Bergen op Zoom and Laffelt

After the battle of Rocour, the French were actually masters of the Austrian Netherlands and they prepared for winter-quarters. Elsewhere in Europe however the tide had turned against France. In Italy all former gains were lost again, its fleet was partially destroyed, the Indian colonies were threatened to be overrun and Spain was lost as an ally after the death of king Philip V.

So the Austrian Netherlands were the only conquest left to France, which was in a desperate need for a `fair' peace. However England wasn't all too cooperative in the negotiations that had started by the end of 1746 in Breda. As a result France decided to put some pressure on the States General of the Dutch Republic by threatening its territory.

After Rocour the general command over the allied army had been given to Prince Charles of Lorraine, the former Governor-general of Brussels. He succeeded Cumberland after the latter had departed for Scotland in connection with the Jacobite Rising there. However on April 17th 1747 the Allied command returned again into the hands of Cumberland. Meanwhile an augmentation of the coalition army was planned to a new total of 130,000: 40,000 Dutch, 13,800 British, 16,400 Hanoverians and 60,000 Austrians. Cumberland's task wasn't an easy one. The Allied commanders only reluctantly accepted Cumberlands supreme command and besides they were constantly in a state of mutual rivalry and disagreement. 

The Dutch were commanded by the brave and able Prince of Waldeck. The Austrian general Batthiani was extremely envious of Waldeck. The latter, in turn, had problems with his subordinate general Cronstrom, who refused to accept orders from the much younger Waldeck, as had happened before at Fontenoy.

When Cumberland resumed command, the army was garrisoned between Eindhoven and Breda. However from the planned 130,000 paper-strength, only 112,000 were realised.

Maurice de Saxe had 120,000 men under his command positioned between Wavre and Mechelen. While pinning Cumberland down, de Saxe despatched on April 17th the Count of Lowenthal with another 20,000 from Brugge to Aardenburg in order to invade StaatsVlaanderen.

The defence of Staats-Vlaanderen was rather neglected. Apart of some inundations, little had been done to improve its defensive capacity. The fortresses were in a bad state and its garrisons often didn't comprise the best troops. The garrison of Sluis, counting 3 weak battalions, capitulated on April 24th without a shot. At Sas van Gent (April 30th) and the fortress Philippine (May 6th) occurred the same. Also the fortresses Ten Doel, De Parel and Liefkenshoek along the Scheldt, were taken without much resistance. Only the fortresses guarding the approach to Hulst were defended with considerable resistance by some Dutch troops. The defence of the fortress of Sandberg was very costly. In the Dutch Thierry regiment, only 220 men out of 788 survived this action and fled to Zeeland.

Despite this heroic stand the governor of Hulst surrendered on May 10th, without resistance and rendering 1,800 out of 2,200 garrison troops as prisoner of war to the enemy. For this cowardly act he was sentenced to imprisonment for life. On May 18th Axel surrendered, but was allowed to leave for Zeeland with its entire 2,000 strong garrison, including all its standards and weapons. That same day the conquest of Staats-Vlaanderen was concluded with the capture of the fortress Terneuzen. So within a month this Province was overrun and under French control.

Meanwhile, after long debating and consequent delay, the Allies decided to advance on Antwerp. When Lowenthal reacted by throwing himself into the citadel with a large force, the Allies abandoned their enterprise and were content to cover Maastricht. Harrassed by diseases and desertions Cumberland's force shrank to 81,000 men and 250 cannon. Although Cumberland still thought this force strong enough, when in capable hands, to drive the French from the field, the Austrians and Dutch didn't support this idea at all.

To prevent Zeeland from being overrun too, the Scheldt-coast was guarded by 50 armoured ships and Lieutenant-general Smissaert was despatched by Cumberland with 14,000 men to preserve Zeeland's safety. With the rest of his army Cumberland restricted his offensive intentions by marching and redeploying his troops, meanwhile guarding his line of communications with Breda and Bergen-opZoom. After the conquest of Staats-Vlaanderen, LOwenthal was recalled to guard Antwerp.

Meanwhile De Saxe, with his left flank secured now, had cast his eye on Maastricht. At Namur a complete siege train was put in readiness, to be shipped to Maastricht. However this plan was rather predictable and Cumberland countermarched by way of Westerloo, Diest and Hasselt to arrive at Lanaken on June 30th, from where he was able to block De Saxe's way to Maastricht. De Saxe wasn't in a position to give up his aim and decided that in this case a battle had to be the overture to the siege of Maastricht. So he left his positions behind the river Dijle and accompanied by king Louis XV he joined his troops who had gathered a Tongeren. What ensued was to be called the Battle of Laffelt.

Dutch Commitment War of Austrian Succession

Introduction and Preliminaries
1744: First Hostilities in Flanders
1745: Conquest of Flanders
1746: Further Conquests of Austrian Netherlands
Battle of Rocour: 11 October 1746
1747: Dutch Republic Threatened
Battle of Laffelt: 2 July 1747
Siege of Bergen-op Zoom
1748: Maastrict and the End of the War