A tactically inconclusive French victory that nonetheless preceded the Convention of Milan, ending the War of the Spanish Succession in Northern Italy.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9 September 1706
- French force size
- 12,000 troops
- Hessian force size
- 10,000 troops
- Conflict
- War of the Spanish Succession
- Follow-on agreement
- Convention of Milan, March 1707
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the War of the Spanish Succession, a Hessian corps of 10,000 men was besieging the town of Castiglione delle Stiviere in Lombardy. French forces in the region sought to relieve the siege and drive back the Imperial-aligned troops threatening their position in northern Italy.
On 9 September 1706, a French army of 12,000 attacked the besieging Hessian corps near Castiglione delle Stiviere. The French forced the Hessians to retreat with heavy losses, lifting the siege. Despite this local success, Imperial victories elsewhere had already strategically isolated the French forces throughout Lombardy.
The battle's tactical outcome proved strategically meaningless. French troops in Lombardy remained isolated by broader Imperial successes, and their eventual surrender became inevitable. This situation led to the Convention of Milan in March 1707, under which French forces were granted free passage to France in exchange for evacuating their remaining garrisons, effectively ending the war in Northern Italy.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent