Battle Of Roucoux
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Battle of Rocoux took place on 11 October 1746 during the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
, at Rocourt (or Rocoux), near
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
in the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as ...
, now modern
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. It was fought between a French army under Marshal Saxe and a combined British, Dutch, German and Austrian force led by Charles of Lorraine, John Ligonier and Prince Waldeck. Despite a series of victories in
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, by 1746 France was struggling to finance the war, and opened bilateral peace negotiations with Britain at the
Congress of Breda The Congress of Breda, also known as the Breda peace talks, were a series of bilateral negotiations between Great Britain and France, held in the Dutch city of Breda from 1746 to 1748. The discussions led to the agreement of terms that later be ...
in August. While Rocoux confirmed French control of the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...
, Saxe failed to achieve a decisive victory, and the two armies went into winter quarters to prepare for a new campaign in 1747.


Background

When the
War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...
began in 1740, Britain was still fighting the
War of Jenkins' Ear The War of Jenkins' Ear was fought by Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and History of Spain (1700–1808), Spain between 1739 and 1748. The majority of the fighting took place in Viceroyalty of New Granada, New Granada and the Caribbean ...
with
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
; from 1739 to 1742, the main area of operations was in the
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. British and Dutch troops initially fought as part of the
Pragmatic Army The Pragmatic Army was an army which served during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was formed in 1743 by George II, who was both King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, and consisted of a mixture of British, Hanoverian, Dutch and Au ...
; it was not until March 1744 that France formally declared war on Britain, while the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...
officially remained neutral until 1747. French victory at Fontenoy in April 1745 was followed by the capture of the key ports of
Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
,
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
and Nieuwpoort, while the
1745 Jacobite Rising The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...
forced Britain to transfer troops to Scotland. In the first months of 1746, the French took
Louvain Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the sub-municipalities of ...
,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
and
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
; bolstered by these successes, Foreign Minister d'Argenson sent peace proposals to Britain. Despite their victories in
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, the French had failed to achieve a decisive result, while the British still hoped to retrieve their position. With the defeat of the Rising in April,
Earl Ligonier Earl Ligonier was a title that was created twice in British history, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of Great Britain on 10 September 1766 in favour of the French ...
returned from Scotland to assume command of the Hanoverian and British troops. By now, only British subsidies kept their allies in the war; Austria's top priority was to regain
Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
from
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
and they acquired the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...
in 1713, only because neither the British or Dutch would allow the other to control it. The Dutch also wanted peace, since the fighting badly affected trade and these factors played an important role in the 1746 campaign.


