Battle of Walcourt

Battle of Walcourt
Part of the Nine Years' War

Battle of Walcourt 1689
Date25 August 1689[1]
Location50°15′0″N 04°25′0″E / 50.25000°N 4.41667°E / 50.25000; 4.41667
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
 Dutch Republic
 England
 Scotland
 Holy Roman Empire
 Spain
 France
Commanders and leaders
Dutch Republic Prince of Waldeck
Dutch Republic Lord of Slangenburg
Dutch Republic Aylva
Kingdom of England Duke of Marlborough
Kingdom of France Duke of Humières
Kingdom of France Villars
Strength
30,000[2]-35,000[3] 24,000[4]-30,000[5]
Casualties and losses
~100–700 killed or wounded[6][7] 2,000[7]
600 killed
1,400 wounded or captured

The Battle of Walcourt was fought on 25 August 1689 during the Nine Years' War. The action took place near the ancient walled town of Walcourt near Charleroi in the Spanish Netherlands, and brought to a close a summer of uneventful marching, manoeuvring, and foraging. The battle was a success for the Grand Alliance – the only significant engagement in the theatre during the campaign of 1689.

The Allied army was commanded by the Prince of Waldeck; the French army by the duc de Humières. The battle incurred some 2,000 French casualties against the Allied losses of less than 700. The Allied victory had been an auspicious opening of the war for King William III and the Alliance, but for Humières, his military reputation received a fatal blow; in the following campaign of 1690, Humières was replaced by the duc de Luxembourg.

  1. ^ All dates in the article are in the Gregorian calendar (unless otherwise stated). The Julian calendar as used in England in 1689 differed by ten days. Thus, the battle of Walcourt was fought on 25 August (Gregorian calendar) or 15 August (Julian calendar). In this article (O.S) is used to annotate Julian dates with the year adjusted to 1 January. See the article Old Style and New Style dates for a more detailed explanation of the dating issues and conventions.
  2. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog, p. 192
  3. ^ Chandler: Marlborough as Military Commander, p. 30.
  4. ^ Chandler: Marlborough as Military Commander, p. 30.
  5. ^ Van Nimwegen: De Veertigjarige Oorlog, p. 192
  6. ^ Chandler: Marlborough as Military Commander, p. 32. Chandler states less than 100; Churchill states 300.
  7. ^ a b Childs 1991, p. 123.