Siege of Philippsburg (1734)

Siege of Philippsburg
Part of the War of the Polish Succession
a 1734 French map depicting the siege positions
Date late May – 18 July 1734 Location Philippsburg, near present-day Karlsruhe, Germany Result French victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Austria
Commanders and leaders
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick † Claude François Bidal d'Asfeld Adrien-Maurice, 3rd duc de Noailles	Gottfried Ernst von Wuttgenau (garrison) Prince Eugene of Savoy (relief army)
Strength
60,000	4,200 (garrison) 70,000 (relief army)
Casualties and losses
10,000	337 killed 359 wounded 321 captured or deserted

The Siege of Philippsburg was conducted by French forces against forces in the fortress of Philippsburg in the Rhine River valley during the War of the Polish Succession. The Duke of Berwick led 100,000 men up the Rhine Valley in opposition to Austrian forces, of which 60,000 were detached to invest the fortress at Philippsburg, beginning on 1 June 1734. A relief column of 35,000 under the aging Prince Eugene of Savoy (accompanied by Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia) was unsuccessful in actually relieving the siege. On 12 June Berwick was killed by a cannonball while inspecting the trenches, and command of the besiegers fell to Marshals d'Asfeld and Noailles. The fortress surrendered one month later, and the garrison withdrew to the fortress of Mainz with the honours of war.

D'Asfeld was promoted to Marshal of France for his role in the campaign; Wuttgenau was promoted to lieutenant general for his spirited defense of the fortress.

On the death of Augustus II on 1 February 1733, the Polish throne was claimed by both his son, Augustus III, and by Stanislas I, father in law of King Louis XV of France. Whilst a body double ostensibly left Brest by sea, Stanislas crossed Germany incognito and arrived at Warsaw on 8 September. On 12 September Stanislas was elected king of Poland by the diet.

...
Wikipedia