Editing Battle of Fleurus (1690)

{{Short description|Battle in the Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance}}
{{Other uses|Battle of Fleurus (disambiguation){{!}}Battle of Fleurus}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict          = Battle of Fleurus
|partof            = the [[Nine Years' War]]
|image             = File:Batalla de Fleurus (1690).jpg
|image_upright = 1.0
|caption           = ''Battle of Fleurus'', [[Pierre-Denis Martin (1663–1742)|Pierre-Denis Martin]]
|date              = 1 July 1690
|place             = [[Fleurus]], [[Spanish Netherlands]]
|result            = French victory
|combatant1        = {{flagcountry|Kingdom of France}}
|combatant2        = {{flag|Dutch Republic}} <br> {{flagdeco|Spain|1506}} [[Habsburg Spain|Spain]]
|commander1        = {{flagicon|Kingdom of France}} [[François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg|Luxembourg]]
|commander2        = {{flagicon|Dutch Republic}} [[Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck|Waldeck]]
|strength1         = 30,000{{sfnm|1a1=Castex|1y=2012|1p=227|2a1=Jones|2y=2001|2p=260}}<br>35,000{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=207}}<br>40,000{{sfnm|1a1=Van Nimwegen|1y=2020|1p=196|2a1=Van Alphen|2y=2019|2p=72|3a1=Van Lennep|3y=1880|3p=195|4a1=Stapleton|4y=2003|4p=206|5a1=Childs|5y=2003|5p=190}}<br> 70 guns
|strength2         = 30,000{{sfnm|1a1=Van Lennep|1y=1880|1p=195|2a1=Van Nimwegen|2y=2020|2pp=195–196|3a1=Van Alphen|3y=2019|3p=72|4a1=Childs|4y=2003|4p=190}}<br>37,800–38,000{{sfnm|1a1=Lynn|1y=1999|1p= 207|2a1=Castex|2y=2012|2p=227|3a1=Périni|3y=1906|3p=267}}<br> 90 guns
|casualties1       = 3,600{{sfn|Périni|1906|p=275}}<br>6,000{{sfnm|1a1=Lynn|1y=1999|1p= 209|2a1=Bodart|2y=1908|2p=112}}<br>7,000{{sfnm|1a1=Van Nimwegen|1y=2020|1p=201|2a1=Van Alphen|2y=2019|2p=72|3a1=Childs|3y=2003|3p=190}}
|casualties2       = 11,000{{sfn|Stapleton|2003|p=206}}<br>19,000–21,000{{sfnm|1a1=Lynn|1y=1999|1p= 207|2a1=Périni|2y=1906|2p=274|3a1=Bodart|3y=1908|3p=112}}
}}
{{Campaignbox Theatres of the War of the Grand Alliance}}
{{Campaignbox War of the Grand Alliance}}

The '''Battle of Fleurus''', fought on 1 July 1690 near [[Fleurus]], then part of the [[Spanish Netherlands]], now in modern [[Belgium]], was a major engagement of the [[Nine Years' War]]. A [[Kingdom of France|French]] army led by [[François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg|Marshall Luxembourg]] defeated an [[Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg)|Allied]] force under [[Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck|Waldeck]].

Luxembourg's victory had limited strategic impact, since [[Louis XIV of France]] ordered him to end his campaign in the Spanish Netherlands, and instead reinforce [[Louis, Grand Dauphin|the Dauphin]] on the [[Rhine]]. This gave the Allies time to withdraw to [[Brussels]], and rebuild their army.

==Background==
[[File:Fleurus 1 July 1690.png|thumb|left|upright=1.0|The [[Spanish Netherlands]]. [[Fleurus]] sits midway between [[Namur]] and [[Charleroi]], near the river [[Sambre]]]]

In 1690, the main theatre of the [[Nine Years' War]] moved from the [[Rhineland]] to the [[Spanish Netherlands]]. Defeat at [[Battle of Walcourt|Walcourt]] in August 1689 led to [[Louis de Crevant, Duke of Humières|Humières]] being replaced as commander by [[François-Henri de Montmorency, duc de Luxembourg|Luxembourg]], who retained the position until his death in 1695. His army consisted of around 30,000–40,000 men, while if necessary he could call upon support from [[Louis François, duc de Boufflers|Boufflers]] on the [[Moselle]].{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=205}} With [[William III of England|William III]] campaigning in [[Williamite War in Ireland|Ireland]], [[Prince Georg Friedrich of Waldeck|Waldeck]], the victor of Walcourt, continued as commander of Allied forces in the region.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=205}}

Waldeck had hoped to delay the campaign to enable the [[Frederick I of Prussia|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. Waldeck, meanwhile, left his assembly point at [[Tienen]] (Tirlemont) and advanced to [[Wavre]]. After dispersing his troops to live off forage, the Allied army reassembled and advanced to Genappe on 8 June.

