Editing James Wolfe (section)

==War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748)==

===European War===
{{Main|Battle of Dettingen}}
In 1740 the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] broke out in Europe. Although initially Britain did not actively intervene, the presence of a sizable French army near the border of the [[Austrian Netherlands]] compelled the British to send an expedition to help defend the territory of their Austrian ally in 1742. James Wolfe was given his first commission as a second lieutenant in his father's regiment of Marines in 1741. 

Early in the following year he transferred to the [[12th Regiment of Foot]], a [[British Army]] [[infantry]] regiment, and set sail for [[Flanders]] some months later where the British took up position in [[Ghent]].<ref>* {{cite book|last=Brumwell|first=Stephen|title=Paths of Glory: The Life and Death of General James Wolfe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=92CBkB0estkC&pg=PP1|pages=18–19|year= 2006|publisher=Continuum |isbn= 978-1-85285-553-6}}</ref> Here, Wolfe was promoted to [[Lieutenant]] and made [[adjutant]] of his [[battalion]]. His first year on the continent was a frustrating one as, despite rumours of a British attack on [[Dunkirk]], they remained inactive in Flanders.{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=24–25}}

[[File:GeorgeIIWootton1743.jpg|thumb|left|Wolfe first saw action at the [[Battle of Dettingen]] in 1743.]]

In 1743, he was joined by his younger brother, Edward, who had received a commission in the same regiment.{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|p=25}} That year the Wolfe brothers took part in an offensive launched by the British. Instead of moving southwards as expected, the British and their allies instead thrust eastwards into Southern Germany where they faced a large French army.{{sfnp|Browning|1994|pages= 134–135}} The army came under the personal command of [[George II of Great Britain|George II]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Trench|first= Charles Chenevix|title=George II|url=https://archive.org/details/georgeii0000chen|url-access=registration|year=1973|publisher=Allen Lane|isbn= 978-0-7139-0481-9 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/georgeii0000chen/page/217 217]–218}}</ref> but in June he appeared to have made a catastrophic mistake which left the Allies trapped against the river [[Main (river)|Main]] and surrounded by enemy forces in "a [[mousetrap]]".{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=26–27}}

Rather than contemplate surrender, George tried to rectify the situation by launching an attack on the French positions near the village of Dettingen. Wolfe's regiment was involved in heavy fighting, as the two sides exchanged volley after volley of [[musket]] fire. His regiment had suffered the highest casualties of any of the British infantry battalions, and Wolfe had his horse shot from underneath him.{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=29–31}} Despite three French attacks the Allies managed to drive off the enemy, who fled through the village of Dettingen which was then occupied by the Allies. However, George failed to adequately pursue the retreating enemy, allowing them to escape.{{sfnp|Browning|1994|pages= 139–140}} In spite of this the Allies had successfully thwarted the French move into Germany, safeguarding the independence of [[Electorate of Hanover|Hanover]].

Wolfe's regiment at [[Battle of Dettingen]] came to the attention of the [[Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland|Duke of Cumberland]]<ref>{{cite book|last= Pocock|first=Tom|title=Battle for Empire: The Very First World War 1756–63|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nEGgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PP1 |year= 1998|publisher= Michael O'Mara Books|isbn= 978-1-85479-390-4 |page=115}}</ref> who had been close to him during the battle when they came under enemy fire. A year later, he became a [[Captain (OF-2)|captain]] of the [[45th (Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot|45th Regiment of Foot]]. After the success of Dettingen, the 1744 campaign was another frustration as the Allies forces now led by [[George Wade]] failed to complete their objective of capturing [[Lille]], fought no major battles, and returned to winter quarters at Ghent without anything to show for their efforts. Wolfe was left devastated when his brother Edward died, probably of [[tuberculosis|consumption]], that autumn.{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pages=35–36}}

Wolfe's regiment was left behind to garrison Ghent, which meant they missed the Allied defeat at the [[Battle of Fontenoy]] in May 1745 during which Wolfe's former regiment suffered extremely heavy casualties. Wolfe's regiment was then summoned to reinforce the main Allied army, now under the command of the [[Prince William, Duke of Cumberland|Duke of Cumberland]]. Shortly after they had departed Ghent, the town was suddenly [[Capture of Ghent|attacked by the French]] who captured it and its garrison.{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pages=36–37}} Having narrowly avoided becoming a French prisoner, Wolfe was now made a [[brigade major]].

