# Relief of Thionville

vteThirty Years' War :
Bohemian Revolt (1618–1620)
Pilsen
Lomnice
Sablat
Wisternitz
Bautzen
White Mountain
Neu Titschein
Palatinate campaign (1620–1623)
Bad Kreuznach
Oppenheim
Bacharach
Jülich
Mingolsheim
Wimpfen
Höchst
Bergen op Zoom
Heidelberg
Fleurus
Mannheim
Frankenthal
Stadtlohn
Transylvanian invasions of Hungary (1619–1621, 1623–1624, 1626)
Humenné
Érsekújvár
Tyrnau [de]
Hodonín
Vlach uprisings
Danish intervention (1625–1629)
Breda
Dessau Bridge
Oldenzaal
Lutter am Barenberge
Groenlo
Stralsund
Wolgast
's-Hertogenbosch
Swedish intervention (1630–1635)
Swedish landing
Frankfurt
Magdeburg
Werben
1st Breitenfeld
Bamberg
Rain
Maastricht
Nuremberg
Wiesloch
Alte Veste
Fürth
Lützen
Oldendorf
Pfaffenhofen
Steinau
Konstanz
1st Breisach
1st Rheinfelden
Liegnitz [de]
1st Nördlingen
Strasbourg Bridge
Swedish-French Period (1635–1648)
Les Avins
Leuven
Schenkenschans
Ray-sur-Saône
Dömitz [de]
Haselünne [de]
Raon
Tornavento
2nd Magdeburg
Somme
Wittstock
2nd Breda
Venlo
Leipzig
Hanau
2nd Rheinfelden
Saint Omer
Fuenterrabía
Kallo
Wittenweiher
Thann [de]
Vlotho
2nd Breisach
1st Freiberg
Chemnitz
Melnik
Thionville
Salses
Cambrils
Montjuïc
Preßnitz
Plauen
La Marfée
Dorsten
Wolfenbüttel
Kempen
Honnecourt
Schweidnitz
2nd Breitenfeld
2nd Freiberg
Rocroi
1st Brno
Tuttlingen
Kolding
Freiburg
Philippsburg
Jüterbog
Bysjön
Jankau
2nd Brno
Mergentheim
2nd Nördlingen
3rd Hulst
Korneuburg [de]
Totenhöhe [de]
Hohentübingen [de]
Mardyck
Dunkirk
Triebl
Naples
Zusmarshausen
Wevelinghoven
Lens
Dachau [de]
Prague
Naval battles
Gibraltar
Genoa
The Slaak
1st Saint Martin
Lizard Point
Dunkirk
Channel
The Downs
Cape St. Vincent
2nd Saint Martin
Lister Dyb
Colberger Heide
Fehmarn :
$_{Treaties}$ :
The Relief of Thionville took place on 7 June 1639, during the Thirty Years' War.

## Prelude

Coordinated French and Dutch attacks on the Spanish Netherlands in May 1638 forced Spain to abandon a planned offensive in Artois. Despite fighting on two fronts simultaneously, the Spanish Army of Flanders managed to defeat the Dutch at Kallo in June while Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano and the Imperial auxiliary corps under Ottavio Piccolomini lifted the French Siege of Saint-Omer in July. France renewed his attacks in 1639 by besieging Hesdin with 14,000 men under La Meilleraye supported by additional troops under Châtillon. The Marquis de Feuquieres was ordered to capture the principal fortress of Thionville in the Duchy of Luxemburg. Control of Thionville secured access to the southern Spanish Netherlands and the Moselle Valley, it also enabled the Imperials to support their Spanish allies by threatening the French flank.

## Battle

Feuquieres had laid siege to Thionville with 12,000 French troops. An Imperial-Spanish relief force commanded by Piccolomini with 5,000 cavalry and 9,000 infantrymen arrived in early morning of 7 June to lift the siege. This force included a Spanish contingent led by the Luxembourgish baron Jean de Beck, with the tercio of Naples and the artillery directed by Ernest de Suys.
In the morning, the Imperials attacked the opposing positions, then the battle stopped for a while which allowed the French to line up (11:00), while Piccolomini sent reinforcements inside the fortress. The Imperials returned to the attack (16.00) and conquered the hill on the left side to the French, where Piccolomini placed the artillery. Under Imperial artillery fire, the French cavalry was charged by the Imperial cavalry under the Marquis Camillo Gonzaga. The French cavalry was defeated and persecuted. The garrison sallied out against the French right flank.
The Imperials enveloped and defeated the French infantry, capturing all the artillery and numerous materials. The French army lost 6,000 dead and wounded as well as 3,000 prisoners including Feuquieres, who died from his injuries, and Count Pas, commander of the infantry. The victorious Imperial-Spanish army only lost 1,500 men.

## Aftermath

Feuquières, wounded in the fighting, was captured by the Imperial forces and died in captivity. In recognition of his victory, Piccolomini was created Duke of Amalfi by the Spanish Crown on 28 June.
In 1643 the Duc d'Enghien capitalised on his victory at Rocroi by pushing on to Thionville, which fell after a stubborn defence by the Spanish garrison.