Bombardment+of+Brussels

> = Bombardment of Brussels = The bombardment of Brussels in 1695 was carried out by the French troops under Louis XIV. It took place from August 13-15. While the number of casualties caused by this event are low, the damaged caused is unbelievable. The bombardment and the fire that resulted are said to be the most destructive event in Brussels’ history.

The bombardment took place during the Nine Years’ War. Louis XIV used the bombardment as a hopeful military strategy. He hoped to divert allied troops away from an area he wanted to occupy. Brussels had very weak defense, so Louis XIV decided to target it. The bombardment started just before 7 p.m. and lasted for 48 hours. None of the French troops thought the bombardment would have as much success as it did.

Over one-third of the buildings in the city were destroyed, including the Grand Place and the central square of Brussels. The fire destroyed many houses and a total of roughly 5000 buildings. Along with this, a lot of art and history was burned by the fire. The reconstruction of Brussels changed a lot about the city and left visible reminders of what happened. > When we travel to Brussels, we will be able to see the remains of a sad past, and we will be able to identify how much damage war can do to a country.