Siege of Lille (1667)

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Siege of Lille
Part of the War of Devolution
Louis XIV at Lille
Date 10–28 August 1667 Location Lille, France Result French victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Spain
Commanders and leaders
Louis XIV Turenne (army commander) Vauban (siege commander)	Comte de Bruay
Strength
Unknown	Siege: 4,200 garrison[1] Relief operation: 8,000[1]–12,000[2]
Casualties and losses
Siege: Unknown Relief operation: Very light	Siege: Unknown Relief operation: 2,000 killed or wounded[2] 1,500 captured[1]

The siege of Lille took place during the War of Devolution. Louis XIV's forces besieged Lille from 10 August to 28 August 1667. It was the only major engagement of the war. Lille was the first major victory for Vauban’s siege techniques. Louis XIV, arguing that the Spanish dowry of his wife Maria Theresa of Spain had not been paid, began to expand French borders to the north and east, invading the Spanish Netherlands. This began a conflict with Spain that became the War of Devolution. After taking Charleroi, Tournai and Douai, French troops laid siege to Lille, at that time part of the county of Flanders under Spanish rule. Siege techniques applied by the French military engineer Vauban were instrumental in their capture.