The bombing of Dieppe by the English navy, engraving by Aveline

The period from the sixteenth century to the start of the eighteenth century was marked by several conflicts, interspersed with often short-lived peace treaties (1655, 1783, 1801, etc.). One of the bloodiest episodes in the region was the bombing of Dieppe by English troops in 1694  during the War of the League of Augsburg, depicted in this engraving by Aveline, which destroyed much of the town. Le Havre was also bombed in 1759 during the Seven Years War. When planning the fortifications for Dieppe, Vauban noted that the town “est voisine d’Angleterre et de Hollande que l’on doit considérer comme des ennemis puissants et capables de grands desseins dont il faut se garder”.