Fortification and Siegecraft. Fortification and Siegecraft. ? Fortification? Is the military art of strengthening positions against attack. The word (Lat. , strong, and , to make) implies the creation of defences. Fortification and Siegecraft. Fortification Theory (1600. Vauban and the French Military Under Louis XIV. Belfort. Belfort Absorbed into France in the early 1600s, Belfort, lies in a gap between the Vosges and Jura Mountains, making it a natural invasion route into France.
In 1678, Vauban was set to work improving the town's fortifications, demolishing the old defenses and extending the town to the River Savoureuse. Construction was complete in 1703. Jura sandstone was used, which was locally available and thought to harden when exposed to the air. Improvements were made in the fortifications in the early 1800s by General Haxo.