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Finely engraved map illustrating the 1742 Siege of Prague, during the War of Austrian Succession.
The map includes a key, embellished with an elaborate image of mother and child held aloft armed soldiers, with a coat of ams in the center. The key locates approximately 24 points of interest withing the map, including the city gates and bridges, major squares and positions of the French and Austrian forces in the Summer of 1742.
The view illustrates the period when Prague was occupied by French forces under the command of Victor François de Broglie, who in turn were surrounded by a large Austrian army in June 1742.
A French relief column forced the Austrians to partially lift the siege in September, allowing de Broglie to flee the besieged city, leaving it under the command of Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle. Once the Austrians renewed the siege and fended off the French relief forces, conditions within the walled city became quite difficult, but ultimately, on December 16, 1743 Belle-Isle the French forces out of the city on a ten-day march to the French-held city of Cheb and ultimately on to the Bohemian Forest four days later.
