Knowledge (XXG)

Siege of Capua (1734)

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133: 522:. Sending several battalions out the Naples and Rome gates in the middle of the night, they spent several hours attempting to reach and destroy the bridge. The Spanish were able to fend off the attacks, but they were only cover for the true operation, in which a picked company of 500 successfully raided the countryside. Around dawn, this force returned with 150 cows, 90 water buffalo, 1,000 sheep. The attempt on the bridge had cost the Austrians over 300 casualties, although they killed more than 350 Spanish and took 52 prisoners (who Traun promptly released). 120: 429:
sent 4,000 troops through narrow mountain passes, threatening to flank Traun's position. When Traun learned of this, he ordered a precipitous retreat to Capua, abandoning armaments and camp equipment along the way. The Spanish then proceeded southward toward Naples, bypassing Capua, and entered the city on 10 May after securing the surrender of its fortresses. About 6,000 troops were stationed to blockade Capua cutting off its communications and access to the land for provisions.
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disagreed on how to best defend Naples. Caraffa wanted to minimally garrison the country's fortresses and concentrate Austrian forces into a single army that could either avoid or force confrontation with the Spanish, while Traun, whose opinion prevailed, wanted to strongly garrison the fortresses
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While the Austrians had intended to provision the fort sufficient to keep a garrison of 5,000 for five months, the supplies present in April were only sufficient to keep the garrison for two months. Traun organized a corps of volunteers that engaged in foraging operations during the months of the
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where it had been assembled, and reached the northern border of Naples on 28 March 1734. Traun had taken most of the Capua garrison, and constructed a fortified line at Mignano, at which he expected conflict with the Spanish forces. However, on 30 March, the Spanish, aided by sympathetic locals,
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The siege continued into November, and conditions in the blockaded city became progressively more severe. On 20 November Traun and the Spanish command reached an agreement that Traun would capitulate if relief had not arrived by 30 November. On that day, the Austrian garrison, reduced to about
444:. Austrian garrisons from these islands had been brought to the mainland, where they joined the garrison at Capua (before it was blockaded), raising the size of Traun's garrison to about 6,000. The Austrians were hoping to be relieved by the forces of 497:
Traun may also have benefited from a long-standing friendship with Count Marsillac, the commander of the besieging forces. The two had fought together in previous campaigns, and even shared the same tent on occasion.
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blockade. Their forays were successful enough that in mid-July the Austrians still had one month's supplies. His prospects for relief, however, were dampened by news that Marshal Mercy had died in the
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The fortress of Capua was a substantial construction, although it had not been maintained well in the years immediately preceding this conflict. It had numerous weaknesses, the principle of which were:
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The garrison, under the command of Marshal Traun, consisted of 6,000 men, including 10 battalions of infantry from the regiments of Heister, Göldlin, O'Nelly, Carl Lothringen, and Schmettau, 6
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against the Spanish blockade, which had grown to over 15,000 men. In addition to raiding Spanish supplies, he targeted a boat bridge the Spanish had set up across the
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in November 1734 with full honors of war, primarily because of exhausted provisions and ammunition, but also because it was clear no relief was coming to the isolated
