Battle of Trencsén

Battle of Trenčín
Part of the Rákóczi's War of Independence
Memorial of the Battle of Trenčín
Date 3 August 1708 Location near the villages of Trenčianska Turná, Soblahov, Mníchova Lehota, present-day Slovakia Result Habsburg victory
Belligerents
Kuruc Army of Francis II Rákóczi House of Benyovszky House of Revay	Habsburg Imperial Army Serbs from Vojvodina House of Ocksay
Commanders and leaders
Francis II Rákóczi Comte de la Motte Lőrinc Pekry	Sigbert Heister János Pálffy
Strength
15,000 infantry and cavalrymen, 12 cannons	around 5,000 infantry and cavalrymen, 3,000 Serbian valiant
Casualties and losses
3,000 dead or wounded, 500 POW 12 cannons captured	200 dead or wounded

The Battle of Trenčín (German: Schlacht bei Trentschin, Hungarian: Trencséni csata, Slovak: Bitka pri Trenčíne) was a battle between the Hungarian Kuruc forces of Francis II Rákóczi and the Imperial Army of the Habsburgs. The battle caused great losses for the Kuruc army, forcing them to give up their plans of obtaining allies in the War of the Spanish Succession against the Habsburgs. The battle also meant that the Habsburgs maintained their positions as the Kings of Hungary.

In the year 1708, Francis II Rákóczi decided to march his troops into Silesia, to pave the way for the plans of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia to take the Hungarian crown, thus reinforcing the Silesian Protestants as well. His army started to march down the Váh river, and planned to pass by the town of Trenčín on their way to Moravia. However, Trenčín was in the hands of a reinforced Habsburg garrison. At first, Rákóczi had no intention to besiege Trenčín, as to not weaken his army, but under pressure of other Kuruc commanders, he decided to do so. The commander of the garrison, Sigbert Heister, found out about the moves of the Kuruc army, and started preparing his soldiers for the attack.

At the morning of 3 August 1708, 8,000 Habsburg-Serbian soldiers faced 15,000 Kuruc soldiers, with 12 cannons. The right wing of the Hungarian Kuruc army was composed of light cavalry and part of the infantry under command of Lőrinc Pekri. The middle was composed by the artillery, protected by the German cavalry, as well as with the Polish and German carabiniers under command of colonel de la Motte. The left wing was made out of the rest of the infantry. The terrain ahead of them, however, was unclear, with moats going through it. When Sigbert Heister saw the number of Kuruc troops, and their advantageous standing, he decided to retreat into Trenčín Castle. At the moment of giving this order, the Kuruc artillery started firing, with Pekri's wing advancing to attack the Habsburg soldiers while they were still organising.

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Wikipedia