The siege took place during the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678). During this siege Sebastien le Prestre de Vauban, the famous French military engineer, developed a new strategy in order to break down the strong fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His systematic approach remained the standard method of attacking fortresses until the twentieth century. On 25 June 1673, while preparing to storm the city, captain-lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as the comte d'Artagnan, was killed by a musket shot outside Tongerse Poort. This event was embellished in Alexandre Dumas' novel 'The Vicomte de Bragelonne', part of the d'Artagnan romances. French troops occupied Maastricht from 1673 to 1678.