Battle of Elixheim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Elixheim
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date 18 July 1705 Location Eliksem, Brabant, present-day Belgium Result Grand Alliance victory
Belligerents
Grand Alliance:  England  Scotland  Dutch Republic  Austria	France
Commanders and leaders
Duke of Marlborough Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Comte de Noyelles Graf von Hompesch	Duke of Villeroi
Strength
14,000 (initially)	3,000–15,000
Casualties and losses
50–200	3,000

The Battle of Elixheim, fought on July 18, 1705, was an important event during the War of the Spanish Succession. It is also known as the Passage of the Lines of Brabant. In this battle, the Duke of Marlborough led his army to break through the French Lines of Brabant. These lines were a long series of defensive walls and trenches. They stretched for about 70 miles from Antwerp to Namur.

Even though Marlborough couldn't force a huge, decisive battle right away, breaking these lines was very important. It helped the Allied forces win the Battle of Ramillies the following year.

Preparing for Battle: The Prelude

At the start of the fighting season, the Duke of Marlborough tried to invade France. He planned to move his army up the Moselle valley. However, this plan didn't work out. His army ran low on supplies. Also, the French had a very strong defensive position near Sierck.

The Dutch government, called the States General, then called Marlborough back. This was because a French general, Marshall Villeroi, had attacked and captured the fortress of Huy. Villeroi was also threatening another city, Liège. Marlborough quickly rushed his army back to the Low Countries. This forced Villeroi to retreat behind his defenses. Marlborough then recaptured Huy. After that, he planned to break through the French lines. His goal was to force Villeroi into a major battle.

The Attack on Wangen Castle

On the evening of July 17, 1705, the day before the main battle, Dutch troops began their attack. These troops included 22 battalions (groups of soldiers) and 30 squadrons (groups of cavalry). They were led by generals Noyelles and Hompesch. Their target was Wangen Castle. This castle protected a bridge over the Gete river. It was also a key part of the French Lines of Brabant.

The Dutch soldiers moved forward in two groups. Each group had a smaller team of grenadiers (specialized soldiers) leading the way. The left group was supposed to attack the castle itself. They aimed for a stone bridge over the Gete river, near Nederhespen village. Sixty experienced grenadiers were ordered to take control of this bridge. Their plan was to then break through the French lines from the side. They would wait for more soldiers to arrive. The cavalry from the right group had to defeat the enemy dragoons (mounted soldiers) at Orsmael.

The attack started at 9 PM on June 16. But there were some problems. It took until 4 AM the next day for the first soldiers to reach the river. Still, the attack went well. The French had not scouted the area properly. They didn't even know the Dutch were coming. The castle, defended by only 30 French soldiers, was quickly captured. The French lines also didn't put up much of a fight. Noyelles' right group broke through the lines at Over- and Nederhespen without any fighting.

Breaking Through the Lines

On the evening of July 17, Marlborough sent Dutch troops south. These troops were led by Marshal Overkirk. This was a trick to make the French think the main attack was coming from that direction. Villeroi and 40,000 French soldiers followed them towards Namur.

Overnight, Marlborough secretly marched his English and Scottish troops north. They went to a small village called Eliksem (also known as Elixheim). There, they joined the Dutch troops under Noyelles. A cavalry battle then took place. Marlborough himself took part in this fight. The Allied forces managed to scatter the French cavalry. The French lost many soldiers.

The Dutch cavalry, led by Hompesch, then captured the French artillery (cannons). The French cavalry tried to fight back, with help from their infantry (foot soldiers). But a second charge from the Allies completely defeated them. Only the French infantry, led by Caraman, managed to avoid being totally destroyed. They formed squares and held their ground. Even though the Allied cavalry attacked them from all sides, they managed to retreat successfully. The Allies had broken through the French lines. When Villeroi realized this, he moved his army west. They retreated behind the Dyle river.

What Happened Next

Marlborough's soldiers were very tired. They had marched all night and then fought a tough battle. So, he couldn't chase the French army very quickly that day. But he still hoped to force Villeroi into a big battle.

A Dutch general named Slangenburg, who was famous for his bravery at the Battle of Ekeren, suggested something. He thought the Allies should advance to Leuven. Capturing Leuven was important for getting supplies to the Allied army. This would help them if they wanted to capture Brussels. It might also force Villeroi to fight. Marlborough liked this idea. But he told Slangenburg to convince Nassau-Ouwerkerk and Daniël van Dopff. These two generals were against the plan.

Slangenburg, however, couldn't convince them. Dopff argued that the troops were too tired. He also said it would be hard to build bridges over the Gete river in time. Marlborough didn't argue with Ouwerkerk and Dopff. Instead of going to Leuven, he made a wide move west of the lines. He had 80,000 troops. His goal was to cut Villeroi off from Brussels. But this caused problems with his supplies.

A month of frustrating movements followed. In early August, Marlborough made a final effort. He used wagons full of supplies so he wouldn't depend on his usual supply routes. This forced Villeroi's army to take a stand near Waterloo. In desperation, Marlborough ordered an attack on the French. The French were in strong defensive positions at the Dyle river. But the Dutch generals refused to approve the attack. Slangenburg was the most vocal. They believed the French army, with 70,000 soldiers, was too well dug in.

Marlborough then accused Slangenburg of blocking his plans. Slangenburg, in turn, questioned if Marlborough was fit to be the supreme commander. Disagreements between the Allied generals became so bad that it almost caused a political crisis between the Dutch Republic and England. Willem Buys helped calm things down. He promised Marlborough that Slangenburg would be removed from command, officially for health reasons. However, Marlborough's demand that the field deputies (Dutch officials who oversaw military decisions) also be sent home was rejected.

In the end, the Duke of Marlborough had to be satisfied with capturing the fortress of Leau. He also ordered the destruction of the Lines of Brabant between Leau and the Meuse.