The Battle of Rocroi 1643 (Paperback)

Alberto Raul Esteban Ribas

ISBN 10: 1915113970 / ISBN 13: 9781915113979

Edité par Helion & Company, Solihull, 2023

A propos de cet article

Paperback. The Battle of Rocroi (May 19, 1643) is famous for the French victory over the Spanish Tercios. The Duke of Enghien, only 21 years old, defeated a Spanish army commanded by Francisco de Melo. This victory has traditionally been attributed to the military genius of the young Duke, to the superiority of the French cavalry and to the decline of Spanish tactics: the Tercios were no longer invincible. Thus, the date of 1643 establishes a historical milestone, a paradigm shift in military history: the end of Spanish hegemony and the beginning of the French rise, the Grand Siecle of Louis XIV. But, beyond the military defeat of the Spanish army, the question posed in this book is to assess whether, in fact, the battle of Rocroi was the beginning of the decline of the Spanish hegemony, and of its military tactics and formations, the Tercios, who had fought and won in Europe for more than a century. This book analyzes the political-military context of the 1643 campaign: the tense relations between France and Spain throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, which led to the armed conflict that began in 1635, when Sweden showed signs of weakness in the Thirty Years' War, and Richelieu considered that it was necessary to act to prevent the triumph of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The French and Spanish armies are also analyzed in depth, their composition, units, tactics, etc. as well as Enghien and Melo's chain of command. The campaign of 1643, initiated by the Spanish, following the success of 1642 -which ended with the great Spanish victory at the Battle of Honnecourt (May 26, 1642)- began with errors, due to the great interest of General Melo to keep the secrecy of his campaign plan at all costs. That is why the Spanish army went to war with little artillery and few supplies, to advance quickly, but also to hide their intentions: either look for a pitched battle or look for a siege. In short, a victory that would allow the actions of the French in Catalonia to be aborted. Finally, the goal of the campaign became clear: to conquer Rocroi. When the French found out, Enghien quickly marched to relieve the place. Melo let the French approach without stopping it: since Fate had sent him a French army, he intended to defeat them in pitched battle, as at Honnecourt. But Melo's army was not complete: he lacked an army corps, under the command of Jean de Beck, of 3,000 men. In light of the chronicles, it seems that Melo deployed his army with the intention of showing his combat power, and not to fight, waiting for the arrival of Beck's troops. On the contrary, Enghien showed a brilliant initiative, with the firm will to win; and his strategy during the battle was very brilliant: defeat the flanks and then fall on the center of the Spanish deployment. But after the victory on the battlefield, comes the time for the chronicles, the reports, the propaganda. The King of France was a 4-year-old boy; his Spanish mother was regent, but questioned by the high nobility, like the minister Mazarin, hated by many. Rocroi's victory was a success to be proclaimed from the rooftops: a victory that would secure the new king. The book analyzes the real impact of the battle, the consequences for the theater of operations in Flanders, of the war between France and Spain, and of the effective predominance of one or another power in Europe. This is the key point of the book and of Rocroi's battle: a decisive military triumph or a propaganda success? I invite readers to discover it, reading the pages of the book, in an exciting journey through time to the battlefields of the 17th century. AUTHOR: Alberto Raul Esteban Ribas is a historian and economist. He has studied a doctorate in military history. He is a specialist in the military history of Spain, from the 16th-17th centuries. He has written several books on Spanish battles and military Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

N° de réf. du vendeur 9781915113979

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The Battle of Rocroi 1643 (Paperback)
• Éditeur: Helion & Company, Solihull
• Date de parution: 2023
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 1915113970
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9781915113979
• Reliure: Paperback
• État de l'article: new

A propos de ce titre

Synopsis

The Battle of Rocroi (19 May 1643) is famous for the French victory over the Spanish Tercios. The Duc d'Enghien, only 21 years old, defeated a Spanish army commanded by Francisco de Melo. The victory has traditionally been attributed to the military genius of the young Duke, to the superiority of the French cavalry and to the decline of Spanish tactics: the Tercios were no longer invincible. Thus, the date of 1643 established a historical milestone, a paradigm shift in military history: the end of Spanish hegemony and the beginning of the rise of France - the Grand Siècle of Louis XIV.

But, beyond the military defeat of the Spanish army, the question posed in this book is to assess whether, in fact, the battle of Rocroi was the beginning of the decline of the Spanish hegemony, and of its military tactics and formations; the Tercios, who had fought and been victorious in Europe for more than a century.

This book analyzes the military-political context of the 1643 campaign and the tense relations between France and Spain throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, which led to the armed conflict that began in 1635, when Sweden showed signs of weakness in the Thirty Years' War, and Richelieu considered that it was necessary to act to prevent the triumph of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The French and Spanish armies are also analyzed in depth, their composition, units, tactics, etc. as well as d'Enghien and Milo's chains of command.

The campaign of 1643 was initiated by the Spanish, following the success of 1642 which had ended with the great Spanish victory at the Battle of Honnecourt on 26 May. The campaign began with a series of errors, caused by General Melo's desperate need to keep his campaign plan secret at all costs. This is the reason the Spanish army entered the campaign with so little artillery and so few supplies, in order to be able move quickly, but also to hide their intentions: to seek either a pitched battle or a significant siege. In short, a victory that would force the French to abort their actions in Catalonia.

Eventually, the aim of the Spanish campaign became clear: to take Rocroi. When the French discovered Spanish intentions, d'Enghien moved quickly to the City's relief. Melo allowed the French to approach without stopping them: since Fate had sent him a French army, he intended to defeat it in a pitched battle, as at Honnecourt. But Melo's army was incomplete: he lacked a large division of his army - 3,000 men, under the command of Jean de Beck.

From the contemporary accounts, it appears that Melo deployed his army with the intention of displaying his strength, and not to fight, while awaiting the arrival of Beck's troops. By contrast, d'Enghien showed great initiative and the firm will to win. His strategy during the battle was brilliant: defeat the flanks and then fall on the center of the Spanish deployment.

After the victory on the battlefield came the time for the accounts, the reports, the propaganda... The King of France was a four-year-old; his Spanish mother was Regent, but was mistrusted by the senior nobility, and her first minister, Cardinal Mazarin, was hated by many of them. The victory of Rocroi was a success to be proclaimed from the rooftops: a victory that would secure the new king.

This book analyzes the real impact of the battle, the consequences for the theater of operations in Flanders, of the war between France and Spain, and of the effective pre-eminence of one or the other power in Europe. This is the key aspect of the book and of the Battle of Rocroi - was it a decisive military triumph or a propaganda success?

À propos de l'auteur

Alberto Raúl Esteban Ribas is a historian and economist. He has studied a doctorate in military history. He is a specialist in the military history of Spain, from the 16th-17th centuries. He has written several books on Spanish battles and military expeditions, as well as numerous articles for Spanish and international magazines. His current line of research focuses on the study of the Spanish armies and campaigns of the second half of the 17th century, considered the period of Spanish decline, and analyzing the reasons for such a situation.