Historical and Commemorative Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss
DUNKIRK PROTECTED FROM BOMBARDMENT
MAUGER, Jean: France, 1695, Bronze, 40 mm This medal commemorates the unsuccessful
bombardment of Dunkirk in 1695. The attack on Dunkirk by the combined
English and Dutch fleets against France ruled by Louis XVI was a part of the
much larger Nine Years' War (1688–1697). This war – often called the War of
the Grand Alliance, the War of the League of Augsburg or the War of the
Palatine Succession– was a major war of the late 17th century fought
primarily on mainland Europe but also encompassed theaters in Ireland and
North America. In Ireland it is often called the Williamite War, and in
North America is commonly known as King William's War. Some background: King Louis XIV of France
emerged from the Franco-Dutch War in 1678 as the most powerful monarch in
Western Europe. Using a combination of aggression, annexation, and
quasi-legal means, Louis and his ministers set about consolidating and
extending his gains in order to stabilize and strengthen his frontiers. But
the King’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 began a deterioration
of French military and political dominance in Europe. Louis’ belligerence
eventually led to the formation of a European-wide coalition, the Grand
Alliance, determined on curtailing French ambition. The Alliance was led
principally by the Anglo-Dutch Stadtholder-King William III, the Holy Roman
Emperor Leopold I, King Charles II of Spain, and Victor Amadeus, Duke of
Savoy. The war was dominated by siege operations,
one of which was at Dunkirk, a harbor at the most northern part of France.
In this attack, which took place in 1695, the combined English and Dutch
fleets bombarded Dunkirk, but because of immense preparations for its
defense and mismanagement of the attack, the bombardment failed in its
attempt to inflict significant damage of the harbor. The medal was issued by
the French to commemorate this event.
|
|