Battle of Malplaquet

The battles of Malplaquet took place the September 11th 1709 within the framework of the War of succession of Spain in the south of Mons in Belgium. The forces ordered by the general John Churchill, duke of Marlborough and the prince Eugene of Savoy, the majority Austrian and Dutch, faced French under the marshal of Villars.

Introduction

The allies seek to exploit the advantage obtained the previous year thanks to the Bataille of Audenarde and the taken of Lille. On their side the French timidly try to support Mons at the end of July besieged after the premature fall of Tournai.

Unfolding

Eugene of Savoy starts an offensive on the French left wing. It massed 83 battalions there and leaves of them only 30 vis-a-vis the French right wing which, it, counts 70 of them. The guiding idea of this plan is to force Villars to engage its reserves and thus to weaken its center. It makes on the contrary slip its first line.

The cavalries of the house of the king and those of the prince of Hesse-Cassel clash in the center. When the situation is stabilized, Boufflers which replaces wounded Villars, prefers to order the fold.

Assessment

In this battle, bloodiest of the War of succession of Spain, the allies which lost 20 to 25.000 men, give up invading France. The French lost only approximately 12.000 men, and fold up in good order on Valencian Bavay and . This mitigated assessment gives them a light advantage which enables them to continue the war until the victory of Denain, of negotiating the Traité of Utrecht and of finishing the war.

Anecdote

The duke of Marlborough that the French believe dead, will be consequently the object of a famous song: Marlbrough is gone-T from there war. Actually Marlborough that is not wounded at the conclusion of the battle and will die in 1722.

Bonds external

presentation
Malplaquet 1709 - 2009 (the spectacle 2006)
the battle of Malplaquet in some lines…

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