Editing Battle of Fleurus (1690) (section)

==Battle==
[[Image:Battle of Fleurus, 1 July 1690.PNG|thumb|right|upright=0.8|[[François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duc de Luxembourg|Luxembourg]] divides his forces and attacks [[Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck|Waldeck's]] army on both flanks.]]

On the morning of 1 July, Luxembourg marched his forces towards Fleurus. Waldeck had set up his 30,000-38,000 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.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=207}}

Luxembourg decided to attack both flanks of the Allied army simultaneously, an audacious plan whose success required 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 cannons were positioned near the chateau of St Amant, and another 30 guns positioned between the chateau and Fleurus.

Unnoticed by Waldeck, Luxembourg had enveloped his flanks. Had the Allied commander realised that Luxembourg had split his army in two, he might have overwhelmed the isolated French left before the right came into position, but he did not.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=207}} After the French right wing was in position (commanded by Luxembourg himself), their artillery opened fire at about 10:00, striking the Allied infantry with great effect. The French left wing, commanded by Lieutenant-General Jean Christophe, comte de Gournay, opened their attack with a cavalry charge but Gournay was killed in the assault; his death disordered his cavalry which withdrew to Fleurus to regroup.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=208}}{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|p=199}}

[[File:EB1911 Fleurus 1690.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.0|Battle of Fleurus 1690, from 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.]]

A French cavalry charge on the right wing however, met with more success, driving the enemy cavalry back. What ensued from that point on varies depending on the sources. [[John A. Lynn]] states that, on the heels of the cavalry assault, the French infantry now advanced against both flanks of Waldeck's line which, finding itself enveloped, finally broke. Some of the Allied troops managed to regroup 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 collapsed, broken by French infantry flushed with confidence from their initial success. The remainder of Waldeck's troops streamed towards [[Nivelles]] in the best order they could.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=208}}

According to ''Olaf Van Nimwegen'' however, on the critical moment Waldeck and [[Hans Willem van Aylva|Aylva]] found themselves enveloped by the French, they ordered the Dutch infantry to form [[Infantry square|squares]]. This succeeded and the advancing French cavalry was forced to break off the assault. The French infantry, ordered to march straight onto the enemy, also failed to break the squares after suffering heavy casualties. Luxembourg, noticing the senselessness of further assaults decided to break the Dutch infantry by bombarding the thick squares from close range with captured artillery. To his surprise, despite heavy casualties the Dutch retained formation, and one of his adjutants, who could no longer stand to see the bloodshed, tried to negotiate their capitulation. After the battle, Luxembourg wrote to Louivois that "he told them that they were completely enveloped, that I (Luxembourg) was there and that I would spare them. They answered him: Leave; we want nothing, and are strong enough to defend ourselves."{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|pp=199–200}} What followed was a stubborn rearguard action. Waldeck and Aylva moved the troops in squares in the direction of [[Mellet]] and from there to [[City of Brussels|Brussels]], while the Dutch battalions in the rear formed an alternating front to the French. Under this covering fire the troops under Waldeck left the battlefield. The Dutch right flank under [[Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz|Henry Casimir II]] and the [[Walrad, Prince of Nassau-Usingen|Prince of Nassau-Usingen]] sought refuge in the vicinity of the guns of [[Charleroi]].{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|p=201}}{{sfn|Ten Raa|1950|p=27}}