Battle of Rocroi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Rocroi |
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| Part of the Thirty Years' War Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) |
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 La Bataille de Rocroi by Sauveur Le Conte |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 France |
 Spanish Empire |
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| Strength | |||||||
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23,000 17,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 14 guns |
27,000 19,000 infantry 8,000 cavalry 18 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4,000 dead or wounded | 15,000
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The Battle of Rocroi took place on May 19, 1643. It was a very important battle during the Thirty Years' War. A young French army, led by the 21-year-old Duke of Enghien, fought against Spanish forces. The Spanish army was commanded by General Francisco de Melo.
This battle happened just five days after Louis XIV became king of France. His father, Louis XIII, had just passed away. The Battle of Rocroi broke the idea that the Spanish Tercios were unbeatable. These were scary Spanish infantry units that had been very strong for over 120 years. Many people see this battle as the end of Spain's military power. It also marked the start of France becoming the strongest country in Europe during the 1600s.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Since 1618, a big war called the Thirty Years' War had been going on in Germany. The Catholic Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs were fighting against Protestant states. In 1635, France joined the war. France was a Catholic country, but they were worried the Habsburgs would become too powerful. So, France declared war on the Habsburgs and Spain.
At first, France tried to invade the Spanish Netherlands but failed. They had to retreat back to their own borders. In December 1642, Cardinal Richelieu, who was a very important minister to King Louis XIII, died. Then, on May 14, 1643, King Louis XIII himself died. His four-year-old son, Louis XIV, became the new king.
Even though France was in a difficult situation, the new chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin, did not want to end the war. He kept up the military pressure on Spain in different areas. In May 1642, the Battle of Honnecourt had opened a path towards Paris for the Spanish. The famous Spanish Army of Flanders marched into northern France. They had 27,000 soldiers. Their goal was to ease the pressure on other Spanish territories.
Getting Ready for Battle
The Spanish troops, led by Francisco de Melo, began to surround the town of Rocroi. The Duc d'Enghien was the commander of a French army in Amiens. He was sent to stop the Spanish attack. Enghien was only 21 years old. But he had already shown he was a brave and smart commander. He also had good officers helping him, like Marshal Jean de Gassion.
The French forces in the area had about 23,000 soldiers. Enghien moved his army to meet de Melo's larger army. On May 17, Enghien learned that the king had died. But he kept this news a secret from his soldiers. He didn't want them to lose hope.
Enghien then heard that 6,000 more Spanish soldiers were coming to Rocroi. So, he rushed his army there on May 18. He decided to attack before the Spanish could get their reinforcements. His older commanders advised against it, but Enghien was determined. He led his army through a narrow path between woods and swamps. The Spanish had not blocked this path. That afternoon, the French set up their positions on a hill overlooking Rocroi.
When de Melo heard the French were coming, he decided to fight them. He thought his army was stronger than the French. So, the Spanish army lined up between the French and Rocroi. Both sides got ready for a big battle the next day. The Spanish expected to win easily. They hoped this victory would force France to make peace.
The French army was set up in two lines of infantry (foot soldiers) in the middle. Cavalry (horse soldiers) were on each side. A thin line of cannons was at the front. The Spanish army was set up similarly. But their infantry in the middle were in their traditional "tercio" squares. About 8,000 highly trained Spanish soldiers were at the front. Other hired soldiers were behind them. The two armies fired at each other a little on May 18. But the main battle didn't start until the next day.
The Battle Begins
The battle started early on the morning of May 19. It took place on open farmland in front of Rocroi. French cavalry attacked the Spanish left side first. The French horsemen on the right, led by Jean de Gassion, pushed back the Spanish cavalry they were fighting. Enghien quickly followed up. He charged the exposed Spanish left side. The Spanish horsemen ran away.
Enghien then moved against the best Spanish infantry. These soldiers were fighting the French infantry and winning. At the same time, the French cavalry on the left attacked the Spanish right side. They did this against Enghien's orders. They were pushed back. The Spanish then launched a counter-attack. It was very successful at first. But French reserve troops eventually stopped their advance. At this point, the French left side and center were in trouble.
The battle was still not decided. Both armies were doing well on their right side. But they were struggling on their left.
