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Battle of Fleurus
Part of the War of the Grand Alliance
Date 1 July, 1690 Location Fleurus, Spanish Netherlands (Present-day Belgium) Result French victory
Combatants
France	Dutch Republic, England,<ref>Includes Scottish, Welsh and Irish troops. The term Great Britain was used only after the Act of Union 1707</ref> Holy Roman Empire, Spain
Commanders
Duc de Luxembourg	Prince of Waldeck
Strength
35,000	38,000
Casualties
3,000 dead,<ref>Dupuy states 2,500</ref> 3,000 wounded	6,000 dead, 5,000 wounded, 8,000 captured

Theatres of the War of the Grand Alliance
Continental Europe – Ireland – North America

War of the Grand Alliance
Walcourt – Fleurus – Beachy Head – Staffarda – Cuneo – Leuze – Barfleur-La Hogue – 1st Namur – Steenkirk – Landen – Marsaglia – Charleroi – Torroella – 2nd Namur – Barcelona

The Battle of Fleurus was fought during the War of the Grand Alliance on 1 July, 1690. The French army of the Spanish Netherlands was commanded by François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg; the Allied army comprising Dutch, German, Spanish, and British troops was commanded by Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck.

Luxembourg commanded 35,000 troops, comprising of 34 battalions and 94 squadrons; Prince Waldeck commanded 38,000 men. Despite suffering 6,000 casualties, the battle was an overwhelming victory for France – the allies suffered almost 20,000 killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Although the French decided not to follow up their victory – allowing the Allies to seek safety in Brussels – they were able to impose war taxes on a broad area of now-undefended territory.<ref>Lynn: The French Wars 1667-1714: The Sun King at War p.51</ref>

Contents 1 Background 2 Prelude 3 Battle 4 Aftermath 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] Background

By 1690 the Spanish Netherlands had become the main theatre of the war. The two maritime powers, England (sheltered behind the English Channel and her increasingly powerful navy) and the Dutch Republic, were relatively secure from French invasion, ensuring a protracted struggle fought along the French borders, (the pace and goals of the land war throughout 1690–92 would be somewhat limited).<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.205</ref>

King William III had recently secured the English throne following the 'Glorious Revolution', and was currently engaged against King James and his Jacobite supporters in an attempt to retake control of Ireland. William had therefore entrusted command of his main Allied army on the Continent to to his Dutch general, Prince Waldeck. The French forces facing Waldeck were now commanded by the talented Marshal Luxembourg who, if necessary, could call upon support from Marshal Boufflers’ army on the Moselle. Luxembourg would continue this command until his death in 1695.

[edit] Prelude

Prince Waldeck had hoped to delay the campaign to enable the Elector of Brandenburg to move on the Moselle and tie down Boufflers, but Luxembourg’s early manoeuvres had allowed Boufflers to move between the rivers Sambre and Meuse to support the French commander. In mid-June Luxembourg split his forces, detaching several battalions under Marshal Humières to observe the Spanish forces (now reinforced with Hanoverian troops), while the main French army left Deinze and marched south, crossing the River Sambre at Jeumont on 23 June.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.206</ref> Meanwhile, detachments from Boufflers forces under the command of Rubantel had augmented Luxembourg’s army which, by 27 June, had camped at Boussu. Image:Battle of Fleurus, 1 July 1690.PNG As Luxembourg manoeuvred south of Mons and Charleroi, Waldeck moved his camp between Nivelles and Pieton on 28 June. That same evening, Luxembourg personally led a detachment from Gerpinnes (together with bridging pontoons), to establish a crossing of the Sambre at Ham. A fortified position at Froidmont (garrisoned by about 100 men) was soon compelled to surrender after artillery was brought across the river; a simultaneous attack by French dragoons seized an enemy redoubt that had been abandoned at the approach of Luxembourg’s army.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.206</ref> With the bridgehead secure, the rest of the French army (apart from the heavy baggage that had remained on the south bank at Ham) crossed the Sambre on 30 June.

