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Gentlemen of the French Guards, fire.

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Title
Gentlemen of the French Guards, fire.
Description
Battle of Fontenoy
Subject
Publisher
Date
1745-05-11
Scenario#
SP05
Location
Tournai, Belgium
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Battle of Fontenoy was a major engagement of the War of the Austrian Succession, fought on 11 May 1745, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) outside Tournai, Belgium. A French army of 50,000 under Marshal Saxe defeated a Pragmatic Army [a] of 52,000, led by the Duke of Cumberland. Along with his son the Dauphin, Louis XV of France was present and thus technically in command, a fact later used to bolster the regime's prestige. At the end of 1744, the French were struggling to finance the war but held the initiative in the Austrian Netherlands. This offered the best opportunity for a decisive victory, and in late April 1745 they besieged Tournai. Its position on the upper Scheldt made it a vital link in the North European trading network, and Saxe knew the Allies would have to attempt its relief.
Narrative Source
Combatants
Great Britian, Dutch, Holy Roman Empire
France

Geolocation