UID:
almafu_9960119140402883
Format:
1 online resource (xxvi, 267 pages) :
,
digital, PDF file(s).
Edition:
Rev. version in English translation.
ISBN:
9786610544950
,
1-280-54495-3
,
1-84615-026-4
Series Statement:
Warfare in history,
Uniform Title:
Slag der Guldensporen.
Content:
On 11 July 1302, below the town walls of Courtrai, the most splendid army of knights in Christendom, the flower of the French nobility, was utterly defeated by Flemish rebels, common workers and peasants. The French knights, products of a lifetime's training, were ably led; but so too were the Courtrai townspeople, in addition to being well-armed, and their victory, despite their lack of military skills (and golden spurs), put an end to the enduring myth of the invincibility of the knight. A French explanation of the terrible defeat was immediately given, intended to save the honour and pride of the French nobility; in Flanders the victory was glorified as a just reward for the bravery of the townsmen and the competence of their commanders. Unfortunately there were no impartial witnesses. Any account of the battle must therefore pay careful attention to the personalities of the chroniclers, their nationality, and their political and social leanings, as well as their personal sympathies. Verbruggen's study is prefaced by discussion of the problems of reconstruction and extensive consideration of the sources, showing the difficulties faced by medieval military historians in attempts to interpret them. He then offers his own account of the events of that dramatic day, a case study in the reconstruction of events in one of the greatest battles of the middle ages. J.F. VERBRUGGEN lectured at the Royal Military School in Brussels, and then taught in Africa, retiring as Professor of History, University of Congo, and University of Bujumbura (Burundi). He is also the author of 'The Art of Warfare in Western Europe'. Originally published in Dutch in 1954, translated and updated.
Note:
Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).
,
CONTENTS; LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; GENERAL EDITOR'S PREFACE; EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION TO THE 2002 EDITION; FOREWORD TO THE 1952 EDITION; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (TO THE 1952 EDITION); PREFACE: 'An almost impossible event . . .'; INTRODUCTION; Flanders at the End of the Thirteenth Century; The War; Philip the Fair: Prince of Flanders; Part One: Historiography and the Study of the Sources; 1. A Problem for Historical Methodology; Summary; 2. The Sources; The Emergence of Flemish and French Versions; The Sources of the French Version; The Sources of the Flemish Version
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Conclusion: the Flemish and French Versions; Part Two: Historical Overview of the 1302 Campaign; 3.The Terrain at Courtrai; The Battlefield According to Accounts of the Period; The Terrain According to Deeds, Records and Old Maps; General Conclusion on the Terrain; 4.The Two Armies; The Numerical Strength of the Two Armies; The Carved Flemish Chest at New College, Oxford, and the equipment and arms of the Flemish troops; 5. From the Bruges Matins to the Battle of the Spurs for freedom, equality and fraternity; The Strategic Problem; 6.11 July 1302; The Council of War Held in the French Camp
,
Preparations in the Flemish Army; The Battle Array Chosen by the French Forces; The Battle of the Crossbowmen; The Charge of the French Left Wing; The Charge of the French Right Wing; The Intervention of Jan van Renesse; The Charge Led by Robert d'Artois; Crisis and Conclusion; The Flight of the French Rearguard and the Pursuit; GENERAL CONCLUSION; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX
,
English
Additional Edition:
ISBN 0-85115-888-9
Additional Edition:
ISBN 0-585-49674-9
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1515/9781846150265
