Table Of Contentmarlborough’swarmachine-prelimpagei-Press
Marlborough’s
War Machine
1702–1711
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpageii-Press
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpageiii-Press
Marlborough’s
War Machine
1702–1711
James Falkner
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpageiv-Press
FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2014by
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Contents
List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1. The War for Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DeathofCarlosII,10;Philipped’Anjoutakesthethrone,11;Creationofthe
GrandAlliance,13;DeathofWilliamIII,andWardeclaredonFrance,14;
MarlboroughmadeCaptain-General,15;SlowprogressinFlanders,17;The1704
campaigninBavaria – SchellenbergandBlenheim,18;Afrustratingyearin
1705,21;FrancestrengthensitspositioninSpain,22;VictoryforMarlboroughat
RamilliesandforEugeneatTurinin1706,23;Allianceexpandsitsdemands,24;
Renewedfrustrationin1707,25;SuccessatOudenardeandLillein1708,26;
TheGreatFrostandafailuretosecureagoodpeace,27;Bloodybattleat
Malplaquetin1709,27;FailinginfluenceofMarlborough,28;Siegewarfarein
1710and1711,28;ThevictoryatBouchain,29;Marlborough’sdismissaland
renewedFrenchconfidence,29;PeacewiththeTreatyofUtrechtin1713,29.
2. Finding an Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
TheCaptain-General,33;TroopnumbersrequiredbytheGrandAlliance,33;
TheDutchArmy,34;Foreigncontingents,34;QueenAnne’sArmy,35;Financing
anarmy,35;Termsofservice,36;PurchaseofCommissions,36;BrevetRank,37;
TheLinguaFranca,40;Recruitingmethods,41;Regimentalstrengths,43;Dress,
armsandequipment,44;Disciplineanddeserters,48;Prisonersofwar,49;
Theconductofofficers,53;Foraging,pillagingandlooting,53;Good
administration,54;Hardshipsoncampaign,55;Routineincamp,56.
3. The Commanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Marlborough,58;Eugene,69;Overkirk,70;Cadogan,72;Keppel,74;Natzmer,75;
Orkney,75;Argyll,76;Churchill,78;Orange,79;Lottum,79;Stair,80;
Anhalt-Dessau,80;Lumley,81;Rantzau,81;Hesse-Kassel,81;Sabine,82;Van
Goor,82;Baden,83;Tilly,84;VanGoslinga,84;Parke,85;Merode-Westerloo,86;
Webb,88;Tallard,88;Villeroi,89;Vendoˆme,89;Villars,90;Thestaff,90;
Commandandcontrol,91;Compositionofthearmy,93.
4. The Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Classicroleofcavalry,98;Horseanddragoons,101;Termsofservice,105;
Expenseofcavalry,105;Horsemanship,106;Evolvingtactics,107;The
disciplinedcharge,108;Swordsmanship,111;Cavalryasabattle-winning
arm,111;Declininginfluence,113.
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpagevi-Press
vi Marlborough’sWarMachine,1702–1711
5. The Foot Soldier: Lock, Stock and Barrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Natureandroleofinfantry,114;Termsofservice,115;Evolvingtactics,116;
Platoonfiring,118;Coloursanddrummers,119;Sharpshootingand
skirmishing,121;Drillandtacticalmovement,123;Perilsof‘friendlyfire’,124;
Dealingwithcavalry:theinfantrysquare,124;Employmentinsieges,128;
Grenades,129.
6. The Gunners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Gunpowderwarfare,133;Cost,134;Typesofartillery – fieldandsiege,134;
Ammunition,135;Mortars,136;Tacticalemployment,136;Effectiveranges,136;
Highdemandsofsupplyanddifficultyinmovement,137.
7. The Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Valueofmobilityandcounter-mobility,143;TheFlandersTrain,144;Pontoon
bridging,145;Valueofwaterwaysforeasymovement,147;Siegeoperations,149;
Miningandcounter-mining,160;UnabletomatchFrenchexpertise,160;The
siegeofTournai,161.
8. Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165
Importanceofregularsupply,165;Marlborough’smethodsand
arrangements,165;Livingofftheland,167;Foragingandpillaging – ‘Eatingup
acountry’,167;Dutchexpertiseandexperience,168;ThemarchtotheDanube
in1704,170;Supplyandfinance,171;Medicalcare,175;Treatmentof
casualties,175;Dischargedsoldiers,180;‘Thedeadman’swage’,181;TheRoyal
Hospitals,181;TheBlenheimbounty,181;Pensionsandgratuities,182;Camp
followers,183;Sutlers,183;Wivesoncampaign,184.
9. Marlborough’s Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
ThemartialreputationofGreatBritain,186;TheeffectofMarlborough’s
successes,187;OpinionofvanGoslinga,188;Untidyendtothewar,189;French
powerdiminished,190;Empirebuilding – successandfailures,191;
MarlboroughandWellington – bothalikeanddissimilar,192;Lastingmemory
ofachievements,193.
Appendix A: Timeline for the War of the Spanish Succession . . . . . .195
Appendix B: Marlborough’s British Regiments, 1702–1711 . . . . . . . .199
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .201
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpagevii-Press
List of Illustrations
Maps
The Low Countries, Campaigns of 1702–1713 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
The March to the Danube, 1704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
The Schellenberg, 2 July 1704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Blenheim, 13 August 1704 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Ramillies, 23 May 1706 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Oudenarde, 11 July 1708 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiv
Malplaquet, 11 September 1709 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Plates
1. JohnChurchill,FirstDukeofMarlborough,byGodfreyKneller.
2. TheDukeofMarlboroughattheBattleofBlenheimin1704.
3. PrinceEugeneofSavoy.
4. HenryofNassau,Veldt-MarshalOverkirk.
5. JohnChurchill,FirstDukeofMarlborough.
6. QueenAnneofGreatBritain.
7. LouisXIVofFrance,the‘SunKing’.
8. Louis-Guillaume,MargraveofBaden.
9. MajorGeneralWilliamCadogan.
10. ArnoldJoostvanKeppel,FirstEarlAlbemarle.
11. LieutenantGeneralCharlesChurchill.
12. GeorgeHamilton,FirstEarlOrkney.
13. Claude-Louis-HectordeVillers,MarshalofFrance.
14. MajorGeneralJosephSabine.
15. MajorGeneralLordJohnCuttsofGowran.
16. George,theElectorofHanover.
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpageviii-Press
viii Marlborough’sWarMachine,1702–1711
17. George,ElectoralPrinceofHanover.
18. JohnCampbell,‘RedJohn’,SecondDukeofArgyll.
19. MajorGeneralJohnArmstrong.
20. ChristianDavis(MotherRoss).
21. Ablue-coatedtrooperofthePrussian‘Lieb’RegimentofDragoons.
22. Donauwo¨rthtownseenfromtheSchellenberghill.
23. OffuzvillageneartoRamillies.
24. TheScheldtRivernearOudenarde.
25. Marlborough’sarmymovestocrossthepontoonbridgesoverthe
SchedldtRiver.
26. TheWynendaeltapestryfromBlenheimPalace.
27. DetailfromtheOudenardetapestryatBlenheimPalace.
28. ThedesperatefightinginthewoodsatMalplaqueton11September
1709.
29. Marlborough’scavalrymovethroughtheAlliedgun-lineonthe
afternoonofMalplaquet.
30. TheexecutionofdesertersintheAlliedcamp,c.1707.
31. Soldiersrelaxinasutler’stentwhileincamp.
32. Siegeoperations.
33. ThearmorialbearingsofJohn,FirstDukeofMarlborough.
marlborough’swarmachine-prelimpageix-Press
