The Battle of Tolhuis took place here on 12 June 1672. The Dutch army were powerless against the superior strength of Louis XIV’s army, who wanted to conquer the Netherlands for France. A great number of lives were lost, and Tolhuis Castle was destroyed.
The Dutch War
1672 marked the start of the Dutch War (1672-1679) between the Dutch Republic and the French ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV. Louis wanted to extend his territory and conquer the small but mighty Dutch Republic at all costs. He headed north with a force of 120,000 men, the largest army Europe had ever seen. Contrary to expectations, he ignored the Dutch stronghold of Maastricht and entrenched himself and his troops on the east bank of the Rhine at Lobith.
General Condé
The French, led by General Condé, were helped by a local farmer who directed them to a ford in the river. A day later, the French were standing on the other side of the Rhine, close to Tolhuis Castle. The Dutch soldiers had been instructed to stop – or at least to slow down – the French advance, but the first attack of 2,000 French cavalrymen made it clear that the Dutch mercenaries were no match for the well-trained French army. It was celebrated in France as a major victory. General Condé, however, was seriously injured.
The end of Tolhuis
Because the battle took place at Tolhuis Castle, it was named the Battle of Tolhuis. After this battle, the east of the country lay open for the French, and if that wasn’t bad enough, other countries attacked the Netherlands too. 1672 went down in history as the Year of Disaster. Tolhuis shared in the misery. The castle with the fat tower burned down, with only the Schipperspoortje (Skippers’ Gate) surviving.
