Battle of Ivry

The battles of Ivry takes place the March 14th 1590 within the framework of the wars of religion. She opposes the royal army ordered by Henri IV to the ligueuse army reinforced Spanish quotas ordered by the duke of Mayenne, in the Plaine Saint-Andrew between the town of Nonancourt and the town of Ivry, which one then re-elected Ivry-the-Battles in remembering this combat. In spite of the numerical superiority of the members of a league, those are put in rout.

It is at the time of this combat that was marked celebrates it

“My companions, if you run my fortune today, I run also yours; I want to overcome or die with you. God is for us. Here its enemies and ours. Here your king. Keep well your rows, I request from you; if the heat of the combat makes you leave it, think at once of the rallying: it is the profit of the battle. You will make it between these three trees that you see up there with right hand. If you lose your signs, cornets or handlebars, do not lose point of view my plume; you will always find it with the way of the honor and the victory”

by Henri IV in reference to the large white feathers that the king had made pose on his hat to be more easily locatable during the battle.

Context

The duke of Mayenne, named general Lieutenant of the Kingdom by Paris member of a league, orders the Parisian garrison. The capital is besieged in a loose way by Henri IV since nearly one year: if the communications are possible, all surrounding cities, and the provinces usually supplying it (Brie, Beauce, Valois, Champagne and Normandy) are with the hands of Henri IV, and the city is threatened of famine. Mayenne tries to deliver the surroundings of Paris garrisons of Henri IV.

This one, to lock the access to Normandy, leaves to besiege the town of Évreux, it also with the hands of the League, which attracts Mayenne eager to help this city. By learning the approach from the troops of the League, Henri decides to raise the seat and to withdraw himself in the vicinity to spread itself in the plain of Saint-Andrew.

Mayenne arrived before the end of the deployment but to too late begin the battle which was given to the following day.

The battle

The March 14th at dawn, the two armies are face to face. Henri IV (and his lieutenants Montpensier, Aumont, Biron, Conti, Trémoille, Rosny and the German Colonel Schomberg with the tragic destiny) has only 8 000 men of Infantry and 3 000 riding vis-a-vis the army of Mayenne (and its lieutenants Nemours, Aumale and Philippe d' Egmont) strong of 12 000 infantrymen and German Mercenary S and of 4 000 riders of which 2 000 Spanish.

The beginning of the engagements was started by the shooting of the 6 guns composing the Artillerie royal and directed by Guiche, then it was the shock of the two cavalries.

The load of the reîtres of the League succeeds in collapsing the Chevau-léger S of the king, then the Walloons eliminate royal artillery; Aumont does not resist the attack of three squadrons of the League.

But this success is stopped Net by the common cost of Montpensier and Biron which come to the rescue from Aumont. On the other side of the line, Henri IV instructed the lancers with the Ligue so as to prevent them from taking the field necessary to the use of their lance. To reverse the battle, Mayenne decides to instruct the royal squadron, trained of 600 riders. It is at this time that Henri IV pronounces his famous apostrophe.

The battle turns then to the pure and simple fray, so much so that one believed several times the dead or captive king and that the Ligueurs shout even victory. The king must rejoin his troops for the haranguer again and reassure them on his health by these sentences:

“Turn face, shouted to them it, so that if you do not want to fight, you at least see me dying! ”

Then set out again in the fray where its troops followed it in a dash which led them to the victory.

Side Egmont member of a league is killed but Mayenne, Nemours and of Aumale escape, giving up their troops. The army of the League loses all its infantry, the German lansquenets are massacred, in reprisals of the battle of Arch, or, by trick, it had made accept their rendering before opening fire. Only the Swiss ones are not relaxed, and Biron refuses to charge this troop with elite: they obtain the safe life.

Assessment

The ligueuse army of Paris is completely demolished. The royalists bring back many trophies including five enemy guns, all flags as well as the cornet of Mayenne and the standard of the count d' Egmont. The members of a league chiefs are continued, Mayenne flees to Nantes, others take refuge in Chartres.

This battle rang the knell of the army of the catholic Ligue, already extremely tested by the Bataille of Arch September 1589.

The evening, contrary to the uses, a feast gathers those which fought. The following day, equipped with an iron constitution, the king went to hunting.

See too

Henri IV of France
Charles de catholic Mayenne
League
Eighth war of religion (1585-1598)
List of the battles of XVIe century

Works on the battle of Ivry

the Clemence of Henri IV after the Battle of Ivry by Charles de Steuben (carried out between 1828 and 1833)

Sources

p 368-369

Random links:

TC Matic | Serge Depaquit | Loggia del Capitanio | Eyragues | Gadjiévo