Battle of Courtrai
The Battle of Courtrai, also known as the Battle of the Golden Spurs, took place on July 11, 1302, and was a significant conflict in the context of Flemish independence. Following the arrest of Guy of Dampierre, the Count of Flanders, King Philip IV of France aimed to suppress the growing unrest in the region. The battle unfolded when Robert of Artois, underestimating the well-organized Flemish townsmen, mistakenly believed they were an untrained peasant force. This miscalculation led to a disastrous French assault across challenging terrain, resulting in severe losses for the French knights, who were ambushed by the disciplined Flemish guildsmen wielding goedendags, effective weapons against heavily armored opponents.
The French forces were eventually forced to retreat, and many of their dead were stripped of gilded spurs, giving the battle its alternate name. The victory marked a pivotal moment in military history, highlighting the rising prominence of infantry over traditional knightly combat. The legacy of the Battle of Courtrai continues to resonate in Belgium, contributing to historical narratives around Flemish identity and independence, with the date of the battle commemorated as a national holiday in Flanders.
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Battle of Courtrai
Type of action: Ground battle in Flemish rebellion
Date: July 11, 1302
Location: Courtrai (also known as Kortrijk), later West Flanders Province, Belgium
Combatants: 7,400 Flemings vs. more than 11,000 French
Principal commanders:Flemish, various knights; French, Robert of Artois
Result: Unexpected defeat of French knights by Flemish infantry
After detaining the popular and independent-minded count of Flanders, Guy of Dampierre, French king Philip IV dispatched an army to Flanders to quell unrest. On July 11, 1302, Robert of Artois confronted Flemish townsmen on foot. Not understanding the strong sense of independence and civic pride that had developed within the disciplined urban guilds of Bruges, Ypres, and Ghent, he mistook his opponents for ill-disciplined, peasant infantry.
Without waiting for his French, Brabantine, Hainaut, and Luxembourgeois knights to fully assemble or for Genoese crossbowmen to weaken the enemy, Robert ordered an assault on what he thought were retreating Flemings. Unacquainted with the terrain, knights charged across marshland, which had been concealed with brush. Sinking into mud, they were decimated by Flemings with goedendags, spiked clubs used to unhorse knights and punch through armor.
Leading a second attack, Robert was pulled from his mount and killed. Brabantine and Hainaut forces withdrew without a fight, while the French were chased by victorious guildsmen. The dead were stripped of their gilded spurs, thus the engagement was dubbed the Battle of the Golden Spurs.
Infighting among the victors followed, and the triumph was not repeated.
Significance
Along with the Battle of Stirling Bridge, Courtrai was an early indicator of infantry’s enhanced status. Within a century, Bannockburn, Morgarten, and Crécy would thoroughly explode the myth of knightly invincibility.
Conflicts between Belgium’s linguistic groups, Flemings and French, are fueled by the memory of Courtrai, and the day on which the Flemish triumph occurred, July 11, is a Flemish national holiday.
Bibliography
Koch, H. W. Medieval Warfare. London: Bison, 1978.
Nicholas, D. Medieval Flanders. London: Longman, 1992.
Van Velthem, Louis. Documents Illustrating the History of Belgium. Brussels, Belgium: Foreign Ministry, 1978.