Treaty of London, William was forced to pay a substantial amount of war reparations and was also forced to recognize the claim of the Catholic descendants of James II to the throne of England.