Preparations
In November 1676, Louvois laid siege to the city of Valenciennes. To prevent Spain from supporting Valenciennes, troops laid siege to St. Omer and Cambrai. Valenciennes was well-fortified. The defenders flooded the surroundings and settled in to wait for reinforcements.
Journeying to Valenciennes, Louis XIV was accompanied by his brother and marshals d'Humières, Schomberg, La Feuillade, Luxembourg and Lorges who were all successful. Vauban commanded the operation.
The plan was not to attack the bastions, half-moons and other works, to avoid being seen by the enemy. Against the advice of the marshals, and to the astonishment of the king, Vauban advocated a daylight attack to create surprise and did not give the enemy time to recover from a night vigil.
Read more about this topic: Siege Of Valenciennes (1676-1677)
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