The
Marshal Vauban WebsiteThe
Marshal Vauban WebsiteMaintained by : Chris Jones of Altofts, Wakefield, U.K. © September 1997
This page created : 3 January 1998
I present here a chart juxtaposing the main events in Vauban's life with occurrences elsewhere at the same time. This is to enable the visitor to put Vauban's life into context. Some of the events I have included bear no reference to Vauban himself, or indeed to military matters, they have merely been chosen - somewhat arbitrarily - to provide one or two additional reference points that visitors from diverse backgrounds can perhaps relate to. I make no apologies either for inclusions or exclusions. I also acknowledge a debt to the chronologies which appear in the booklets produced by the Association des Amis de la Maison Vauban.
I should also explain the dearth of information on Vauban's life prior to age 17. His childhood is something of a mystery. It may be his personal letters to his family shed some light on it but his descendants have always resisted making these available to historians.
Certain other personages who had a big impact - either on Vauban personally or the age in which he lived - have their names shown in bold the first time they appear in the chronology. I intend to add a potted biography of each of these at some future point since details of their lives will shed further light on Vauban's also.
Vauban's Life Year Significant Events
=============================== ==== ==================================
1618 Start of the 30yrs War
1620 The Mayflower carries the Pilgrim Fathers
to the new world where they found the
Plymouth Colony
1621 Huguenots rebel against Louis XIII
1625 James I of England dies and is succeeded by
his son Charles I
Born 15th May at 1633 Inquisition forces Galileo to abjure the
St-Léger-de-Foucheret. theories of Copernicus.
1635 Beginning of France's intervention in the
30yrs War
1638 The future Louis XIV is born. Torture is
abolished in England. Poussin paints "Et
in Arcadia ego.
1642 Death of Cardinal Richelieu. English Civil
War begins. Montreal in Canada is founded.
Aged 10 enters the Carmelite college 1643 Louis XIII dies & his widow, Anne of
at Semur-en-Auxoise Austria, becomes Regent for their son,
Louis XIV. Mazarin appointed Anne's Chief
Minister. Condé victorious over Spaniards
at Rocroi.
1646 English Civil War ends.
1647 Discord between Charles I and Government in
England continues. King is arrested.
1648 Start of the rebellion known as the Fronde.
Condé sides with rebels.
King Charles I tried and executed.
Aged 17 he becomes a cadet in 1651 Louis XIV attains his majority, Anne's
Condé's regiment, in the compagnie regency comes to an end.
d'Arcenay.
Employed in fortifying Clermont and 1652 Battle of Faubourg St.Antoine under the
at the siege of Sainte-Menehould. walls of Paris. The Frondeurs under Condé
Later joins the cavalry and receives are on the point of being defeated by
his 1st wound. Turenne when the city opens her gates to
the rebels.
Captured by Royalist troops. His 1653 End of the Fronde.
talents are brought to the notice of Cromwell becomes Lord Protector.
Mazarin who persuades him to enter Izaak Walton writes The Compleat Angler.
Royal service.
At the siege of Stenay he is wounded 1654 Louis XIV crowned at Rheims. Queen
a second & third time. Commands in Christina of Sweden abdicates in favour of
the trenches at the sieges of Arras her brother Charles X.
& Clermont.
Receives the brevet rank of 1655 Death of Cyrano de Bergerac.
ingénieur ordinaire du roi [King's First regular newspaper in England.
ordinary engineer]. Siege of
Landrecies.
Dangerously wounded at the siege of 1656 Astronomer Edmund Halle born.
Valenciennes.
Sieges of Montmédy, where he is in 1657 Creation of the House of Lords in England.
sole command of the attack, and
Mardyk.
In command at the sieges of 1658 Death of Oliver Cromwell.
Gravelines, Ypres and Oudenarde. He Swedish state bank issues the first ever
is captured by an enemy patrol but banknote.
later paroled and then exchanged.
Joins the regiment La Ferté at 1659 Treaty of the Pyrénées between France &
Nancy. Spain. France receives Artois and
Roussillon under it's terms. Condé obtains
a pardon.
Marries Jeanne d'Osnay - daughter of 1660 With the death of Mazarin, Louis XIV begins
Claude d'Osnay, Baron d'Épiry. his personal reign. Louvois succeeds his
father as Minister of War. Charles II
returns to London.
Oversees the levelling of the 1661 Chief Minister Fouquet is disgraced and
fortress of Nancy. replaced by Colbert.
Surveys Marsal. In October he 1663 Colbert forms the N American colony on New
receives is given a company in the France into a province with Quebec as
Regiment de Picardie. capital.
Works on the fortifications of 1664- France occupies Guyana.
Brisach am Rhin. Colbert de Saint 1666 Great plague & Great Fire of London.
Marc, Intendant of Alsace, hatches a
plot [based on false accounts] to
ruin him, but he is saved by his
best friend - the Minister of War
Louvois.
Later conducts three journeys in
Germany & one in the Low Countries.
Becomes a Lieutenant in the Guards. 1667 Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV, dies.
