Battle of Fontenoy
The Battle of Fontenoy, fought on May 11, 1745, was a significant military engagement during the War of the Austrian Succession. In this battle, an allied force of approximately 50,000 troops, including British and Hanoverian soldiers led by the Duke of Cumberland, attempted to rescue the besieged city of Tournai from 52,000 well-prepared French forces commanded by Marshal Maurice, comte de Saxe. The French strategically fortified the town of Fontenoy and organized their defense with artillery and cavalry. Despite initial gains, the allied forces faced fierce resistance and ultimately retreated after suffering heavy casualties, including about 7,500 on each side, with around 2,500 deaths. The battle ended with French forces holding the field, marking a narrow victory for them. This victory allowed the French to capture Tournai and consolidate control over much of Flanders, demonstrating the strategic implications of the battle in the broader context of the conflict. The Battle of Fontenoy remains a notable event in 18th-century military history, illustrating the complexities of warfare during this period.
Battle of Fontenoy
Type of action: Ground battle in the War of the Austrian Succession
Date: May 11, 1745
Location: Five miles southeast of Tournai, Belgium
Combatants: 52,000 French vs. 50,000 allied British, Hanoverians, Dutch, and Austrians
Principal commanders: French, Marshal Maurice, comte de Saxe (1696–1750); Allied, William Augustus, duke of Cumberland (1721–1765)
Result: French victory over the allied forces, with both sides suffering heavy losses
On May 11, 1745, 50,000 allied troops unsuccessfully attacked 52,000 well-defended French in the town of Fontenoy. The French had besieged Tournai, and William Augustus, duke of Cumberland, was marching to its rescue from Brussels. To meet the allied attack, the French leveled the town of Fontenoy, then fortified and occupied it. Strategically placed redoubts blocked the course of the allied advance toward the town.
Two Dutch and Austrian frontal attacks on Fontenoy failed. Cumberland himself led the 15,000 British and Hanoverians against the well-prepared French left. They faced field artillery fire at their front and flanking sharpshooters from a wood. The British at first gained French ground but were turned back by cavalry. They retreated, reformed, and attacked again. French artillery, cavalry attacks, and the charge of the Irish brigade forced the retreat of the British-Hanoverian infantry, with 50 percent losses.
Both sides had casualties of about 7,500, of which 2,500 were deaths. The British withdrew in good order, making the French the narrow victors because they held the field.
Significance
The victory allowed French marshal Maurice, comte de Saxe, to capture Tournai and most of Flanders.
Resources
Browning, Reed. The War of the Austrian Succession. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993.
Charteris, Evan. William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland: His Early Life and Times (1721–1748). London: Arnold, 1913.
Skrine, Francis H. Fontenoy and Great Britain’s Share in the War of the Austrian Succession, 1741–1748. Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1906.