On 11 July 1708 the Anglo-Dutch army of the Duke of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy defeated the French under the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Vendôme at Oudenaarde, in the Spanish Netherlands. The French withdrew in disorder toward Ghent.
A flanking move
A flanking move decided the battle: an Allied cavalry advance got behind the French right. Army sizes differ widely between sources; the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum gives about 100,000 French against Marlborough's 90,000.1
The French lost about 15,000 men, many of them captured. According to the museum, 8,000 of them were prisoners, and the French also lost 25 guns, while Allied casualties numbered fewer than 3,000.2
Afterwards
Only the coming of darkness prevented an even heavier French defeat. The Allies went on to besiege Lille.3
Also on this day
1861: Battle of Rich Mountain. In western Virginia, Union troops under George McClellan outflanked a small Confederate force on Rich Mountain early in the American Civil War.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Oudenarde?
It was fought on 11 July 1708 near Oudenaarde, in the Spanish Netherlands, now Belgium, during the War of the Spanish Succession.
Who won the Battle of Oudenarde?
The Anglo-Dutch army under Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy defeated the French under the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Vendôme.
What did the French lose?
About 15,000 men, many of them captured; the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum counts 8,000 prisoners.
Notes
A number in the text points to a note; each note names the works that paragraph draws on, listed in full under Sources.
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