The Battle of Ortenbach, also known as the Battle of Gengenbach, took place on 23 July 1678 during the closing stages of the 1672-1678
Franco-Dutch War, in the modern German state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
. It featured a French army commanded by
François de Créquy
François de Blanchefort de Créquy, later Marquis de Marines, 2 October 1629 to 3 February 1687, was a 17th-century French noble and soldier, who served in the wars of Louis XIV of France.
He came from a powerful and well-connected family, hi ...
and an
Imperial force under
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (french: Charles Léopold Nicolas Sixte; german: Karl V Leopold; 3 April 1643 – 18 April 1690) succeeded his uncle Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine as titular Duke of Lorraine and Bar in 1675; both duchies wer ...
.
While in reality a skirmish, rather than a battle, Ortenbach was part of a series of events that enabled the French to secure
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
and capture both
Kehl
Kehl (; gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Kaal) is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg, with which it shares some municipal servicesfor exa ...
and the crossing over the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
near the Imperial city of
Strasbourg. The war ended in January 1679 when France and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
signed the
Treaty of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Repub ...
; Strasbourg was annexed by France in 1681.
Background
In the 1667-1668
War of Devolution
In the 1667 to 1668 War of Devolution (, ), France occupied large parts of the Spanish Netherlands and Franche-Comté, both then provinces of the Holy Roman Empire (and properties of the King of Spain). The name derives from an obscure law know ...
, France captured most of the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...
and
Franche-Comté, before the
Triple Alliance of the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, England and
Sweden forced them to relinquish most of these gains in the 1668
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Angered by what
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Ver ...
viewed as Dutch ingratitude for previous French support, in May 1672 French forces invaded the Dutch Republic.
They initially seemed to have achieved an overwhelming victory but by late July, the Dutch position had stabilised and they received support from
Brandenburg-Prussia,
Emperor Leopold
Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; hu, I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria An ...
and the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. This was formalised by the August 1673 Treaty of the Hague, which opened a new front in the
Rhineland
The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section.
Term
Historically, the Rhinelands ...
; despite being outnumbered, poor co-ordination between the Imperial armies and the skill of
Turenne
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the ...
's skill allowed the French to retain the vital territory of
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
.
Turenne's death at Salzbach in 1675 forced the French onto the defensive and in September 1676, the Imperialists regained
Philippsburg
Philippsburg () is a town in the district of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
History
Before 1632, Philippsburg was known as "Udenheim".
The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371–1718. The town is named after ...
and control of the Rhine crossing at Strasbourg. During 1677, the new French commander
de Créquy prevented them invading Alsace by astute manoeuvring; he won a minor battle at
Kochersberg
The Kochersberg () is a natural region of the French département of Bas-Rhin in Alsace and is a part of the hills found along the eastern side of the Vosges mountains. It gave its name to the Communauté de communes du Kochersberg, a cooperation o ...
in October and then captured
Freiburg im Breisgau.
With peace negotiations nearing completion at
Nijmegen, Louis planned a rapid campaign in March and April 1678 to strengthen his position in the
Spanish Netherlands
Spanish Netherlands (Spanish: Países Bajos Españoles; Dutch: Spaanse Nederlanden; French: Pays-Bas espagnols; German: Spanische Niederlande.) (historically in Spanish: ''Flandes'', the name "Flanders" was used as a ''pars pro toto'') was the H ...
, remaining on the defensive elsewhere. De Créquy was instructed not to seek battle and ensure the retention of Freiburg; despite his successful defence of Alsace, Louis had limited confidence in him due to his defeat at
Konzer Brücke in 1675 and subsequent loss of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
. While an apparently minor defeat, it clearly rankled, since it was specifically mentioned in the eulogy delivered at Louis' funeral in 1715.
In the spring of 1678, de Créquy concentrated his forces at
Scherwiller, where he was reinforced by the Army of the Moselle under
Schomberg.
Charles of Lorraine began assembling an army of 30,000 outside
Offenburg
Offenburg ("open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrative capital ...
