Battle of Lens facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Battle of Lens

Part of the Thirty Years' War and the
Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)

The Grand Condé at the battle of Lens, 20 August 1648, victory over the Spanish troops commanded by archduke Leopold. Jean-Pierre Franque, 1841, Galerie des Batailles.

Date	20 August 1648
Location	Between Grenay and Liévin, west of Lens, Pas-de-Calais (France) 50°25′N 2°50′E / 50.417°N 2.833°E / 50.417; 2.833
Result	French victory

Belligerents

France

Spain

Commanders and leaders

Prince de Condé

Archduke Leopold Wilhelm

Jean de Beck (DOW)

Strength

16,000

7,000 infantry
9,000 cavalry
18 guns

18,000

9,000 infantry
9,000 cavalry
38 guns

Casualties and losses

1,500 killed or wounded

8,000

3,000 killed or wounded
5,000 captured
38 guns
100 flags

The Battle of Lens was a big fight that happened on August 20, 1648. It was a major victory for the French army, led by a brilliant general named Prince de Condé. They fought against the Spanish army, led by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm. This battle was part of the long and complicated Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), and it was one of the very last big battles of that war.

The French victory at Lens made Prince de Condé even more famous. People saw him as one of the best military leaders of his time. For several years before this battle, France had been winning many towns in northern France and the Spanish Netherlands (which is now Belgium and parts of the Netherlands).

In 1647, Archduke Leopold Wilhelm became the governor of the Spanish Netherlands. He wanted to make Spain's army stronger and started to fight back. His army successfully took back some fortresses like Armentières and Landrecies.

Prince de Condé was called back from another military mission to lead the French army. His army had about 16,000 soldiers. The Spanish army, led by the Archduke and General Jean de Beck, had 18,000 soldiers. Condé managed to capture the city of Ypres. But then, the Spanish-German force surrounded and attacked Lens. Condé decided to move his army to meet them.

In the battle, Condé tricked the Spanish army. He made them leave their strong position on a hilltop and come down to an open field. There, Condé used his well-trained cavalry (soldiers on horseback) to charge and defeat the Spanish cavalry. Even though the French soldiers in the middle of the battle faced heavy attacks, they held their ground. The French cavalry then surrounded the Spanish soldiers in the middle, who quickly gave up. The Spanish army lost about half of its soldiers, with many killed, wounded, or captured. They also lost all their cannons and flags. The French lost far fewer soldiers. This big French win helped lead to the signing of the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War. However, a civil war in France called the Fronde started soon after, which stopped France from fully taking advantage of their victory against Spain.

Why the Battle Happened
Getting Ready for Battle
- French Army's Plan
- Spanish Army's Plan
The Battle Begins
What Happened After
- Who Won and Who Lost
- Big Changes Because of the Battle
Images for kids
See also

Why the Battle Happened

Lens was a strong city in a historical area called Flanders, which is now part of northern France. The French army had captured Lens in 1647.

The Prince de Condé quickly came from Catalonia (a region in Spain) to Flanders. An army was put together from different parts of France. The French army had 16,000 soldiers: 7,000 foot soldiers (infantry) and 9,000 cavalry (soldiers on horseback), plus 18 cannons. The Spanish army was bigger, with 18,000 soldiers, split evenly between infantry and cavalry, and 38 cannons.

The Spanish army, led by Leopold, captured Lens on August 17.

Getting Ready for Battle

On August 20, the two armies lined up west of Lens. The Spanish army had a very strong defensive spot on high ground. Leopold Wilhelm didn't really want to fight a big battle that day because some of his cavalry regiments were away looking for food.

French Army's Plan

The French army was divided into different parts. Prince de Condé led the right side, which had many cavalry groups. The middle part had foot soldiers and some cavalry. Marshal Antoine Gramont led the left side, also with many cavalry groups. There was also a reserve group of cavalry. The French foot soldiers stood in lines, about eight rows deep. The cavalry groups had about 200 horsemen each. The French had 18 cannons.

Spanish Army's Plan

The Spanish army also put their foot soldiers in the middle and cavalry on the sides. The right side of the Spanish army had cavalry from a region called Wallonia. The middle was the strongest part, with many foot soldiers and cavalry led by Major General Jean de Beck. The left side had cavalry from Lorraine. General Beck made a mistake by putting too much cavalry in the middle and not enough on the right side. The Spanish foot soldiers stood in deeper lines, about 10 rows deep. Their cavalry groups were smaller than the French ones. Unlike the French, Spanish cavalry usually waited for the enemy to charge them, then fired their small guns (carbines) from close range. This was different from the French tactic of charging forward with swords.

The Battle Begins

The Battle of Lens. A painting from that time, showing the battle.

Condé saw how strong the Spanish position was and decided not to attack them directly. His army had been ready to fight all the day before and hadn't eaten. There was no food or water where they were, so he decided to pretend to retreat to a village a couple of hours away. There, he could get supplies and be in a good spot to stop the Spanish army if they moved. Some officers from Condé's army later said that Condé's retreat was actually a trick to make the Spanish come out into the open field for a fight.