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in May, Spanish forces turned to besiege the three remaining Austrian outposts: Pescara, Gaeta, and Capua. Pescara was the first to surrender, on 29 July, with
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military and political leaders began planning the defense of Naples against the expected invasion. Hampered by a lack of resources, Marshal
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Geschichte des Kämpfe Österreichs: Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen von Savoyen: Nach den Feldacten und anderen authentischen Quellen
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5,000 men, marched out with the full honors of war, including two field pieces, and boarded Spanish ships to be transported to
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History of Austrian Battles: Campaigns of Prince Eugene of Savoy: from the field records and other authentic sources
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Feldmarschall Otto Ferdinand Graf von Abensperg und Traun, 1677-1748: eine militärhistorische Lebensskizze
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While Charles' army was marching south, a Spanish fleet had landed forces on the islands of
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The landscape to the south and west, which was dotted with groves of olive and fruit trees.
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in northern Italy, but these were occupied with the Franco-Sardinian army.
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forces under Count Marsillac. General Traun surrendered the fortress of
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in August. Charles was then able to detach troops for the conquest of
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Kriegsarchiv (1891). 511:and that the Austrians had retreated afterwards. 364:were planning operations against the kingdoms of 494:from the regiments of Pignatelli and Kokoržowa. 451:Following the destruction of the Austrian army 23: 424:, numbering about 21,000, marched south from 205: 8: 320:, under the command of the Austrian Marshal 153:James Fitz-James Stuart, 2nd Duke of Berwick 717:Battles of the War of the Polish Succession 678:History of the kingdom of Naples, 1734-1825 463:, and focus the remaining troops on Capua. 308:was the last major military action of the 212: 198: 190: 20: 514:On 10 August Traun launched an elaborate 632: 630: 557: 555: 542: 408:and the safety of the Austrian viceroy 385:and force the Spanish to besiege them. 490:companies, and companies of horseless 378:Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun 322:Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun 158:Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun 742:18th century in the Kingdom of Naples 7: 352:in the fall of 1733, and news that 14: 479:The poorly-bastioned Naples gate; 131: 118: 388:Major garrisons were placed at 410:Giulio Visconti Borromeo Arese 348:Following the outbreak of the 44:April – 30 November 1734 1: 747:Military history of Campania 350:War of the Polish Succession 310:War of the Polish Succession 223:War of the Polish Succession 31:War of the Polish Succession 763: 661:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 649:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 637:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 622:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 583:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 562:Feldzüge des Prinzen Eugen 316:. Austrian forces of the 231: 176: 163: 144: 111: 36: 28: 722:Sieges involving Austria 509:Austrian defeat at Parma 727:Sieges involving Spain 145:Commanders and leaders 60:(present-day southern 177:Casualties and losses 683:Thürheim, Andreas. 612:Colletta, pp. 40-44 80: /  675:Colletta, Pietro. 