Battle of Oudenaarde, 11 July 1708 (Belgium)
Battle during the War of the Spanish Succession. An allied army 30,000 strong with British, Hanovarian, Prussian and Dutch troops, led the the duke of Marlborough faced a French one of 40,000, besieging the town of Oudenaarde. Marlborough attacked as soon as his first troops were in position, and the French were trapped against two rivers, where neither side could use anything but their infantry. The French flanks collapsed, although their left wing was able to recover enough to allow some of the army to withdraw. The French lost 15,000 men, many to capture. The future George II of Britain was present at the battle and distinguished himself in the fighting.
How to cite this article:
Rickard, J. (28 October 2000), Battle of Oudenaarde, 11 July 1708, https://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_oudenaarde.html
Great and Glorious Days: Marlborough's Battles 1704-1709, James Falkner. This is a very tightly focused book, looking at the campaigns and battles fought by the Duke of Marlborough. While it does cover his entire life, the vast bulk of the book is devoted to the five years from Blenheim in 1704 to Malplaquet in 1709, looking at each major battle in great detail. [see more]
