Editing Battle of Bouvines (section)

==Battle==
===Allied left===
[[File:Capture of Ferrand.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The capture of [[Ferdinand, Count of Flanders]] in an illustration of the battle made around 1330.]]

The battle opened with an attack by 150 light cavalrymen from the [[Abbey of Saint-Médard de Soissons]] against the Flemish knights on the allied left, aiming to throw it into confusion. The Flemish knights easily drove off the unarmoured horsemen. Some Flemish knights left their formations and chased the retreating light cavalry; 180 French knights from Champagne in turn attacked and killed or captured the over-aggressive Flemish knights.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=242}}{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=251}} The Count of Flanders counter-attacked with his entire force of 600 knights and threw the French back.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|pp=246, 251}}

Gaucher de Châtillon launched his 30 knights at the Flemish force, followed by a further 250 knights.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=242}}{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=251}} They carried out a continuous series of charges, and halted the allied advance.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=251}} Many knights on both sides fell from their horses in the first clash. The French were better ordered than the more loosely formed Flemish knights, and the allied ranks grew thinner as they were assaulted by the compact French masses. Châtillon and Melun with their knights broke through the ranks of their Flemish counterparts, then wheeled and struck them from the rear, constantly switching targets. St. Pol's knights and the Burgundians engaged in an exhausting struggle against the Flemings, taking no prisoners. The Duke of Burgundy's horse was killed and the Duke thrown to the ground, but he was saved by his knights, who beat off the Flemish and found him a fresh horse.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=252}}

The Flemings fought on for three hours despite their increasingly desperate situation, driven by [[Chivalry|knightly honour]]. Finally, the wounded and unhorsed Count of Flanders was captured by two French knights, triggering the collapse of his knights' morale.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=252}}{{sfn|DeVries|2006|pp=80–89}}

===Centre===
[[File:Philip II and Hugh de Boves at Battle of Bouvines.png|right|thumb|460px|King Philip unhorsed (shown wearing crown at left) and Hugh de Boves at right fleeing the Battle of Bouvines, from the ''[[Chronica Majora]]'', c. 1250, written and illustrated by [[Matthew Paris]].]]

The French urban [[militia]] infantry, 2,150 strong, were gathered under the Oriflamme in the centre, in front of Philip's knights and the ''[[fleur-de-lis]]'' standard.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|pp=245, 252}} Soon after deploying, they were attacked by allied knights and infantry under Otto and thrown back.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=252}} Otto and his knights had nearly reached the French king when they were halted by French knights.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|pp=252–253}} The allied infantrymen broke through to Philip and his handful of knightly companions, unhorsing him with their hooked pikes. The French king's [[armour]] deflected an enemy [[lance]] and saved his life. Galon or Gales de Montigny used the royal standard to signal for help and another knight gave Philip a fresh horse.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=253}}

The allied infantry used [[dagger]]s to stab unhorsed French knights through the openings in their helmets and other weak spots in their armour. The Norman knight [[Stephen Longchamp|Etienne de Longchamp]] was killed in this way and the French suffered heavy losses. After repeated French counterattacks and a prolonged fight the allies were thrown back.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=253}}{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=336–337}}

The battle in the centre was now a mêlée between the two mounted reserves led by the King and the Emperor in person. The French knight Pierre Mauvoisin nearly captured Otto and his horse and Gérard la Truie stabbed the Emperor with a dagger, which bounced off his [[hauberk|coat]] of [[mail (armour)|mail]] and struck Otto's horse in the eye, killing it. Otto was saved by four German lords and their followers.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=336–337}} As the French sent more knights to attack him personally he fled the field. The German knights fought to the bitter end to save their emperor, all being killed or captured. The Imperial Standard with the eagle and dragon was captured by the French knights, who brought it to their king. By this time, allied resistance in the centre had ceased.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=253}}

===Allied right===
Meanwhile, on the French left Robert de Dreux's troops were at first pressed by men led by William Longespée.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=254}} William Longespée was unhorsed and taken prisoner by [[Philip of Dreux]], the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Beauvais|Bishop of Beauvais]], and the English soldiers fled. Mathieu de Montmorency captured twelve enemy imperial banners, in memory of which feat twelve more eagles were added to the existing four on the Montmorency coat of arms.{{sfn|Eysenbach|1848|p=321}}

===Last stand===
[[File:Prisonniers Bouvines.jpg|thumb|[[Ferdinand, Count of Flanders|Ferrand of Flanders]] and [[Renaud I, Count of Dammartin|Reginald of Boulogne]] being conveyed as prisoners to Paris (from the ''[[Grandes Chroniques de France]]'', c. 1375–1380). Ferrand was released in 1227 and died soon after of a disease contracted in prison. Renaud was kept in chains and killed himself in 1227.]]

The day was already decided in favour of the French when their wings began to close inwards to cut off the retreat of the imperial centre.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=253}} The battle closed with the celebrated stand of [[Reginald of Boulogne]] (Renaud de Dammartin), a former vassal of King Philip, who formed a ring of 400–700 [[Brabançons|Brabançon pikemen]]. They defied every attack by the French cavalry, while Reginald made repeated sorties with his small force of knights.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=254}} Eventually, long after the Imperial army had retreated, the Brabant [[Sheltron|schiltrom]] was overrun by a charge of 50 knights and 1,000–2,000 infantry under Thomas de St. Valery. Reginald was taken prisoner in the melee. A pursuit was not conducted owing to the approaching nightfall and a fear that the prisoners might escape. The French formations were recalled using trumpets.{{sfn|Verbruggen|1997|p=255}}