Battle of Stekene

Battle of Stekene
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 27 June 1703 Location Stekene, Spanish Netherlands, present-day Belgium Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	France Bourbon Spain
Commanders and leaders
Karel Willem Sparre	Charles la Mothe
Strength
7,000[1]	French soldiers: 2,500[1] Local farmers: 1,500-6,000
Casualties and losses
900–1,300 killed or wounded[2][1]	700 killed or wounded[1] 330 captured[a]

The Battle of Stekene took place on 27 June 1703, during the War of the Spanish Succession, when a Dutch force of 7,000 men, under Karel Willem Sparre, attacked the Franco-Spanish defensive that ran from Ostend to Antwerp. The lines at Stekene were defended by 2,500 French soldiers under La Mothe and 1,500 to 6,000 local Flemish farmers. After a 3-hour long battle, the French abandoned their posts, which allowed the Dutch to capture the defensive works. The Dutch then attacked and captured the village of Stekene itself where the local farmers fiercely resisted.

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