Malplaquet

Malplaquet 

a village in Belgium near Mons and Valenciennes; near Malplaquet on Sept. 11, 1709, during the War of the Spanish Succession, there was a major encounter battle between the French Army of Marshal C. de Villars (90,000 men) and the combined English, Austrian, and Dutch forces under Prince Eugene of Savoy and the duke of Marlborough (117,000 men).

Savoy was able to envelop the left flank of the French Army and draw its reserves off in that direction. Then the allies attacked the center and right flank of the French, and the French, who lost 14,000 men, were forced to retreat toward Valenciennes. The allies soon (in October 1709) took the important fortress at Mons. The battle of Malplaquet was a typical battle of the period when linear tactics prevailed; it serves as an example of Savoy’s skill as a military leader.