Military engineer and Marshal of France. Born, May 1, 1633; died, March
30, 1707. His father, the _cadet_ of an ancient family, was styled
by himself “the poorest gentleman in France.”
Young Vauban, left a penniless orphan at the age of ten, was adopted
and educated by the village priest. At seventeen he enlisted in Condé’s
rebel army, being taken prisoner a year later, and brought before
Mazarin, who, discovering his natural genius, gave him a commission of
lieutenant and put him under the orders of the Chevalier de Clermont,
the greatest military engineer of the day.
In 1655 Vauban obtained the brevet of engineer. His reputation grew
rapidly. Acting under the orders of Turenne he was of the greatest
service at the sieges of Stenay, Clermont, Landrecies, Condé,
Valenciennes, and Montmedz, and this notwithstanding the fact that he
was several times severely wounded.
In 1658 he directed on his own responsibility the sieges and attacks
upon Mardyk, Gravelines, Oudenarde and Ypres. After the Peace of the
Pyrenees he employed the succeeding next years of profound peace in
constructing new fortresses and modernising old ones. When, in 1667,
war broke out again he at once reassumed his old post. In the presence
of Louis XIV. he conducted the sieges of Tournai and Douai, and took
Lille after only eighteen days’ investiture.
The following year he captured Dôle, and was then desired by Loubois,
who was his principal protector, to construct new fortifications at
all the recently conquered Flemish towns. He carried out these orders
so completely that when the Dutch war occurred five years later
the northern frontier of France was defended by a chain of almost
impregnable forts. The siege of Maestricht, which fell after an attack
lasting only thirteen days, raised his credit to an enormous height.
In 1674 he was created Brigadier of the Royal army, and in 1675
_Maréchal de camp_. Two years later he succeeded the Chevalier
M. Clermont as Commissary-General of the fortifications of France.
During the next ten years he surrounded France from north to south
with admirably planned and almost impregnable fortresses. He also
constructed the aqueduct of Maintenon and the canal of Riquet. Another
war taking place in 1688, Vauban conducted the sieges of Phillipsburg,
and, after saving Dunkirk and other French towns from the enemy,
conquered Mons and Namur in the King’s presence. In 1697 the Peace of
Ryswick put an end to his military career, during which he had built or
repaired 333 fortresses, conducted 53 sieges, and been present at 140
battles and skirmishes.
After the Peace of Ryswick, Vauban devoted the remaining ten years
of his life to the study of political economy; and the result of
his labours was the composition of a book, famous in its day and
still remembered by economists, called _Dîme Royale_. This book
described the system of political economy Vauban wished to introduce,
which was to substitute for all taxes and levies of money from the
people a contribution of the tenth part (or less) of the annual value
of all lands and money in the hands of private individuals; in fact, a
graduated income tax.
He wished to abolish all taxes and Governmental duties on articles
of food and upon salt; but he desired to retain duties upon articles
of luxury and certain merchandise, such as spirits, tea, coffee and
tobacco. This book, which also included a graphic description of the
misery and want which the lower classes in France were suffering at the
time, appeared in 1707.
St. Simon gives a vivid description of the King’s fury, when he
received a copy from Maréchal Vauban. His Majesty had already obtained
a pretty good idea of the scope and matter it contained.
A few weeks later the book was seized and confiscated by an Act
of Parliament, and its publication stopped. Vauban did not long
survive the blow; he died in Paris three weeks after this decree was
promulgated. To quote St. Simon:
The King looked now upon Marshal Vauban as a fanatical defender
of the people, and a criminal who was attempting an attack upon
the authority of the Ministers, and, through them, upon the
Crown. The unfortunate Marshal could not survive the loss of
the favour of a master to whom he was deeply attached and whom
he had served so faithfully; he died soon after, seeing no one
and consumed with grief. The King received the news of his death
with indifference, and did not even recognise that he had lost
one of his most illustrious servants.
The writings of Vauban upon fortifications and military matters are
well-known to all experts, and are still the best works that have been
written on these subjects.