Battle of Fleurus (1690)

Battle of Fleurus

Battle of Fleurus by Pierre-Denis Martin

Date	1 July 1690
Location	Fleurus, Spanish Netherlands (Present-day Belgium)
Result	French victory

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Duc de Luxembourg

Prince of Waldeck

Strength

35,000

38,000

Casualties and losses

3,000 dead,
3,000 wounded

6,000 dead,
5,000 wounded,
8,000 captured

John Childs gives the strengths as 40,000 for Luxembourg and 30,000 for Waldeck

The Battle of Fleurus, fought on 1 July 1690, was a major engagement of the Nine Years' War. In a bold envelopment the Duc de Luxembourg, commanding Louis XIV of France’s army of some 35,000 men, soundly defeated Prince Waldeck’s Allied force of approximately 38,000 men comprising mainly Dutch, German, and Spanish troops. Waldeck's suffered heavy losses in prisoners and equipment, and Luxembourg moved ahead to control Flanders. Although the French War Minister, Louvois, wished to press ahead and secure further success, King Louis overruled him and ordered Luxembourg to reinforce the Dauphin’s army on the Rhine and forgo any major siege. The Allies, meanwhile, withdrew to Brussels to recover and rebuild their army.

In 1690 the main theatre of the Nine Years' War moved to the Spanish Netherlands. Command of French forces now passed to the talented Marshal Luxembourg (a position he would keep until his death in 1695), superseding Marshal Humières who had suffered defeat at the Battle of Walcourt the previous year. Luxembourg's army consisted of 34 battalions and 94 squadrons; if necessary he could call upon support from Marshal Boufflers’ forces on the Moselle.

Once again King William entrusted Allied forces in the region to Prince Waldeck (William was himself busy in Ireland forestalling King James' attempt to regain his throne). In other theatres Marshal de Lorge commanded French forces in the Rhineland, (although the Dauphin held honorific command). De Lorge was opposed by the Elector of Bavaria, who had succeeded command of Allied forces in the region after the death of Charles of Lorraine. Meanwhile, Marshal Catinat led the French forces in Dauphiné against the Duke of Savoy, whilst Marshal Noailles commanded forces deployed on the border of Catalonia.

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Wikipedia