Duchy of Luxembourg

Luxembourg, 1353–1795. Draft, not yet reviewed

The ducal lands had been formed in 1353 by integration of the old County of Luxembourg, the Marquisate of Arlon, the counties of Durbuy and Laroche, and the districts of Thionville, Bitburg, and Marville. In 1443, the duchy passed to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy of the French House of Valois, and, in 1477, by marriage to Archduke Maximilian I of Austria of the House of Habsburg. The remaining ten southern provinces (including Luxembourg) remained under Spanish rule until 1714. The area remained under Austrian rule until the French Revolution, when it was taken over by France in 1795.

Seat of power: Luxembourg

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened over the years by successive owners, making the Fortress of Luxembourg one of the strongest in continental Europe. Its formidable defenses and strategic location caused it to become known as the Gibraltar of the North.
• During the late 18th-century French Revolutionary Wars, the city held out against a French siege for seven months. When the garrison finally surrendered, the walls were still unbreached.
• In 1744, during the Austrian period, the underground passages of the Bock casemates were enlarged considerably by General Neipperg. The main passage, which still remains, is 110 m long and up to 7 m wide.
• The fortifications were finally demolished under the terms of the Treaty of London in 1867. The demolition took 16 years and cost the enormous sum of 1.5 million gold francs.

Picture

In the event of war, the Bock casemates, covering an area of 1,100 m2, could be used as barracks for up to 1200 soldiers.

Sources

• Duchy of Luxembourg (Wikipedia)
• Duchy of Luxembourg (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.