page_title: Siege of Besançon
section_title: Aftermath
hierarchical_section_title: Siege of Besançon / Aftermath
context_page_description: The Siege of Besançon took place during the Franco-Dutch War, when French forces invaded Franche-Comté, then under Spanish rule. The successful French besiegers were led by King Louis XIV and Henri Jules, Prince of Condé. Besançon's defenders were commanded by Prince Vaudémont. Under the 1678 Treaties of Nijmegen, the province was annexed by France and Besançon replaced Dole as the regional capital.
context_section_description: On 27 May, Louis left Besançon and moved onto Dole, which was already besieged by d'Enghien; the town surrendered on 7 June, followed by Salins-les-Bains on 10th. With the conquest complete, many of the French troops were sent to join Condé's army in the Spanish Netherlands and fought at the Battle of Seneffe in August.
  In 1676, the regional capital was moved from Dole to Besançon, which became the site of the Regional Parlement.  The province remained unstable, with security threatened by guerrilla bands known as loups de bois, as well as Imperial troops campaigning in the Rhineland. The huge costs of the war led to conflict over taxes and expenditure; when the Besançon magistrates were ordered to repair damage caused by the recent siege, they refused, arguing it was the responsibility of the French Crown. When forced to comply, the work was carried out very slowly; similar arguments took place over supplying the French garrison. 
  During the siege, Etienne Morel, a French Army surgeon, reportedly used a tourniquet to control haemorrhage from battlefield injuries, the first time this technique was applied.
caption: Louis XIV at the taking of Besançon (1674)
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