Fort Knokke
| Fort Knokke | |
|---|---|
| Lo-Reninge, Belgium | |
 Fort Knokke
|
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| Coordinates | 50°58′48″N 2°48′16″E / 50.98°N 2.80444°E |
| Type | Vauban-type fort |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
 Spain 1584–1668 France 1668–1713 Dutch Republic 1713–c. 1750 Austria c. 1750–1781 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1584 |
| Materials | Earth and brick |
| Battles/wars |
Nine Years' War (1695) War of Spanish Succession (1712) War of Austrian Succession (1744) |
Fort Knokke or Fort de Cnocke or Fort de la Knocque or Fort de Knocke was an important fortification that defended western Flanders from the 1580s until it was demolished in the 1780s. During its 200 year history, the place was held by the Spanish Empire, Kingdom of France, Habsburg Austria and the Dutch Republic. The existing defenses were improved in 1678 by the famous military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The fort was attacked by the Grand Alliance in 1695 during the Nine Years' War but the French garrison successfully held out. It was captured from the French by a ruse in 1712 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Control of the fort and other strong places in the Austrian Netherlands was a key feature of the so-called Barrier Treaty in 1713. The French captured the fort after a two-month siege in 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession. Emperor Joseph II had the citadel demolished in 1781. The site is on the Yser River about 8 kilometres (5 mi) southwest of Diksmuide, Belgium.
The site of Fort Knokke is at the confluence of the Yser River and the Ypres Canal (Ieperlee) in the municipality of Lo-Reninge. It is approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) northwest of Ypres. At the location, a draw bridge (Knokkebrug) spans the Yser a few meters below the junction of the two streams. The trace of the one-time fort can still be clearly seen on a satellite image.
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Wikipedia