Battle

Often referred to as
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, the
Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...
was a compact area 160 kilometres wide, the highest point only 100 metres above sea level, and dominated by canals and rivers. Until the 19th century, commercial and military goods were largely transported by water and wars in this theatre generally fought for control of rivers such as the Lys,
Sambre The Sambre () is a river in northern France and in Wallonia, Belgium. It is a left-bank tributary of the Meuse, which it joins in the Wallonian capital Namur. The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne department. ...
and
Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...
. Between February and July 1746, the French took
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...
and
Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...
, then moved onto towns along the Meuse, beginning with
Charleroi Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...
(see Map). In mid-July, the
Pragmatic Army The Pragmatic Army was an army which served during the War of the Austrian Succession. It was formed in 1743 by George II, who was both King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, and consisted of a mixture of British, Hanoverian, Dutch and Au ...
prepared to defend
Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...
; leaving the
Prince de Conti Prince of Conti (French: ''prince de Conti'') was a French noble title, assumed by a cadet branch of the princely house of Bourbon-Condé. History The title derives its name from Conty, a small town in northern France, c. 35 km southwest of ...
to finish with Charleroi, Saxe cut their supply lines, forcing them to retreat. By late September, Namur had fallen and the Allies moved to protect
Liège Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
, the next town on the Meuse. Most estimates of the numbers suggest between 70,000 and 75,000 Allied troops faced a French force of 110,000 to 120,000. Anchored on the left by the Liège suburbs, the Allied line ran through Rocoux to the River
Jeker The Jeker (; , ) is a river in Belgium and in the Netherlands. It is a left-bank tributary to the river Meuse. The source of the Jeker is near the village of Geer, in the Belgian provinces, Belgian province of Liège (province), Liège. The river ...
; the Dutch under Waldeck held the left, the British and Germans in the centre and the Austrians, who formed the largest part of the army, on the right. The Allied position was divided by several rivers and deep
ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...
s, making the movement of troops across it almost impossible; in the ensuing battle, this meant the Austrians played little part in the heavy fighting which took place on the Allied left and centre. French cavalry made contact with the Austrian outposts around 18:00 on 10 October, then halted for the night, and camped outside Liège. Knowing they were substantially outnumbered, Charles of Lorraine ordered the baggage train across the Meuse to allow an orderly retreat, and Ligonier's troops fortified the villages of Rocoux, Varoux and Liers. Saxe decided to attack the Allied left and centre, leaving a small screening force to pin down the Austrians on the right. A night of heavy rain was followed by thick mist and so the French did not begin the battle until the weather cleared around 10:00 am, when their artillery opened fire on the British and Dutch positions. At the same time, two columns led by
Clermont-Tonnerre The House of Clermont-Tonnerre is a French noble family, members of which played some part in the history of France, especially in Dauphiné, from about 1100 to the French Revolution (1789–99). History Sibaud, lord of Clermont in Viennois, wh ...
and Lowendahl prepared a frontal attack. After the Liège authorities opened the town gates, a third column under de Contades moved through the town and outflanked Waldeck, who re-aligned his troops to face this threat. Completing these movements delayed the main French assault until 15:00 and the Dutch put up strong resistance, particularly around the village of Ance, which they finally lost after two hours of heavy fighting.''Gentleman's Magazine'' Vol. XVI, 1746, page 542 Counter-attacks by the Dutch cavalry eventually allowed their infantry to pull back in good order. Waldeck took up a new position behind the road to
Tongeren Tongeren (; ; ; ) is a city and former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital wit ...
which he hoped to retain. The order in which his troops had been withdrawn gave him some cause for confidence. A second French attack was made against the British-German troops in the centre, who were driven out of their fortified positions in Rocoux and Vercoux, before regrouping further back. Although Von Zastrow retained Liers, British and German infantry withdrew towards the Meuse, covered by the Austrians, who had not been directly engaged. Now that Waldeck was in danger of being cut off from the right wing, he too had to decide to retreat and abandoned his new positions. George II later criticised Charles of Lorraine for allegedly failing to support the British and Dutch, but Ligonier said he had acted in accordance with the plan agreed by the Allied leadership the night before. Saxe decided it was too late in the day to continue the attack, allowing his opponents to retreat with little interference. The British, Germans and Dutch crossed the Meuse on three
Pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, is a bridge that uses float (nautical), floats or shallow-draft (hull), draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the support ...
s, while the Austrians withdrew over the Jeker, before heading for Maastricht. Estimates of casualties vary, French losses being around 3,000 to 4,000 killed or wounded, those of the Allies between 8,000 and 10,000, including 3,000 prisoners.


Aftermath

Although Rocoux led to the capture of Liège, and opened the way for an attack on the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...
, a well-organised retreat conducted by the Allies prevented Saxe from achieving a decisive victory. Led by the Marquis de Puisieux, France began bilateral negotiations with Britain at
Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...
in August 1746. These proceeded slowly, since the British envoy Lord Sandwich was under instructions to delay, hoping their position in Flanders would improve. In the January 1747 Hague Convention, Britain agreed to fund Austrian and Sardinian forces in Italy, and an Allied army of 140,000 in Flanders, increasing to 192,000 in 1748. However, by late 1746, Austrian forces had expelled Spanish Bourbon troops from Northern Italy and neither France nor Spain could afford to continue funding their campaign. With the removal of this threat,
Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...
wanted peace to restructure her administration and allegedly used her British subsidies to pay for infrastructure projects in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. Hoping to retrieve the position in Flanders, the
Duke of Newcastle Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne was a title that was created three times, once in the Peerage of England and twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first grant of the title was made in 1665 to William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle, Willi ...
persuaded his allies to make another attempt, which ended with defeat at Lauffeld in July 1747.


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{cite book, last=White, first=Jon, title=Marshal of France: The Life and Times of Maurice de Saxe, year=1962, edition=2011, publisher=Literary Licensing, isbn=978-1258033590 Rocoux Rocoux Rocoux Rocoux Rocoux Rocoux Rocoux 1746 in the Holy Roman Empire 1746 in the Habsburg monarchy 1746 in France 1746 in Great Britain History of Liège