Marlborough: His Life and Times, Volume II

543 Pages·2014·10.22 MB·English

by  Winston S. Churchill

Marlborough
His Life and Times
Volume Two
Winston S. Churchill
Copyright
Marlborough
His Life and Times, Volume Two
First published 1933–38. © Estate of Winston S. Churchill.
Cover art to the electronic edition copyright © 2014 by RosettaBooks, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from
the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
Image of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, home of the Dukes of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston
Churchill, reproduced by permission of Curtis Brown, London, on behalf of The Broadwater Collection, an
archive of photographs owned by the Churchill family and held at the Churchill Archives Centre,
Cambridge.
Electronic edition published 2014 by RosettaBooks, LLC, New York.
Cover jacket design by Alexia Garaventa
ISBN Mobipocket edition: 9780795329920
ABBREVIATIONS
B.M. = British Museum Library.
C. = Chancery Records in the London Record Office.
C.S.P. = Calendar of State Papers.
C.S.P. (Dom.) = Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series.
D.N.B. = Dictionary of National Biography.
H.M.C. = Report of the Royal Historical Manuscripts Commission.
P.R.O. = The Public Record Office, London.
S.P. = State Papers.
For further details as to footnote references see the Bibliography.
In quoting from old documents and letters the original text has been preserved
wherever it is significant. Letters of Marlborough and Sarah which enter directly
into the narrative have been modernized in spelling, grammar, and punctuation
so far as is convenient to the reader. But the archaic style and setting has been
preserved, and occasionally words are left in characteristic spelling.
Documents never before made public are distinguished with an asterisk (*). In
the case of unpublished letters to and from Marlborough preserved in the
Blenheim collection no further reference is given.
All italics are the Author’s, unless the contrary is stated.
In the diagrams, except where otherwise stated, fortresses held by the allies
are shown as black stars and those occupied by the French as white stars.
METHOD OF DATING
Until 1752 dates in England and on the Continent differed owing to our delay
in adopting the Reformed Calendar of Gregory XIII. The dates which prevailed
in England were known as Old Style, those abroad as New Style. In the
seventeenth century the difference was ten days, in the eighteenth century eleven
days. For example, January 1, 1601 (O.S.), was January 11, 1601 (N.S.), and
January 1, 1701 (O.S.), was January 12, 1701 (N.S.).
The method I have used is to give all dates of events that occurred in England
and documents written in England in the Old Style, and of events that occurred
abroad in New Style. In sea battles and a few other convenient cases the dates
are given in both styles.
It was also customary at this time—at any rate, in English official documents
—to date the year as beginning on Lady Day, March 25. What we should call
January 1, 1700, was then called January 1, 1699, and so on for all days up to
March 25, when 1700 began. This has been a fertile source of confusion. In this
book all dates between January 1 and March 25 have been made to conform to
the modern practice.
CONTENTS
VOLUME TWO
Preface
I. THE SUNSHINE DAY
II. THE REPUBLIC OF THE DYKES
III. QUEEN ANNE’S FIRST GOVERNMENT
IV. THE TORY FERMENT
V. THE STRUCTURE OF THE WAR
VI. THE HEATHS OF PEER
VII. THE FORTRESSES OF THE MEUSE
VIII. THE OCCASIONAL CONFORMITY BILL
IX. NEW COMBATANTS
X. “THE GREAT DESIGN”
XI. “VICTORIOUS WITHOUT SLAUGHTER”
XII. THE QUEEN’S COMMANDS
XIII. THE GENESIS OF BLENHEIM
XIV. TREPANNING AN ARMY
XV. THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE
XVI. MARLBOROUGH AND EUGENE
XVII. THE STORM OF THE SCHELLENBERG
XVIII. THE DEVASTATION OF BAVARIA
XIX. MARSHAL TALLARD
XX. THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM
XXI. THE CONSEQUENCES OF VICTORY
XXII. THE RETURN TO THE RHINE
XXIII. THE CONQUERING HERO
XXIV. THE MARGRAVE’S TOE
XXV. THE LINES OF BRABANT
XXVI. THE UNFOUGHT WATERLOO
XXVII. THE MORTIFIED ADVENTURER
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Endnotes
ILLUSTRATIONS
VOLUME TWO
Facsimiles of Letter
THE BLENHEIM LETTER
Maps and Plans
THE BARRIER FORTRESSES AFTER THE TREATY OF RYSWICK
MEDITERRANEAN NAVAL BASES
FRANCE: PATHS OF INVASION
THE LINES OF STOLLHOFEN
FORTRESSES OF THE MEUSE AND RHINE, EARLY IN 1702
THE SIEGE OF KAISERSWERTH
THE CRANENBURG PINCERS
MARLBOROUGH STRIKES SOUTH
THE SECOND THRUST
MARLBOROUGH COVERS THE SIEGE OF VENLOO
MARLBOROUGH MOVES ON LIÉGE
FORTRESSES OF THE MEUSE AND RHINE, END OF 1702
THE GUELDERS AMBUSCADE
CADIZ
VIGO BAY
“THE GREAT DESIGN”
THE JUNE SITUATION
ECKEREN
VILLEROY’S WITHDRAWAL
MARLBOROUGH’S PROPOSAL
THE CAMPAIGN IN BAVARIA AND THE TYROL
THE FIRST BATTLE OF HÖCHSTÄDT
SPIRBACH
FORTRESSES OF THE MEUSE AND RHINE, END OF 1703
FRENCH CONTROL OF THE UPPER RHINE
TALLARD PASSES THE DRAFTS TO BAVARIA
THE MARGRAVE MISSES THE ELECTOR
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: MAY 23
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: MAY 27
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: MAY 29
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: JUNE 3
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: JUNE 7
MARLBOROUGH’S SUCCESSIVE THREATS
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: JUNE 11
THE MARCH TO THE DANUBE: JUNE 25
THE NEW COMMUNICATIONS
THE ADVANCE TO THE SCHELLENBERG
THE STORM OF THE SCHELLENBERG
THE STORM OF THE SCHELLENBERG
THE TRIANGLE
TALLARD ATTACKS VILLINGEN
AUGUST 8
AUGUST 10
THE ADVANCE TO BLENHEIM
ALLIED DISPOSITIONS
FRENCH DISPOSITIONS
ATTACK ON BLENHEIM VILLAGE
PALMES’S CHARGE
ACTION ROUND OBERGLAU
LEFT AND CENTRE AT 4 P.M.
THE BREAK-THROUGH
EUGENE’S THIRD ATTACK
THE PURSUIT
THE END OF THE BATTLE
THE BATTLE OF BLENHEIM
VILLEROY SUCCOURS MARSIN
VILLEROY ABANDONS LANDAU
THE MOSELLE PATH OF INVASION
MARLBOROUGH SECURES THE MOSELLE
THE MOSELLE PLAN FOR 1705
THE ADVANCE TO SIERCK
THE MARGRAVE’S CIRCUIT
MARLBOROUGH RETURNS TO THE MEUSE
FORCING THE LINES: DUSK
FORCING THE LINES: DARKNESS
FORCING THE LINES: DAWN
ELIXEM
10 A.M.
THE DYLE
MARLBOROUGH THREATENS THE FORTRESSES
AUGUST 17
AUGUST 18
GENERAL MAP OF EUROPE
GENERAL MAP OF THE NETHERLANDS, ETC.
GENERAL MAP OF GERMANY, ETC.