Better to sink into the sea than lose Holland
This book is the first comprehensive treatment of an almost forgotten aspect of the campaigns 1813–1814: the battle for the fortresses on the left bank of the Lower Rhine, in the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France, before the decision was made in Paris at the end of March 1814. Unlike the great land battles of the autumn campaign of 1813, the sieges of the 33 fortresses decided the liberation of the Netherlands and Belgium. The campaign was, in a sense, the initial spark for the founding of the modern Netherlands under the rule of the House of Orange. This book is therefore the sequel to the book "The Forgotten War of Liberation - Besieged Fortresses between Memel and the Rhine in 1813-1814" by authors Hemmann and Klöffler. The introduction briefly outlines the basics of fortress warfare in the Napoleonic era and the situation at the end of 1813. The operations of the allied armies against the French fortresses are presented chronologically, depicting the campaigns of the individual armies so that connections can be better understood. Each army and its leaders are briefly described and evaluated. Bülow and Wintzingerode's campaign also includes the sieges in northern France. The fortresses and forts covered include: Antwerp, Arnhem, Bergen-op-Zoom, Bourtange, Breda, Breskens, Coevorden, Delfzijl, Deventer, Doesburg, Gorinchem, Grave, Herzogenbosch, Jülich, La Fère, Loevestein, Maastricht, Maubeuge, Naarden, Sas van Gent, Venlo, Willemstad, Soissons, Compiègne and several smaller fortifications. On the Allied side, the Bülow, Wintzigerode and Weimar corps, the Geismar, Benckendorf and Colomb patrol corps, the Swedish army and Graham‘s British Expeditionary Force took part, facing the French I Army Corps Maison.
The concluding remarks put into perspective some myths, such as the complete liberation from French rule, and the role played by the Dutch "national character" in the campaign. Further observations relate to the influence of the weather, the role of inundations, the character of the French fortress commanders and the role of Paris as a fortress, etc. The work concludes with the consequences of the campaign for the new Kingdom of the Netherlands and the fortification of the French northern border. Numerous plans, maps, illustrations and extensive sources provide a vivid picture of the siege warfare.
KLÖFFLER, Martin: Lieber ins Meer versinken, als Holland verlieren oder Die Befreiung der Niederlande und die Belagerungen der Festungen 1813-14 in Holland, Belgien und Nordfrankreich; Berlin: Zeughaus Verlag GmbH, 2025, 449 pages, ISBN 978-3-96360-071-5, German, price €99 until 1 July 2026