Serves at the sieges of Tournai, French army uses hand grenades for the
Douai and Lille. first time.
Made Governor of Lille citadel . 1668 War of Devolution; France seizes Brabant,
Flanders and the Franche-Comté. Following
the Treaty of Aix-le-Chappele the war in
Flanders ends. Louis hands back
Franche-Comté.
Sieges of Orsoy & Doesbourg. 1672 France embarks on a bitter six year war
Invents a personal shield made of with Holland.
wadding and conducts experiments
with mortars.
Siege of Maastricht - revolutionises 1673 French explorers Marquette & Joliet teach
the attack with the use of the headwaters of the Mississippi and
parallels. Louis makes him a gift descend to Arkansas.
of 80,000 livres for services
rendered.
Made a Brigadier General of 1674- Louis XIV conquers the Franche-Comté a
Infantry. On his way to inspect 1675 second time. Turenne confounds the Germans
work at Bergues he narrowly escapes in Alsace, throwing them back across the
capture by the enemy. Siege of Rhine after defeating them at Mulhouse,
Oudenarde. Colmar and Turckheim.
Buys the chateau of Bazoches. 1675 Turenne killed at Sasbach. Louis XIV has
him buried at St. Denis in the chapel of
the Bourbons. Paris now the centre of
European culture with around a half a million
inhabitants.
Made Maréchal de camp. Sieges of 1676 Renowned chef Le Grand Vatel commits
Condé sur Escaut, Bouchain, suicide when a dinner that his master Condé
Aire-sur-la-Lys & Fort François. gives in Louis XIV's honour fails to meet
expectations.
Sieges of Cambrai [town & citadel], 1677 William of Orange marries Princess Mary
Saint-Guislain and Valenciennes. At daughter of the Duke of York - the future
the last mentioned he astounds King James II.
everyone by ordering the main
assault in broad daylight. It is so
successful it sets a new trend.
Sieges of Gand [town & citadel] and 1678 The Peace of Nijmegen ends the war between
Ypres [town & citadel]. Promoted France & Holland, Louis XIV gives
Commissaire général des Maestricht to the Dutch but keeps
fortifications. Begins work on the Franche-Comté and a large slice of
fortifications and harbour of the Spanish Netherlands.
Dunkerque.
Made Governor of Douai. His second 1680 The Dodo becomes extinct.
daughter Jeanne François is born.
1682 Versailles becomes Louis XIV's Royal
residence.
Siege of Courtrai [town & citadel]. 1683 Death of Colbert.
Turkish siege of Vienna raised.
Made Governor of Lille. Conducts 1684 Siamese embassy arrives at the Court of
siege of Luxembourg. King Louis XIV. John Bunyan writes The
Pilgrim's Progress [Pt 2].
1685 Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes - two
hundred thousand Huguenots [Protestants] go
into exile.
Conducts experiments with mines at 1686
Valenciennes.
Directs work on the Languedoc canal 1687 Newton publishes Philosophiae naturalis
and then enjoys a long-leave at principia mathematica.
home.
Made Lieutenant General. Conducts 1688 James II of England is toppled from his
sieges of Philipsbourg [where he throne in the Glorious Revolution. William
employs trench cavaliers and of Orange - Louis' old enemy - & Mary [elder
ricochet fire to devastating daughter of James II] new joint sovereigns of
effect], Manneheim and Frankenthal. England. James seeks Louis' aid. William
Further home leave. provokes the 11 year War of the League of
Augsbourg. Virtually the whole of Europe
is lined up against France.
Given command of Lower Flanders 1689 French explorer Baron de la Hontan visits
[Dunkerque, Bergues & Ypres]. Sent Great Salt Lake, Utah.
home on leave to recover his health.
Writes a treaties pleading for the Peter the Great becomes Czar of Russia.
recall of the Huguenots from exile.
Two journeys in the Franche-Comté. 1690 William of Orange, at the head of an
Begins work improving the defences anglo-Danish-Huguenot army, defeats a joint
at Joux. Irish-French army of James II at the battle
of the Boyne. Elsewhere the French are
victorious on all fronts, Marshal François
de Luxembourg defeats the Imperialists at
Fleurus, Catinat defeats Victor Amadeus II
of Savoy at Staffarda & Admiral de
Tourville defeats an Anglo-Dutch fleet at
Beachy Head.
Turks capture Belgrade.
Siege of Mons [overall command held 1691 Death of Louvois. Luxembourg victorious at
by Luxembourg]. Leuze, Catinat makes further progress in
Italy. Book explaining Vauban's methods
goes on sale in London.
Inspects fortresses in the North & 1692 In the decisive battle of the war, an
East - Guise, Cambrai, Valenciennes, Anglo-Dutch force defeats the French fleet
Condé sur Escaut, Tournai, Lille, under de Tourville at the battle of La
Ypres, Béthune, Aire, Montreuil, Hogue [Barfleur]. On land Luxembourg
Dunkerque, Sedan, Luxembourg, defeats William III [Orange] at Steenkerke.