Waldeck decamped and moved towards the French bridgehead. French and Dutch cavalry sent out to reconnoitre the area crossed swords in an inconclusive action near Fleurus, but by evening the French cavalry had withdrawn to Velaine where it was joined by the rest of their army, only 3 km from the Allies.

[edit] Battle

On the morning of 1 July, Luxembourg marched his forces towards Fleurus. Waldeck had set up his 38,000 troops in the two customary lines on the high ground between the village of Heppignies on their right and past the chateau of St Amant on their left; Waldeck’s front was covered by the Orme stream whose elevated banks made a frontal assault all but impossible.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.207</ref>

Luxembourg divided his forces to attack both flanks of the Allied army – an audacious plan that in order for it to succeed would require secrecy and deception. The columns of the first French line split to take position between Heppignies and Fleurus, with some troops moving up towards St Amant. The two columns of Luxembourg’s right veered off to the north across the Orme, their passage covered by the hedges and wheat fields, and by a screen of French cavalry. Forty cannon were positioned near the chateau of St Amant, and another 30 guns positioned between the chateau and Fleurus.

Waldeck had failed to notice the envelopment of his army.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.207</ref> After the French right wing was in position (commanded by Luxembourg himself), the French artillery opened fire at about 10:00. Their left wing, commanded by Lieutenant-General Jean Christophe, comte de Gournay, opened their attack with a cavalry charge but was killed in the assault; his death disordered his cavalry who retired to Fleurus to regroup.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.208</ref> A cavalry charge on the right wing however, met with more success. French infantry on both flanks now pressed the attack against Waldeck’s line and, enveloped by the enemy, the Allied lines broke. Some of the Allied troops (both infantry and cavalry) regrouped on high ground near Fleurus, but were eventually overwhelmed. Despite being pressed by French cavalry, Waldeck was able to create a new line with his remaining forces further back. However, this line also was finally broken by French infantry flushed with confidence from their initial success.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.208</ref>

[edit] Aftermath

The Battle of Fleurus was a complete success for French arms, but devoid of result.<ref>Guizot: A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V</ref> Louvois, Louis’ war minister, wanted to order Luxembourg to immediately besiege Namur or Charleroi, but Louis, concerned about the Dauphin’s forces in Germany and the imminent arrival of Brandenburg’s army, ordered Luxembourg to augment Boufflers forces and forgo a siege. However, Luxembourg was able to put much of the land east of Brussels under contribution.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.209</ref>

The remainder of Waldeck’s troops streamed towards Nivelles. His army had suffered a casualty rate of 50% of his forces, including 6,000 killed in action. Waldeck eventually retired on Brussels where his injured troops were replaced with men from fortress garrisons.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.209</ref> Spanish troops under Gastañaga joined the main Allied army, as did Tilly with troops from Liège and Brandenburg. On 2 August, the Elector of Brandenburg’s forces combined with Waldeck whose army now totalled 55,000 men. With this force, the Allied army marched to Genappe, proceeding on to Nivelles on 7 August.

The remainder of the campaign season in the Spanish Netherlands was relatively quiet. Boufflers temporarily combined his forces with Luxembourg, but in late August he returned to the area between the Sambre and Meuse rivers. After a series of minor skirmishes, both the Allies and the French returned to winter quarters in October; Luxembourg, careful to station his men on enemy territory, whilst the Allies quartered in and around Maastricht. The Hanoverians returned home whilst Brandenburg and Luneberg found quarters in fortresses of the Spanish Netherlands.<ref>Lynn: The Wars of Louis XIV 1667-1714, p.210</ref>

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Dupuy, R. E & Dupuy, T. N. The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History 4th ed. HarperCollins Publishers, (1995). ISBN 0062700561
• Guizot, Francois P. G. A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V. [1]
• Lynn, John A. The French wars 1667–1714: The Sun King at War. Osprey Publishing, (2002). ISBN 1-84176-361-6
• Lynn, John A. The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714. Longman, (1999). ISBN 0-582-05629-2bg:Фльорюс (битка)

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