Battle of Almenar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Almenar
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 27 July 1710 Location hills of Almenar, near Balaguer (Catalonia), Spain Result Grand Alliance victory
Belligerents
Bourbon Spain	Habsburg Austria Kingdom of Portugal  Great Britain  United Provinces
Commanders and leaders
Francisco de Villadarias	Starhemberg Stanhope
Strength
22,000	24,000
Casualties and losses
1,300 dead or wounded 3,000 captured	400 dead or wounded

The Battle of Almenar was an important fight during the War of the Spanish Succession. This big war was about who would be the next king of Spain. The battle happened on July 27, 1710, near a town called Almenar in Catalonia, Spain.

In this battle, an army supporting Archduke Charles fought against the army of King Philip V. Archduke Charles was supported by a group called the Grand Alliance. This group included soldiers from Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Austria. King Philip V's army was made up of Spanish soldiers. The Grand Alliance won the battle, and King Philip's army had to retreat.

Why the Battle Happened

The War of the Spanish Succession had been going on for many years. It was a fight over who would rule Spain after the last king died without children. Two main people wanted the throne: Philip V and Archduke Charles.

By 1709, France, which supported Philip V, was very tired of the war. A very cold winter had caused food shortages. So, France had to pull some of its soldiers out of Spain. Even though the Grand Alliance won a big battle called Battle of Malplaquet, many soldiers died. This made people in Europe question if the war was worth it.

In Spain, Philip V's army had some wins. They recaptured Alicante and won a battle against British and Portuguese forces. Portugal then stopped fighting for a while.

Everyone wanted peace, but talks failed. The Grand Alliance wanted France to force Philip V to leave Spain. This was a big mistake. Many people in Britain, who paid for much of the war, were against it. Philip V was also more popular in Spain than Archduke Charles. So, the war continued.

In May 1710, Philip V's army, led by Villadarias, tried to capture Balaguer in Catalonia. Heavy rain stopped them the first time. But with more French soldiers, Philip's army grew to 26,000 men. They tried again in June.

The Allied commander, Starhemberg, became sick. This allowed Philip's army to take some small towns. After weeks of marching, the Allied forces came together. On July 27, Stanhope's soldiers joined Starhemberg's army on the hills of Almenar.

The Battle

The battle started late in the afternoon. Villadarias, the Spanish commander, began with a cavalry attack. Cavalry are soldiers who fight on horseback. At first, the Allied defenses seemed to break.

But the Spanish soldiers made a mistake. They chased after small groups of fleeing enemies. This gave the Allied forces time to get back into position.

On the Allied left side, British soldiers and dragoons (soldiers who ride horses but fight on foot) attacked. They were led by Stanhope and George Carpenter. This attack broke the right side of the Spanish army. The Spanish soldiers ran away, and their second line of defense also broke. The Austrians attacked at the same time, destroying the other part of the Spanish right side. King Philip V himself almost got captured!

Because the battle happened late in the day, the Allies could not chase the Spanish army very far. This allowed the Spanish soldiers to gather their scattered cavalry and regroup in the town of Zaragoza.

Aftermath

Soon after the battle, Villadarias was replaced as commander. The new commander was a French general named Marquis de Bay. Even though Philip's army was beaten, most of it was still together. The war would continue.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Almenar (1710) para niños