457:Gaeta surrendering 732:Conflicts in 1734 476:The water supply; 318:Habsburg monarchy 314:Kingdom of Naples 299: 298: 188: 187: 139:Habsburg Monarchy 107: 106: 84:41.100°N 14.200°E 58:Kingdom of Naples 754: 703: 664: 658: 652: 646: 640: 634: 625: 619: 613: 610: 604: 601: 595: 592: 586: 580: 574: 571: 565: 559: 550: 547: 422:Charles of Parma 382:Count of Caraffa 226: 224: 214: 207: 200: 191: 137: 135: 134: 124: 122: 121: 95: 94: 92: 91: 90: 85: 81: 78: 77: 76: 73: 38: 37: 21: 762: 761: 757: 756: 755: 753: 752: 751: 707: 706: 691: 672: 667: 659: 655: 647: 643: 635: 628: 620: 616: 611: 607: 603:Colletta, p. 34 602: 598: 594:Colletta, p. 35 593: 589: 581: 577: 573:Colletta, p. 30 572: 568: 560: 553: 549:Colletta, p. 32 548: 544: 540: 504: 469: 446:Florimund Mercy 418: 346: 302: 301: 300: 295: 227: 222: 220: 218: 151: 150:Count Marsillac 132: 130: 119: 117: 103:Spanish victory 88: 86: 82: 79: 74: 71: 69: 67: 66: 65: 17: 12: 11: 5: 760: 758: 750: 749: 744: 739: 734: 729: 724: 719: 709: 708: 705: 704: 689: 681: 671: 668: 666: 665: 653: 641: 626: 614: 605: 596: 587: 575: 566: 551: 541: 539: 536: 520:Volturno River 503: 500: 484: 483: 480: 477: 468: 465: 417: 414: 345: 342: 306:siege of Capua 297: 296: 294: 293: 288: 283: 278: 273: 268: 263: 258: 253: 248: 243: 238: 232: 229: 228: 219: 217: 216: 209: 202: 194: 186: 185: 182: 179: 178: 174: 173: 170: 166: 165: 161: 160: 155: 147: 146: 142: 141: 128: 114: 113: 109: 108: 105: 104: 101: 97: 96: 89:41.100; 14.200 52: 50: 46: 45: 42: 34: 33: 26: 25: 24:Siege of Capua 19: 18: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 759: 748: 745: 743: 740: 738: 737:1734 in Italy 735: 733: 730: 728: 725: 723: 720: 718: 715: 714: 712: 701: 697: 696: 690: 688: 687: 682: 680: 679: 674: 673: 669: 663:, pp. 459_460 662: 657: 654: 651:, pp. 457-458 650: 645: 642: 638: 633: 631: 627: 624:, pp. 452-455 623: 618: 615: 609: 606: 600: 597: 591: 588: 584: 579: 576: 570: 567: 563: 558: 556: 552: 546: 543: 537: 535: 533: 529: 523: 521: 517: 512: 510: 501: 499: 495: 493: 489: 481: 478: 475: 474: 473: 466: 464: 462: 458: 454: 449: 447: 443: 442:Bay of Naples 439: 435: 430: 427: 423: 415: 413: 411: 407: 403: 399: 395: 391: 386: 383: 379: 375: 371: 367: 363: 359: 355: 351: 343: 341: 339: 335: 331: 327: 323: 319: 315: 311: 307: 292: 289: 287: 284: 282: 279: 277: 274: 272: 269: 267: 264: 262: 259: 257: 254: 252: 249: 247: 244: 242: 241:Pizzighettone 239: 237: 234: 233: 230: 225: 215: 210: 208: 203: 201: 196: 195: 192: 183: 181: 180: 175: 171: 168: 167: 162: 159: 156: 154: 149: 148: 143: 140: 129: 127: 116: 115: 110: 102: 99: 98: 93: 63: 59: 55: 51: 48: 47: 43: 40: 39: 35: 32: 27: 22: 699: 694: 685: 677: 660: 656: 648: 644: 636: 621: 617: 608: 599: 590: 582: 578: 569: 561: 545: 524: 513: 505: 496: 485: 470: 450: 431: 420:The army of 419: 402:Papal States 387: 347: 305: 303: 280: 261:Philippsburg 169:6-16,000 men 112:Belligerents 29:Part of the 492:cuirassiers 87: / 711:Categories 670:References 453:at Bitonto 344:Background 271:San Pietro 16:1734 siege 488:grenadier 286:Guastalla 639:, p. 456 585:, p. 425 564:, p. 424 467:Defenses 380:and the 374:Habsburg 338:garrison 256:Trarbach 164:Strength 49:Location 440:in the 438:Procida 426:Tuscany 416:Prelude 390:Pescara 356:allies 354:Bourbon 326:Spanish 312:in the 291:Clausen 266:Colorno 251:Bitonto 75:14°12′E 72:41°06′N 528:Triest 516:sortie 461:Sicily 434:Ischia 406:Naples 370:Sicily 366:Naples 358:France 330:French 246:Danzig 136:  123:  100:Result 698:[ 538:Notes 532:Fiume 502:Siege 398:Capua 394:Gaeta 362:Spain 334:Capua 281:Capua 276:Gaeta 184:1,000 172:6,000 126:Spain 62:Italy 54:Capua 530:and 436:and 392:and 368:and 360:and 328:and 304:The 236:Kehl 41:Date 713:: 629:^ 554:^ 412:. 372:, 340:. 56:, 213:e 206:t 199:v 64:)

Index

War of the Polish Succession
Capua
Kingdom of Naples
Italy
41°06′N 14°12′E / 41.100°N 14.200°E / 41.100; 14.200
Spain
Habsburg Monarchy
James Fitz-James Stuart, 2nd Duke of Berwick
Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun
v
t
e
War of the Polish Succession
Kehl
Pizzighettone
Danzig
Bitonto
Trarbach
Philippsburg
Colorno
San Pietro
Gaeta
Capua
Guastalla
Clausen
War of the Polish Succession
Kingdom of Naples
Habsburg monarchy
Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun
Spanish

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