Enghien's Smart Move
Enghien knew his left and center were under pressure. But he decided not to pull them back. Instead, he chose to use his success on the right side. He ordered his cavalry to go around the Spanish army. They made a wide sweep and got behind the Spanish lines. Then, he attacked the back of the Spanish infantry in the center. After that, he crashed into the rear of the Spanish cavalry on the right side. This cavalry had been fighting his reserve troops.
This move was a complete success. When the Spanish cavalry scattered, their infantry was left alone. The Spanish cannon crews then ran away from the battlefield. The Spanish infantry was considered the best in Europe for over a hundred years. Now, they were surrounded on all sides. But they held their formations. They even pushed back two French cavalry attacks. Enghien gathered his cannons. He also used the Spanish cannons he had captured. He then fired non-stop at the Spanish squares.
The German and Walloon soldiers fighting for Spain gave up. They were overwhelmed and broken. But the experienced Spanish Tercios stayed on the field with their commander.
The End of the Battle
Even with heavy cannon fire, the Spanish soldiers did not break formation. Their commander, de Fontaines, died. But they still took more French cavalry attacks. Enghien was impressed by their bravery. He offered them terms to surrender. These terms were like those given to soldiers in a surrounded fort. The Spanish accepted.
However, when Enghien rode forward to accept their surrender, some Spanish soldiers thought it was a new French cavalry charge. They opened fire on him. Enghien was very angry at what seemed like a trick. The French attacked again. This time, they showed no mercy. The Spanish army was almost completely destroyed. Some Spanish reports say that only three of their five infantry groups were destroyed. They say the other two were allowed to leave with their flags and weapons.
French losses were about 4,000 soldiers killed or wounded. The Spanish commander Melo reported his losses to Madrid. He said 6,000 were killed or wounded and 4,000 were captured. This was two days after the battle. Estimates for the Spanish dead range from 4,000 to 8,000. Out of 7,000 Spanish infantry, only 390 officers and 1,386 regular soldiers escaped back to the Spanish Netherlands. Most of the soldiers who died were Spanish infantry. The cavalry and cannon crews were able to retreat. But they lost all their cannons.
What Happened Next
The French ended the siege of Rocroi. But they were not strong enough to take the fight into Spanish Flanders. The Spanish quickly regrouped and made their positions strong again. The year 1643 ended with no clear winner, which was a success for France.
However, the battle was very important for what it meant. This was because the Army of Flanders had such a high reputation. Melo, the Spanish commander, called it "the most important defeat there has ever been in these provinces."
This show of strength was important for France. In France, people saw it as a good sign for the new king's rule. It also made sure that Anne of Austria stayed powerful as the queen regent. She ruled for the four-year-old Louis XIV. It also secured the power of the new Prime Minister, Cardinal Mazarin. Both Richelieu and Louis XIII had not trusted Anne. But as regent, she kept Mazarin, who was Richelieu's student. This meant France's war plans stayed the same.
The battle also made the 21-year-old Enghien famous. His many victories later earned him the name "the Great Condé."
Outside France, the battle showed that France was still strong. This was true even with a four-year-old king. In the years that followed, power in Europe slowly moved from Spain to France. The absolute monarchy in France became stronger than the Spanish Empire. Mazarin managed to deal with problems at home. He slowly turned the tide against the Spanish in France and in the Low Countries. He made an alliance with England. They defeated the Spanish at the Battle of the Dunes in 1658. France then took Dunkirk. This led to the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. Even though Spain seemed very powerful in 1652, the peace agreement showed that Spain was losing its control over Europe by the late 1650s.
Rocroi in Movies
A Spanish movie from 2006, Alatriste, shows this battle in its final scene. The music in that scene is a funeral march called La Madrugá. It was written by Colonel Abel Moreno for the Holy Week in Seville. The band of the Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9 plays it. This regiment is the modern version of the "bloody Tercio" that fought in the battle. It is the oldest unit in the Spanish Army.
Museum Display
The old Spanish infantry general Paul-Bernard de Fontaines was from the Spanish Netherlands. The Spanish called him de Fuentes. He suffered from gout, a painful joint condition. He had to be carried into battle. He was killed there. His special chair was taken by the French as a prize. You can see it in the museum of Les Invalides in Paris. Enghien is said to have remarked, "If I had not won the day, I wish I had died like him."
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Rocroi para niños
