Editing John William Friso (section)

===Battle of Malplaquet===
[[File:Nederlandse troepen tijdens de Slag bij Malplaquet (cropped).jpg|thumb|Friso at Malplaquet]]
[[File:The Prince of Orange at the Battle of Malplaquet - Luijts.jpg|thumb|Friso at Malplaquet]]
[[File:Anthonius Brouwer - Anno 1709. Overwinning van prins Jan Willem Friso te Malplaquet - SA 4872 - Amsterdam Museum.jpg|thumb|Friso at Malplaquet]]

Following the capture of Tournai on 3 September the French and Allied armies met at the [[Battle of Malplaquet]]. Here he commanded the infantry on the Allied left together with [[François Nicolas Fagel]].{{Sfn|Wijn|1959|p=526}} Overall control was exercised by [[Claude Frédéric t'Serclaes, Count of Tilly|Count Tilly]], who had succeeded Ouwerkerk as senior Dutch commander. In reality, Tilly's anti-[[Dutch States Party|Orangist]] sympathies meant his largely pro-Orangist senior officers allegedly took their orders from Friso.{{sfn|Van Lennep|1880|p=280}} 

The [[Duke of Marlborough]], the Allied commander in overal control, tasked the 30 Dutch infantry battalions Dutch on left with attacking the French rightwing. This was a hopeless task. The French right wing, commanded by the seasoned military leader [[Louis-François de Boufflers]], was shielded by a forest and a strong line of entrenchments. Additionally, Boufflers commanded twice as many troops as Friso. His forces included the ''régiment de Picardie'' and the [[French Guards Regiment|French]] and [[Swiss Guards]], some of the best infantry regiments of the French army. The Dutch initially expected to be reinforced by 21 battalions under [[Henry Withers]], which were still advancing from Tournai. However, with the plans having changed, the left flank’s forces were now insufficient to execute the operation successfully.{{Sfn|Dee|2024|pp=204 & 210}}{{Sfn|Wijn|1959|pp=524–526}}

Half an hour after the Allied right wing had engaged the enemy, Friso ordered his troops to join the fray. His Dutch forces, which included [[Scots Brigade|Scottish]] and [[Swiss mercenaries#Netherlands|Swiss regiments]], were the finest in Europe.{{Sfn|Dee|2024|pp=145 & 205}} They launched three determined assaults on the French positions, but despite their tenacity and the ground they managed to seize, they were repelled each time with heavy casualties. Many Dutch infantry officers lost their lives or were severely wounded during the battle, but Friso, remarkably, remained completely unharmed. Throughout the brutal combat, the prince fought courageously, and had his horse shot out from under him twice. At one point, Friso even seized a banner from the Swiss Mey Regiment, planted it on a redoubt, and cried out to his troops: 'Follow me, my friends, here is your post!'{{Sfn|Wijn|1959|pp=524–526}}{{sfn|Nimwegen|2020|p=317}}

It was only when [[Frederik Sirtema van Grovestins]] and his cavalry approached the French fortifications from behind, and the French retreated, that Friso was able to capture them. The Dutch forces paid a heavy price at Malplaquet, suffering around 10,000 dead and wounded. Yet, Friso’s assaults were not in vain. These fierce attacks made it impossible for Boufflers to reinforce the vulnerable French center, where the Allies ultimately broke through. Nonetheless, he faced significant criticism from the Republic where he was blamed for youthful recklessness and the unnecessary sacrifice of lives.{{Sfn|Wijn|1959|pp=524–526}} Some British historians, notably [[Winston Churchill]], have later suggested that he turned a feigned attack into a real one in pursuit of glory. However, there is no evidence for this claim. The Dutch had been ordered to drive the enemy from their positions and advance onto the Malplaquet plateau—orders consistent with Marlborough’s usual strategy of mounting multiple attacks to unbalance the enemy, and Marlborough never blamed the prince for the heavy Dutch losses. Instead, it seems more likely that both he and Orange had underestimated the strength and resilience of the French defence.{{Sfn|Dee|2024|pp=204–205}}