The second duke of Schomberg and the Huguenot regiments in Savoy-Piedmont, 1691–1693

Abstract In 1690 Charles, second duke of Schomberg, joined the Grand Alliance of Britain, the Dutch Republic, Spain and the Holy Roman Emperor that was engaged in a war with France. In April 1691 Schomberg was appointed lieutenant-general of five Huguenot regiments, paid for by the British and the Dutch, designed to give military support to Victor Amadeus II, duke of Savoy-Piedmont. By invading Dauphiné, William III hoped that these Huguenot regiments would incite their co-religionists living there to rise against Louis XIV and force the French king to a reasonable peace. Schomberg’s military career in Savoy-Piedmont was anything but successful. His relationship with Victor Amadeus was very strained and the invasion in 1692 failed to provoke a Huguenot revolt. When Louis XIV strengthened his Italian army the following year, Nicolas de Catinat, the French commander, defeated Victor Amadeus’s much weaker army at Marsiglia on 4 October 1693. Schomberg was so heavily wounded during the battle that he died a fortnight later.