Battle of Höchstädt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Battle of Höchstädt
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 20 September 1703
Location Höchstädt in Bavaria
Result French victory
Belligerents
 Austria  Kingdom of France[1]
Kingdom of Bavaria Electorate of Bavaria
Commanders and leaders
Habsburg Monarchy Limburg Styrum
Habsburg Monarchy Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau		 Kingdom of France Claude de Villars
Kingdom of Bavaria Maximilian II Emanuel
Strength
16,000 24,000
Casualties and losses
5,000 dead, wounded and (mainly) prisoners. 1,000 dead or wounded

Flemish and Rhine campaigns
Friedlingen – Kehl – Ekeren – Höchstädt – Speyerbach – Schellenberg – Blenheim – Elixheim – Ramillies – Stollhofen – Oudenarde – Beachy Head – Lizard Point – Wijnendale – Lille – Malplaquet – Bouchain – Denain
Italian campaigns
Carpi – Chiari – Cremona – Luzzara – Cassano – Nice – Calcinato – Turin – Castiglione – Toulon – Gaeta – Cesana – Campo Maior – Syracuse
Spanish and Portuguese campaigns

Cádiz – Vigo Bay – Cap de la Roque – Gibraltar – Ceuta – Málaga – Cabrita Point – Montjuïc – 1st Barcelona – Badajoz – 2nd Barcelona – Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Almansa – Xàtiva – Ciudad Rodrigo – Tortosa – Minorca – La Gudina – Almenar – Saragossa – Brihuega – Villaviciosa – 3rd Barcelona

The first Battle of Höchstädt was fought on 20 September 1703, near Höchstädt in Bavaria, and resulted in a French-Bavarian victory under Marshal Villars against the Austrians under General Limburg Styrum.

Contents

[edit] Prelude

On 5 September, the main force of the Imperial Army under Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden had taken the free city of Augsburg, threatening Bavaria from the west. Louis of Baden had left a force of 16,000 men under Styrum north of the Danube river, which moved east and reached Höchstädt on 19 September. Villars and Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria moved their army of 17,000 to intercept this force, ordering another French force of 7,000 men under d'Usson near Dillingen to attack from the rear.

[edit] The battle

This plan almost failed as d'Usson attacked too soon and his army, inferior in numbers, was pushed back by Styrum. But Villars and Maximilian Emanuel arrived just in time, falling upon the Imperial army, before it could adjust its positions. It was only thanks to the tremendous resistance of the rearguard under Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau that Styrum could save his army and reach Nordlingen.

The Austrians lost 5,000 men, mostly prisoners, 37 cannons and the entire army train. The French and Bavarians lost 1,000 men.

A year later, the Second Battle of Höchstädt was fought, known in English mainly as Battle of Blenheim.

[edit] References

  1. ^ George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, The American Cyclopaedia, New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". *[1] The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. *[2]:on the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)."[3] from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica: "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour."

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_H%C3%B6chst%C3%A4dt&oldid=466578410"
Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages