Battle of Peene

The battles of Peene , called also third battle of Cassel , is a major episode of the wars of Holland (1672-1678). This battle opposed the French Army to the united troops of the United Provinces, Spain and England. It was delivered the 10 and April 11th 1677 between Noordpeene and Zuytpeene, two villages located on Right Bank of the river Peene Becque, in Flanders, between Cassel and Saint-Omer, the stake being the catch of this last city.

Context

At the 17th century, the French stake is to become to it Spanish Netherlands that France covets to break the surrounding of the Habsbourg and “to move back the Northern border of the kingdom dangerously close to Paris”. Since 1646, the cardinal Mazarin affirms: the acquisition of the Spanish Netherlands would form at the town of Paris an impregnable boulevard and it would be then truly that one could call it the heart of France .

The same year, a resolution of the General states of the United Provinces, the government of the republic Dutchwoman, estimates that increased France of the Netherlands of the south will be a frightening body for their State. From where the proverb of the diplomacy Dutchwoman: Gallus amicus, sed not vicinus , the Gallic nonclose friend but .

With that is added:

1. A commercial dispute. Colbert does not cease alerting the king about commercial hegemony Dutchwoman. From 1667, France engages a war of the customs tariffs against the Netherlands.

2. The resentment between the two countries also nourishes increasing opposition between their models respective socio-policies. What of commun run enters a Absolute monarchy increasingly marked and a increasingly sure Oligarchie middle-class of itself? Which relationship between the agricultural economics of the kingdom and the commercial prosperity of the republic?

3. The religious conflict enters the new champion of Catholicism and the irreducible fortified camp from the confession Calviniste.

Louis XIV is jealous of the prosperity of the United Provinces which it wishes to lower: the Dutchmen are its natural enemies.

The hesitations of the king, who does not try any serious offensive against the United Provinces, give to William of Orange an unhoped-for respite which it makes profitable to obtain the alliance of several countries frightened by French hegemony: Holy Empire, Spain, Lorraine, Denmark.

The paddle of the battle

By taking Valencian, Cambric and Saint-Omer, Louis XIV wants to ensure forever the rest of its borders. He proposed to deliver his States of the evils that Saint-Omer (only place of the Artois which still belongs to the Spanish Netherlands) their cause, by disturbing the trade with the conquered countries, between Dunkirk and Arras.

With the first noises of the seat of Valencian, the allies are alarmed and oblige the prince d' Orange to promptly gather its troops in front of Saint-Omer. He runs of the United Provinces to the head of the most flourishing army than had still setting-up the General states. The prince de Robecq, ensures Eugene de Montmorency, it that Mister, (Philippe of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV) has few troops with him for the seat of Saint-Omer, but that it is necessary to make quickly! The Orange prince thus approaches it in all haste the April 10th 1677.

He is sure to be victorious. He gathered all his troops around Ypres, located at 55 km in the east of Saint-Omer. They count: 30000 men (: 20000 infantrymen and: 10000 riders). There is among them the little of Spanish troops whose Carlos de Gurrea, duke of Hermosa Villa, can still lay out. William of Orange passes by Poperinge and comes to camp the April 9th with Holy-Marie-Cappel. The following day, at the point of the day, it circumvents Cassel by the West. It goes to Bavinchove and Zuytpeene and, cotoyant Right Bank of the Peene Becque, it stops its troops between this last village and Noordpeene. There, with one half-league of the French camping, the prince arranges his army on five columns.

It is the April 10th 1677 at midday that its army is in the presence of that of Mister, camped beyond the brooks: this place is marshy and inconvenient. The first thing which the prince William of Orange wants to undertake, it is to help Saint-Omer side of the Vat, which appears the single way. For this purpose, it orders from its dragons to seize abbey of Peene. Thousand obstacles stop it in this project. He recognizes it with bitterness and sees himself obliging to fight battle, thing which it wishes of the remainder, because it is believed higher than the French.

As of the point of the day of the April 11th, Palm Sunday, the prince is in the plain. The French let it make… William of Orange is barred by another brook: Lyncke. We are in spring which was rainy; the becques ones (brooks, rivers) are on their level highest.

Around 2 p.m., Mister orders with the marshal of Humières to attack on the right, which is made, but it itself is attacked on its right side, and advances the infantry and the marshal of Luxembourg advances on the left. D' Humières rattaque of more beautiful and the Dutchmen are taken out of clipper.

The battle is finished towards 17:30. The Dutchmen escape and move towards Abeele (located on the current Franco-Belgian border) then Poperinge.

Consequences

The victory of the French troops allowed fastening France of the town of Saint-Omer, the Châtellenie S of Cassel, Bailleul and Ypres, until there possessions of the Comté of Flanders, and more largely of the Spanish Netherlands of the south.

External bonds

Noordpeene, village of Westhoek the village where the battle of Peene

proceeded

Sources

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