Battle of Turckheim | |||||||
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Part of Franco-Dutch War | |||||||
Turenne marching with his troops |
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Belligerents | |||||||
France | Austria Brandenburg-Prussia |
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Vicomte of Turenne | Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
30,000 soldiers | 50,000 soldiers |
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The Battle of Turckheim was a confrontation during the Franco-Dutch War fought on 5 January 1675 between the towns of Colmar and Turckheim in Alsace. The French army, commanded by the Viscount of Turenne, fought against the armies of Austria and Brandenburg, led by Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg.
Contents |
Prelude
The aggressive campaign of Louis XIV against the Netherlands, since 1672, had provoked a hostile reaction of other European states like Austria (who controlled the Holy Roman Empire) and Brandenburg.[1] Their intervention had brought the war into the upper Rhine, creating a threat to French territory. In 1674 Marshal Turenne, French commander in that sector, failed to prevent the invasion of Alsace by a part of the imperial army. With the arrival of year's end, the Imperials went into their winter quarters in the region of Colmar, a few miles south of the French winter barracks, situated in Haguenau.
According to the conventions of war at the time, the military operations should have been halted during the winter until the return of the spring.[2] Turenne, however, decided not to follow this custom. Using the Vosges mountains as a curtain of protection, he moved west and then south, reappearing in Belfort, south of his opponent, on 27 December 1674. Finding no resistance, he reached Mulhouse on the 29th. The highly surprised Imperials hastily fell back on Turckheim.
Battle
Turenne found the Imperial army very well positioned on the afternoon of 5 January 1675. The ensuing battle did not follow the standards of the 17th century. At the head of only a third of his army and marching with the left flank skirting the mountains, Turenne fell against the extreme right of the enemy. The speed of the attack (which was not preceded by artillery fire) and the numerical superiority concentrated on a single point, disrupted and demoralized the defenders, putting them to flight, retreating without many casualties.[citation needed]
Aftermath
Now, with their winter quarters threatened, Frederick William of Brandenburg's army was forced to leave Alsace, and the following week crossed the Rhine River, back into present-day Germany.[citation needed]
This campaign is considered one of the brightest of the 17th century. Here the Vicomte de Turenne, through two indirect maneuvers (one strategic and one tactical) saved France from invasion, suffering only negligible casualties.[citation needed]
Notes
- ^ Eggenberger 1985, p. 449.
- ^ Souza 2009, p. 120.
References
- Eggenberger, David (1985), An Encyclopedia of Battles, New York: Dover Publications
- Souza, Marcos da Cunha; et al. (2009), História Militar Geral I, Palhoça: UnisulVirtual
Further reading
- Berenger, Jean (1987), Turenne, Paris: Fayard