In mid-June Luxembourg split his forces. Humières was relegated to supervise the garrison of the Lines of the [[Lys (river)|Lys]] and the [[Scheldt]], whilst the main French army left [[Deinze]] and marched south, crossing the Sambre at Jeumont on 23 June.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=206}} Meanwhile, detachments from Boufflers force under Rubantel had augmented Luxembourg's army, which continued its march, camping at [[Boussu]] on 27 June.

As Luxembourg manoeuvred south of [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]] and [[Charleroi]], Waldeck moved his camp between Nivelles and Pieton on 28 June. That same evening, Luxembourg personally led a detachment from [[Gerpinnes]] with [[Floating dock (jetty)|pontoons]] to establish a bridge across 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.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=206}} 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. (''See map'').

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 {{convert|3|km|mi}} from the Allies.

==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}}

==Aftermath==
[[File:Slag bij Fleurus, 1690, RP-P-OB-82.712 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Waldeck and Dutch soldiers after the battle.]]

Fleurus was one of the bloodiest battles of the age, with enormous losses on both sides, but casualty estimates vary greatly. According to Austrian historian [[Gaston Bodart]], the French had 3,000 men killed and another 3,000 wounded, and the allies suffered 6,000 killed, 5,000 wounded and 8,000 captured.{{sfn|Bodart|1908|p=112}} Périni writes that 612 officers and 3,000 soldiers were killed or wounded on the French side, and that the allies had 5,000 killed and 9,000 captured, but does not mention a number of wounded. Additionally, the French took 48 guns and 150 flags or standards.{{sfn|Périni|1906|p=274}} Van Nimwegen and [[John Childs (historian)|John Childs]], however, reduce allied casualties to 7,000 killed and wounded and argue that French losses were at least equal,{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|p=201}}{{sfn|Childs|2003|p=190}} but do not provide an estimate for the number of prisoners, a number some Dutch sources bring down to 3,000.{{sfn|Bosscha|1838|p=274}} The Allies also captured 34 banners and standards, which was rare for a losing side.{{sfn|Van Lennep|1880|p=196}} Dutch historians have generally emphasized the bravery and skill of their infantry and like to quote Luxembourg, who is reported to have said that the Dutch foot soldiers surpassed those of the Spanish at [[Battle of Rocroi|Rocroi]] and that he wanted to remember them all his life.{{sfn|Van Lennep|1880|p=196}}{{sfn|Knoop|1861|p=51}} French historian [[François Guizot]] described Fleurus as a complete French victory, but one devoid of result.<ref>Guizot: ''A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V''</ref> [[François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois|Louvois]], Louis' war minister, wanted to order Luxembourg to immediately besiege [[Namur]] or [[Charleroi]], but [[Louis XIV of France|Louis]], concerned about the dauphin's forces on the Rhine, ordered Luxembourg to detach part of his forces and forgo a major siege. Louvois objected, but King Louis wanted to be sure that nothing 'disagreeable' happened to his son's command.<ref>Wolf: ''Louis XIV'', p. 560</ref> Nevertheless, Luxembourg was able to put much of the land east of Brussels under contribution.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=209}}

The French pressed the prisoners of war captured at Fleurus and in preceding events into their service. They sent the Germans to the army in Catalonia, the Walloons to Germany and the Dutch to Savoy. Many however escaped and made it back to allied territories.{{sfn|Ten Raa|1950|p=37}}

Waldeck eventually retired on Brussels, where his injured troops were replaced with men from fortress garrisons.<ref name=lynn209>Lynn: ''The Wars of Louis XIV 1667–1714,'' p. 209.</ref> 15,000 Spanish troops under the [[Francisco Antonio de Agurto, Marquis of Gastañaga|Marquis of Gastañaga]] joined the main Allied army, as did [[Alberto Octavio Tserclaes de Tilly|Tilly]] with troops from [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège|Liège]] and [[Brandenburg]] on 22 July. On 2 August, the Elector of Brandenburg's forces combined with Waldeck, whose Allied army now numbered 70,000 men.{{sfn|Van Nimwegen|2020|p=202}} With this force, the Allied army marched to [[Genappe]], proceeding on to Nivelles on 7 August. After the battle, there was modest satisfaction in the Dutch Republic. They believed that the French had suffered more soldiers killed or wounded and the French army was indeed in no better shape than that of the Allies to continue the campaign.{{sfn|Ten Raa|1950|p=27}}