Beck's Attack

At 5 a.m., the French cannons fired a few shots at the Spanish. Then, the French army started to move back, but they stayed in their battle formation. The right side of the French army was the last to move, acting as a "rearguard" to protect the retreat. Suddenly, General Beck's cavalry from Lorraine attacked the French rearguard, which was a bit separated. They quickly defeated them. Condé himself almost got captured or killed. But another French infantry regiment came to help and gathered the rearguard.

At 6:30 a.m., Beck told Archduke Leopold to attack quickly and crush the French. The Archduke was careful and at first refused, reminding Beck not to take risks. But Beck told him there was no risk on the open field. Other Spanish officers also told the Archduke that he was missing a chance to get revenge for their defeat at the Battle of Rocroi. So, the Archduke finally gave permission to start the battle. He then armed himself, spoke to his priest, and left the battlefield, leaving his army to fight without him.

Condé and Gramont ordered the main French army to turn around and get ready to fight. By 8 a.m., both armies were prepared. The French cannons were easy to move and fired while advancing, hitting the Spanish soldiers who were coming down the hill. The French foot soldiers and cavalry marched forward to the sound of trumpets and drums. Condé often stopped the advance to keep his lines straight and prevent his soldiers from getting too close together. The Spanish cannons had trouble hitting the French. The Spanish soldiers were marching downhill and getting into battle formation at the same time, which was very difficult.

Cavalry Fights on the Sides

Around 8:30 a.m., the Walloon cavalry on the Spanish right side, led by Bucquoy, were approached by Gramont's French cavalry. When they were very close, the Walloons fired their carbines (small guns), hitting many French soldiers in the first lines. But the next lines of French cavalry charged right through the Walloons, causing them to break apart and run away. Another group of Walloons tried to help, but a strong French cavalry charge defeated them too.

On the other side, Ligniville's cavalry from Lorraine moved forward to meet Condé's French cavalry. Both sides stopped at a distance where pistols could be fired. For a while, neither side moved. Before the battle, Condé had told his cavalry not to fire first. He wanted them to wait for the enemy to fire, then charge while the enemy was reloading. The Lorrainers eventually fired first, hitting many French soldiers. Condé then gave the signal for his cavalry to fire and then led a charge himself, crushing the Lorrainer cavalry in front of him. More French cavalry groups followed, defeating the rest of the Lorrainer line. The French cavalry reserve then came around the side, completely breaking the Lorrainer army.

The Fight in the Middle

At 9 a.m., the Spanish foot soldiers in the middle attacked strongly and broke through 4 of the 12 French infantry groups. Condé's order for his cavalry not to fire first was also taken seriously by the French musketeers (foot soldiers with guns). They also refused to fire until the enemy was very close. Some French regiments, like the French Guards, fired first, while others, like the Picardie regiment, waited longer. The French Guards and Scots Guard regiments were then surrounded and overwhelmed by Spanish infantry.

However, this didn't matter much because both of the Spanish cavalry groups on the sides were running away. The French soldiers in the middle regrouped around the Picardie regiment. The Spanish infantry was soon surrounded and attacked from all sides by the French cavalry and infantry, much like what happened at the Battle of Rocroi. But this time, the Spanish soldiers didn't fight to the very last man. Instead, the surrounded Spanish groups chose to give up.

What Happened After

Condé sent some cavalry and infantry to take the 5,000 to 6,000 captured Spanish soldiers to Arras and La Bassée. This took several trips, so the French army stayed near the battlefield for eight days, waiting for their escorts to return. Once the prisoners were safe, Condé's army joined another French force to attack the city of Furnes.

Who Won and Who Lost

About 3,000 of the Archduke's soldiers were killed or wounded, and 5,000 to 6,000 were captured. The Spanish also lost all 38 of their cannons, 100 flags, their portable bridges, and all their supplies. General Beck was captured, and Condé lent him a carriage to take him to Arras, where he died from his wounds ten days later. The French army lost about 1,500 soldiers who were killed or wounded.

Big Changes Because of the Battle

The year 1648 saw two important things happen because of the Battle of Lens. First, it made the French king's government (the Monarchy) tougher on the French courts (called parlements), leading to problems in Paris and a long fight. Second, and most importantly, the French victory helped end the Thirty Years' War.

At this time, other French and Swedish armies were threatening important cities like Vienna and Prague. The Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Ferdinand, and his ally, Maximilian of Bavaria, really wanted peace. Also, Philip IV of Spain had lost his main army at Lens. So, Emperor Ferdinand had no choice but to agree to peace.

He approved the peace proposals from France and Sweden. The final peace treaty, called the Peace of Westphalia, was signed on October 24, ending the Thirty Years' War. However, the war between France and Spain continued until the Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed on November 7, 1659. This later treaty made Lens and most of the Artois region part of France.

In the end, the French victory at Lens didn't lead to as many gains as it could have. A civil war in France, called the Fronde, started soon after. This gave Spain a chance to recover. A celebration in Paris for the Battle of Lens even ended in a riot, which led to the start of the revolt. In January 1649, the young King Louis XIV and his ministers had to flee Paris.