alternatehistory.com

Second Battle of Marburg

De Broglie pursued Brunswick to Marburg where he made another stand to face off against the pursuing French army. On June 14th, a mere 8 days after the prior battle at Frankfurt, de Broglie led 44,000 French and allied soldiers against Brunswick’s 27,200 Hanoverian and allied forces. The Duke of Brunswick had managed to get reinforced by an additional 2,000 Hessian soldiers stationed in the city and arriving from the north.

Although both armies were weary from the recent battle, de Broglie wanted to finish off Brunswick before he had a chance to rejoin the retreating Sackville, who was recently defeated by Contades, and wanted to secure Marburg before moving on to besiege Kassel.

Brunswick was in a lament over his loss at Frankfurt, and had learned too late of Sackvilles defeat at Dortmund, after already preparing to make a stand at Marburg. His worries and the threat of Contades army possibly flanking him affected his decisions. After taking numerous casualties deflecting two French charges and weathering artillery fire, Bunswick decided to retreat from Marburg to rejoin Sackville while his army was still intact.

French and Allied Forces: 3,000 dead and wounded
Hanover and Allied Forces: 3,700 dead, wounded and captured, 8 guns captured.

Clear French Victory

Despite Brunswick’s retreat, many of the Hessians stayed to delay the French forcing them to siege the city for a few more days, while other many other Hessian soldiers went north to reinforce Kassel before the expected French siege.

As Brunswick retreated north and rejoined Sackville’s army, he leaned that Contades had not gone southeast to Marburg as was expected, but had gone west instead.

Battle of Paderborn

Perhaps Contades was seeking glory, attempting to reach Hanover first, or to redeem himself for his defeat by Brunswick the prior year at Dusseldorf, which had undone France’s earlier offensives in Hanover, historians still debate the reasons. But rather than move toward Marburg to assist de Broglie; Contades chased Sackville toward the east.

Having just fought two battle against them, the Duke of Brunswick considered de Broglie and the newer French army superior to Contades and the French army he had fought the prior year. Despite lamenting his two recent losses, Brunswick did an amazing job at maintain the army after these defeats, as well as making a fast march toward Sackville’s army and communicating with it. Both his and Sackville’s battle ready forces numbered about 41,000, outnumbering Contades surviving forces of 38,000; but this was certainly less than if Contades and de Broglie were allowed to join. So Brunswick took the bold move of confronting Contades at Paderborn in a rear attack while Contades was engaged with Sackville.

On June 17th while de Broglie was still occupied clearing Marburg of the Hessians that had stayed behind, Brunswick attacked Contades from the south.

On June 17th, 38,000 French led by Contades faced off against 41,000 Hanoverian soldiers and other allies led by Brunswick, Sackville and Granby.

French Forces: 7,500 dead, wounded and captured, 25 guns captured. Louis Georges Erasme de Contades was killed in action.
Hanoverian and Allied Forces: 5,000 dead and wounded

Clear Allied Victory:

In an unprecedented action that vindicated Brunswick from the two prior defeat, the French army led by Contades was mostly routed, though at a high cost in casualties to his own forces. A Complete rout may have been achieved had Sackville not disobeyed orders to release Granby’s cavalry, and completely finish off the French. What was left of the Contades French army retreated south back toward de Broglie.

Despite the victory and even the great boost in morale that victory often grant, it count not relieve exhaustion or the shell-shock of having fought through three major battles in the span of 11 days. Low on supplies and fresh soldiers, Brunswick army was in no condition to fight further without rest. Furthermore Brunswick and Sackville were very low on guns after 3 combined retreats, and de Broglie’s army was still intact and would swell with whatever French troops from Contades forces had managed to be recovered.

Geroge Germain 1st Viscount of Sackville, because of his actions was sent back to London, where he was court martialed and cashiered out of the army. Later on he would enter politics.

With the loss of Contades, Victor-Francois 2nd Duc de Brogile was made commander of the western French forces in the Germanies.

Siege of Kassel

Very low on Supplies, ammunition and powder, and his army in desperate need of rest, Brunswick could not pursue the remains of Contades army south. So he retreated northward back toward Hanover. There was unlikely anything he could do to prevent the de Broglie from taking Kassel, but he could at least prevent the French from achieving any ability to invade Hanover this year.

De Broglie understood this as well, and as soon as he had regathered the scattered French troops formerly under Contades and taken command he proceeded with his march against Kassel and laid siege to it.

By July 1st, de Broglie had readied for the siege, and reformed the merged French and allied Armies into a 61,000 strong occupying force. Hessian forces that had not fled with Brunswick numbered an 8,000 strong garrison holding Kassel.

The Siege of Kassel lasted one month until a final assault commenced on August 2nd.

French and Allied Forces: 1000 casualties
Hessians: 2,000 dead and wounded. 6,000 and numerous guns captured at surrender.

After the fall of the city of Kassel and securing Hesse-Kassel lands, a new front developed along the Ems and Weser rivers. France, though making significant gains, would be unable to campaign into Hanover this year. The army reforms though had proven themselves in battle and would be carried forward for all subsequent regiments raised.

With William VIII of Hesse and his son Fredrick II both dead, the heir presumptive of Hesse-Kassel was the 16 year old William I, currently residing in Denmark with his mother and siblings. Upon receiving news of the victories, the French diplomats in Denmark wasted no time in pressing the poor boy and his family into Hesse-Kassel’s complete capitulation.

Hesse-Kassel’s participation in the Nine Years War came to an official end on October 3rd, 1759.