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, while the Allies quartered in and around [[Maastricht]]. The Hanoverians returned home, while many from Brandenburg and [[Lüneburg]] found quarters in the fortresses of the Spanish Netherlands.{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=210}}

Louis XIV had become so disillusioned with his infantry that he ordered Luxembourg to avoid infantry engagements in 1691. He believed such an engagement "involves heavy losses and is never decisive".{{sfn|Chandler|1995|p=113}}

==See also==
* [[Trois Burettes]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last=Childs |first=John |title=Warfare in the Seventeenth Century. |publisher= Cassell |year=2003 |isbn=0-304-36373-1}}
* Dupuy, R. E & Dupuy, T. N. ''The Collins Encyclopaedia of Military History 4th ed.'' HarperCollins Publishers, (1995). {{ISBN|0-06-270056-1}}
* [[François Guizot|Guizot, Francois P. G]]. ''A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times, Volume V''. [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/11955/11955-h/11955-h.htm#image-68 gutenberg.org]
* {{cite book|last=Jones|first=Archer |title=The Art of War in the Western World|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0252069666}}
* Lynn, John A. ''The French wars 1667–1714: The Sun King at War.'' Osprey Publishing, (2002). {{ISBN|1-84176-361-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Lynn|first=John A|title=The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667–1714|publisher=Longman|year=1999|isbn=0-582-05629-2}}
* [[John Baptist Wolf|Wolf, John B]]. ''Louis XIV.'' Panther Books, (1970). {{ISBN|0-586-03332-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Castex |first=Jean-Claude |title= Combats franco-anglais de la guerre de trente ans et de la ligue d'Augsbourg |publisher=Éditions du Phare-Ouest|year=2012|isbn=978-29-216-6811-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Périni |first=Hardy |title= Batailles françaises (5e série) |publisher=Flammarion|year=1906|oclc=763403539}}
* {{cite book |last=Van Nimwegen |first=Olaf |title=De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672–1712. |publisher=Prometheus |year=2020 |isbn=978-90-446-3871-4 }}
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Fleurus|volume=10|pages=499–500|short=1}}
* {{cite book |last1=Van Alphen |first1=Marc |last2=Hoffenaar |first2=Jan |last3=Lemmers |first3=Alan |last4=Van der Spek |first4=Christiaan |title=Krijgsmacht en Handelsgeest: Om het machtsevenwicht in Europa |publisher=Boom |year=2019|isbn=978-90-244-3038-3 |ref=CITEREFVan_Alphen2019}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ten Raa |first=F.J.G. |title=Het Staatsche Leger: Deel VII (The Dutch States Army: Part VII) |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff |date=1950|language=Dutch}}
* {{cite book |last=Van Lennep |first=Jacob |title=De geschiedenis van Nederland, aan het Nederlandsche Volk verteld |trans-title=The history of the Netherlands, told to the Dutch nation|publisher=Leiden; z.j. |year=1880 |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/lenn006gesc07_01/lenn006gesc07_01_0014.php|language=nl}}
* {{cite book |last=Bodart |first=Gaston |year=1908 |title=Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618–1905) |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Eo4DAAAAYAAJ/page/112/mode/1up |access-date=3 February 2023}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stapleton |first=John. M |title=Forging a Coalition Army: William III, the Grand Alliance, and the Confederate Army in the Spanish Netherlands, 1688–1697 |publisher=Ohio State University |date=2003|url=https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=osu1061304400&disposition=inline}}
* {{cite book |last=Bosscha |first=Johannes |title=Neêrlands heldendaden te land, van de vroegste tijden af tot in onze dagen |publisher= Suringar |year=1838 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Nj1OwhfMisC |language=Dutch}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Knoop |first1=Willem Jan |author-link=Willem Jan Knoop |title=Coehoorn|journal=De Gids |date=1861 |volume=25 |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/_gid001186101_01/_gid001186101_01_0002.php |language=Dutch}}
* {{cite book |last=Chandler |first=David G |title=The art of warfare in the age of Marlborough |publisher=Sarpedon |year=1995 |url=https://archive.org/details/artofwarfareinth00davi/page/112/mode/2up}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleurus 1690, Battle Of}}
[[Category:Battles of the Nine Years' War]]
[[Category:Battles involving France|Fleurus]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Dutch Republic]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Spanish Netherlands]]
[[Category:1690 in France]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1690]]
[[Category:History of Hainaut|Battle]]