Battle of Höchstädt

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Höchstädt
partof=the War of the Spanish Succession
date=September 20, 1703
place=Höchstädt in Bavaria
result=French victory
combatant1=flag|Holy Roman Empire Austria
combatant2=flagicon|France|restauration [George Ripley, Charles Anderson Dana, "The American Cyclopaedia", New York, 1874, p. 250, "...the standard of France was white, sprinkled with golden fleur de lis...". * [http://www.anyflag.com/history/fleur23.htm] The original Banner of France was strewn with fleurs-de-lis. * [http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgdisplaylargemeta.cfm?strucID=585779&imageID=1236061&parent_id=585395&word=&s=&notword=&d=&c=&f=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&lword=&lfield=&num=0&imgs=12&total=98&pos=1&snum=] :on the reverse of this plate it says: "Le pavillon royal était véritablement le drapeau national au dix-huitième siecle...Vue du chateau d'arrière d'un vaisseau de guerre de haut rang portant le pavillon royal (blanc, avec les armes de France)." [http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Flag] from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: "The oriflamme and the Chape de St Martin were succeeded at the end of the 16th century, when Henry III., the last of the house of Valois, came to the throne, by the white standard powdered with fleurs-de-lis. This in turn gave place to the famous tricolour."] Kingdom of France
flagicon|Bavaria Electorate of Bavaria
commander1=flag|Holy Roman EmpireLimburg Styrum
flag|Holy Roman Empire Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau
commander2=flagicon|France|restauration Claude de Villars
flagicon|Bavaria Maximilian II Emanuel
strength1=16,000
strength2=24,000
casualties1=5,000 dead, wounded and (mainly) prisoners.
casualties2=1,000 dead or woundedThe first Battle of Höchstädt was fought on September 20, 1703, near Höchstädt in Bavaria, and resulted in a French-Bavarian victory under Marshal Villars against the Austrians under General Limburg Styrum.

Prelude

On September 5, the main force of the Imperial Army under Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden had taken the free city of Augsburg, threatening Bavaria from the west. Louis of Baden had left a force of 16,000 men under Styrum north of the Danube river, which moved east and reached Höchstädt on September 19. Villars and Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria moved their army of 17,000 to intercept this force, ordering another French force of 7,000 men under d'Usson near Dillingen to attack from the rear.

The Battle

This plan almost failed as d'Usson attacked too soon and his army, inferior in numbers, was pushed back by Styrum.But Villars and Maximilian Emanuel arrived just in time, falling upon the Imperial army, before it could adjust its positions. It was only thanks to the tremendous resistance of the rearguard under Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau that Styrum could save his army and reach Nordlingen.

The Austrians lost 5000 men, mostly prisoners, 37 cannons and the entire army train. The French and Bavarians lost a 1000 men.

A year later, the Second Battle of Höchstädt was fought, known in English mainly as Battle of Blenheim.

External links

* [http://www.datenmatrix.de/projekte/hdbg/karten/index_extern.shtml Maps of the battle] de icon