Siege of Bonn (1673)

Siege of Bonn
Part of the Franco-Dutch War
Date 3–12 November 1673 Location near Bonn, present-day Germany Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic  Holy Roman Empire  Spain	France  Electorate of Cologne
Commanders and leaders
William III of Orange Menno van Coehoorn Raimondo Montecuccoli Johann von Sporck[1]	Von Landsberg Reveillon
Strength
60,000 men[2]	2,000 men[3]
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The siege of Bonn took place from 3 to 12 November 1673 in Bonn, present day Germany, during the Franco-Dutch War. Having forced the armies of Louis XIV to retreat, the Dutch in 1673 went on the offensive. At Bonn, a garrison consisting of troops from France and the Electorate of Cologne, this garrison was poorly equipped and had poor defenses.^[4]

The allied troops led by William III of Orange, Menno van Coehoorn and Raimondo Montecuccoli started to besiege the city. William and his forces arrived before the city on 5 November, while Raimondo and his army set up camps and trenches the day before. Both armies successfully united without any French intervention. The allied forces besieged the city until the 12th of November when the French commander announced his surrender.^[4] The siege was successful in cutting off French supply lines, which meant that their war in the Dutch Republic could no longer be properly supplied.^[4] Because of this, the French had to retreat from the Dutch Republic, leaving only Grave and Maastricht under French occupation.

The city of Bonn would be besieged again in 1689 and 1703.