XLIX. Meanwhile, the French king, in the hope of procuring more favourable terms, resolved to make his last effort against the Spaniards in Catalonia and in the Netherlands, and to elevate the prince of Conti to the throne of Poland; an event which would have greatly improved the interest of France in Europe. Lewis had [...] »

In 1697, Barcelona was taken by the French, after a bloody siege of 52 days; and the loss of this city had a considerable effect in disposing the Spaniards to agree to the treaty of Ryswick. »

During the two sieges of Barcelona, made by M. Vendome in 1697, and M. de Barwick in 1713, the first of those Generals attacked, sword in hand, the convent of capuchins situated without the town, with several detachments of foot, and made himself master of it in three hours time with the loss of seventeen [...] »

In Catalonia, however, French forces achieved considerable success when Vendôme, commanding some 32,000 troops, besieged and captured Barcelona. The garrison capitulated on 10 August, but it had been a hard fought contest; French casualties amounted to about 9,000, and the Spanish had suffered some 12,000 killed, wounded or lost. [This article deals with the Nine [...] »