Thionville, Sarrelouis, Montroyal,
Landau & Huningue. Siege of Namur
[town & citadel held by Coehorn],
under the personal command of Louis.
Repeats plea made in 1689 for
tolerance of Protestantism & recall
of Huguenot exiles.
His younger daughter Jeanne aged 12
years 3 months marries Louis de
Bernin de Valentinay d'Ussé.
Siege of Charleroi. Employed on the 1693 Luxembourg again victorious over William III,
Savoy frontier preparing at Neerwinden. Abortive English raid on French
fortification schemes for Gap, port of St. Malo [Brittany].
Sisteron, Seyne, Saint Vincent,
Colmars, Digne, Mont Dauphin,
Château Queyras, Embrun & Briançon.
Made member of the newly instituted
Ordre de Saint Louis.
Sent to command the troops of Brest 1694 Death of Queen Mary, William III now sole ruler
& lower Brittany against possibility of England.
of a repeat of the English raids of
1693.
Home leave. Visits forts on the 1695- William III, on campaign in the Low Countries,
Flanders frontier [1696]. 1697 captures Namur.
Siege of Ath. Vauban, though 65 1697 Peace of Ryswick. Louis hands back most of
years of age and slightly wounded, his conquests but retains Strasbourg
spends up to 10 hours a day in the [recognises William III as King of England &
trenches. Ireland].
Made an honorary member of the 1699 William Dampier explores the Northwest
Academy of Sciences. Produces a coast of Australia.
memorandum for the re-establishment
of the French colonies in North
America.
1700 Charles II of Spain dies childless. He
wills the throne to his great-nephew the
Duc d'Anjou - Louis XIV's grandson. Fearful
of the power Louis could weild at the head
of France & Spain allied, his enemies insist
the succession should pass to the Austrian
Archduke Charles. Louis hails his grandson
as Philip V of Spain. This leads to the
thirteen year-long War of Spanish Succession.
Writes papers on Forestry and Pig 1701
Breeding.
1702 Marshal Villers victorious at the battle of
Friedlingen. Revolt and War of the
Camisards in the Cévennes [central S.
France]. William III dies. Anne, James II's
younger daughter, becomes Queen of England.
Made Maréchal de France and 1703 Villers victorious at the first battle of
Chevalier des ordres du roi. Höchstädt. Marshal Tallard defeats the
Conducts his last siege, a brilliant Imperialists at Spire.
success, at Alt [Old] Brisach.
1704 The Duke of Marlborough & Prince Eugene
defeat the Franco Bavarian army at the
Second Battle of Höchstädt [Blenheim]. The
French are obliged to evacuate Germany.
English seize Gibraltar.
Death of Madame Vauban [18 June]. 1705 Halley correctly predicts the comet seen in
Travels to Bazoches to puts his 1682 will return in 1758.
writings in order. Created
Chevalier de l'Ordre de Saint
Esprit.
Commands forces gathered in northern 1706 Marlborough defeats Villeroi at Ramilles.
France to repel expected English Defeat at Turin obliges the French to
invasion. Seeks leave of absence evacuate Italy.
[October], beginning of his final
illness. Returns to Paris & in
November publishes controversial
"Projet de Dime royal" [equitable
tax system].
Learns that his Dime Royal has been 1707 Upturn in French fortunes, Berwick defeats
suppressed by Decree of Council [24 allies in Spain at Almanza & Villars
March]. Paris, Wednesday 30 March, forces the lines of Stolhoffen.
Vauban dies as a result of
inflammation of the lungs [i.e.
pneumonia] aged 73.
Quiet funeral service in the church
of St.Roch, burial at Bazoches.
Work on his last fortress, Neuf 1708 Following the victory of Oudenarde, the
Brisach, is completed posthumously. allies under Marlborough capture Lille,
despite the heroic efforts of Marshal
Boufflers.
1709 Villers defeated by Marlborough at
Malplaquet. Famine in France. Louis sues
for peace but the allied terms are too severe.
1710 Battle of Villa-Viciosa in Spain at which
the Franco-Spanish coalition forces under
Vendôme defeat the allies. Philip's
succession is now almost secured.
1711 France makes peace with England.
1712 Villars secures an astonishing victory over
Eugene's Dutch & Imperial army at Denain.
1713 Treaty of Utrecht brings the War of the
Spanish Succession to an end.
1715 Death of Louis XIV. Accession of Louis XV.
28 May, on Napoleon's orders, 1808
Vauban's heart is placed within a
grand monument under the dome of the
church of Les Invalides in Paris.
There is a dignified and formal
ceremony in the presence of his
descendants, the Ministers of War
and the Marine and other important
personages.
7 December. By Imperial Decree 1867
signed by Napoleon III, Vauban's
home town of St-Léger-de-Foucheret
is renamed St-Léger-Vauban.
Tercentenary of his birth is 1933
celebrated at Les Invalides in
Paris.
Founding of the Association des amis 1980
de la Maison Vauban