===Jacobite rising===
[[File:The Battle of Culloden.jpg|thumb|left|400px|During the [[Jacobite rising of 1745]], Wolfe fought at the decisive [[Battle of Culloden]] in Scotland in April 1746. ''[[An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745]]'' by [[David Morier]].]]

In July 1745, [[Charles Edward Stuart|Charles Stuart]] landed in Scotland in an attempt to regain the British throne for his father, the exiled [[James Francis Edward Stuart|James Stuart]]. In the initial stages of the [[Jacobite rising of 1745|1745 Rising]], the Jacobites captured [[Edinburgh]] and defeated government forces at the [[Battle of Prestonpans]] in September. This resulted in the recall of [[Prince William, Duke of Cumberland|Cumberland]], commander of the British army in [[Flanders]] and 12,000 troops, including Wolfe's regiment.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Riding |first1=Jacqueline |title=Jacobites: A New History of the 45 Rebellion |date=2016 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-1408819128|page=195}}</ref>

On 8 November, the Jacobite army crossed into England, avoiding government forces at [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] by taking the western route via [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]].{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=42–43}} They reached [[Derby]] before turning back on 6 December, largely due to lack of English support, and successfully returned to Scotland.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pittock |first=Murray |author-link=Murray Pittock |title=Jacobitism |date=1998 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0333667989|page=115}}</ref> Wolfe was [[aide-de-camp]] to [[Henry Hawley]], commander at [[Battle of Falkirk (1746)|Falkirk]] and fought at [[Battle of Culloden|Culloden]] in April under Cumberland.<ref>Riding, p. 346</ref>

A famous anecdote claims Wolfe refused an order to shoot a wounded Highland officer after Culloden, the person giving the order variously named as Cumberland or Hawley. There is certainly evidence to confirm Jacobite wounded were killed and Hawley was one of those who gave orders to that effect.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Royle |first1=Trevor |title=Culloden; Scotland's Last Battle and the Forging of the British Empire|date=2016 |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=978-1408704011|page=99}}</ref> However, the claim that he refused such orders cannot be confirmed, while author and historian John Prebble refers to the killings as 'symptomatic of the army's general mood and behaviour.'<ref>{{cite book |last1=Prebble |first1=John |title=Culloden |date=1963 |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=978-0712668200 |page=203 |edition=2002}}</ref> This included Wolfe; as leader of punitive raids after the battle, he wrote to a colleague that 'as few Highlanders are made prisoner as possible.'<ref>Royle, p.119</ref>

===Return to the Continent===
{{Main|Battle of Lauffeld}}
In January 1747 Wolfe returned to the Continent and the [[War of the Austrian Succession]], serving under [[John Mordaunt (general)|Sir John Mordaunt]]. The French had taken advantage of the absence of Cumberland's British troops and had made advances in the [[Austrian Netherlands]] including the [[Siege of Brussels|capture of Brussels]].{{sfnp|Browning|1994|pages= 259–260}}{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=57–58}}

The major French objective in 1747 was to capture [[Maastricht]] considered the gateway to the [[Dutch Republic]]. Wolfe was part of Cumberland's army, which marched to protect the city from the advancing French force under [[Marshal Saxe]]. On 2 July Wolfe participated in the [[Battle of Lauffeld]], he was very badly wounded and received an official commendation for services to Britain. Lauffeld was the largest battle in terms of numbers in which Wolfe fought,{{sfnp|Brumwell|2006|pp=58–63}} with the combined strength of both armies totalling over 140,000. Following their narrow victory at Lauffeld, the French [[Siege of Maastricht (1748)|captured Maastricht]] and [[Siege of Bergen op Zoom (1747)|seized]] the strategic fortress at [[Bergen-op-Zoom]]. Both sides remained poised for further offensives, but an [[armistice]] halted the fighting.

In 1748, aged 21 and with service in seven campaigns, Wolfe returned to Britain following the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]] which ended the war. Under the treaty, Britain and France had agreed to exchange all captured territory and the Austrian Netherlands were returned to Austrian control.