Battle of Gravelines
The Battle of Gravelines took place on July 13, 1558, during the broader context of the Franco-Spanish conflicts. It involved Count Lamoral of Egmont’s army, which was a diverse coalition of troops including Germans, Flemish militiamen, and Spanish and Netherlander heavy cavalry, confronting French forces led by Marshal Paul de Termes. The French were returning to Calais after a raid on Dunkirk when they were unexpectedly attacked. The battle was marked by intense fighting; however, the French forces were ultimately undermined by the surrender of their German allies, triggered by the arrival of English warships that bombarded them from the beach. This defeat resulted in significant casualties for the French, with many troops killed and others, including Termes, captured.
The outcome of the battle was notable not only for the immediate military implications but also for its role in shaping diplomatic relations, as it influenced King Henry II of France to initiate negotiations that would lead to the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559. The battle effectively balanced the previously secured French victory at Calais six months prior.
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Battle of Gravelines
Type of action: Ground battle in the Valois-Habsburg War
Date: July 13, 1558
Location: On the coast north of Gravelines in Flanders (northwestern France)
Combatants: 12,000 Spanish (Habsburgs) vs. 10,500 French (Valois)
Principal commanders:Spanish/Imperialist, Count Lamoral of Egmont (1522–1568); French, Marshal Paul de Termes
Result: Spanish defeated French
On July 13, 1558, Count Lamoral of Egmont’s army caught up to the French, who were returning to Calais after raiding Dunkirk to the north. His army was a heterogeneous mix of Germans, Flemish militiamen, and Spanish and Netherlander heavy cavalry. The French forces included French heavy cavalry and companies of French and German infantry. The arrival of enemy forces surprised Marshal Paul de Termes, and he was forced to form battle lines with a deep river at his back and the sea on his right flank. Hard fighting by the French forces in their center and left was undone by the quick surrender of the German companies on the right, caused by the arrival of a squadron of English ships off the beach, which blasted the Germans with their heavy guns. About half of the French troops were killed, and most of the rest, including Termes, were captured. Because Egmont’s army had been hastily assembled and lacked equipment and supplies, he decided not to push on to poorly defended Calais.
Significance
The French defeat at Gravelines balanced their victory at Calais six months earlier and helped persuade Henry II of France to begin the negotiations that resulted in the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (April, 1559).
Bibliography
Baumgartner, Frederic. Henry II King of France. 1988. Reprint. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1996.
Knecht, R. J. French Renaissance Monarchy: Francis I and Henry II. New York: Longman, 1996.
Oman, Charles. A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. 1937. Reprint. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1999.