, intending to re-capture Freiburg and in late June, de Créquy sought to divert him by moving against
Rheinfelden, now in Switzerland. Charles despatched
Starhemberg
The House of Starhemberg is the name of an old and distinguished Austrian noble family originating from Upper Austria, specifically Steyr and Steinbach. Members of the family played important political role within the Holy Roman Empire and ...
and 7,000 men to its relief but the French caught them crossing the river, inflicting 3,000 casualties, many drowned, and taking 800 prisoners. After this success, Louis gave de Créquy permission to attack the main Imperial force, if he saw an opportunity to do so.
The battle
Throughout the war, the logistics support designed by
Louvois allowed French armies to move faster and open campaigns much earlier, even during the winter, when armies traditionally halted operations due to lack of forage for cavalry and transport. This was enhanced by a systematic policy of denying supplies to the enemy through blockades and the destruction of towns, villages and farms.
Their comparative advantage was particularly marked in the Rhineland, due to the weakness of the Imperial system and their armies' dependence on proximity to the Rhine for resupply. In May 1677, the English envoy in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
reported Charles of Lorraine was short of ammunition and his troops unable to survive more than three days away from the river.
In the 1677 campaign, the Imperialists sustained severe losses from disease and hunger due to the strain placed on their supply lines by constant marching and counter-marching; Freiburg was captured in November because they were incapable of defending it. De Créquy now repeated this strategy; leaving
Choiseul at Rheinfelden to reduce the remaining Imperial strongpoints and burn down
Bad Säckingen
Bad Säckingen ( High Alemannic: ''Bad Säckinge'') is a rural town in the administrative district of Waldshut in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is famous as the "Trumpeteer's City" because of the book ''Der Trompeter von Säckin ...
, he returned to
Bad Krozingen
Bad Krozingen (; Alemannic: ''Bad Chrotzige'') is a spa town in the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 15 km southwest of Freiburg. In the 1970s, the previously independent villages Biengen, H ...
, 15 kilometres south-west of Freiburg. By mid July, most of the Imperial army was spread out between the villages of
Gengenbach
Gengenbach (; gsw, label=Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic, Gängäbach) is a town in the Ortenaukreis, district of Ortenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and a popular tourist destination on the western edge of the Black Forest, with about 11,0 ...
and
Lahr
Lahr (officially Lahr/Schwarzwald since 30 September 1978) (); gsw, label= Low Alemannic, Lohr) is a town in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany, approximately 50 km north of Freiburg im Breisgau, 40 km southeast of Strasbourg, and 95&nb ...
, with forward elements at
Denzlingen
Denzlingen is a municipality in the district of Emmendingen, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated north of Freiburg.
Geography
Denzlingen is located in the Upper Rhine Valley (''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'') at the edge of the Black F ...
(see Map).
As in the previous year, the Imperial army began to disintegrate due to disease and desertion forcing Charles to withdraw behind the
Kinzig, a tributary of the Rhine providing a natural defence barrier in front of Offenburg. On 23 July, the French attempted to cross it but were prevented from doing so by the Imperial cavalry; this is the encounter known as the ''Battle of Ortenbach.'' Charles refused to commit his forces to a general engagement and retreated to
Oberkirch but at the price of being cut off from the Rhine; on 27 July, de Créquy captured Kehl, its bridge over the Rhine and the associated fort of Etoile.
Both the Dutch Republic and Spain had ended the war by mid-August but Emperor Leopold continued to delay in the hope of regaining some of his losses. Charles crossed back onto the left back of the Rhine at Philippsburg but found de Créquy once again blocking his advance. In late September, he admitted defeat and withdrew to the
Electoral Palatinate
The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...
, which ended the campaign.
Aftermath
In the January 1679
Treaty of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Repub ...
, France retained Kehl and Freiburg-im-Breisgau; Emperor Leopold then further damaged relationships with his German allies by unsuccessfully demanding he be granted the
Free Imperial Cities
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
of Gengenbach,
Zell-am-Harmersbach and Offenburg as 'compensation.'
As the entry point into Alsace, Louis decided Strasbourg had to be annexed; de Créquy's 1678 campaign allowed him to blockade the city if needed and on 30 September 1681, French troops occupied the city.
[ Lynn,John p. 163.] French possession of Strasbourg was confirmed by the 1697
Treaty of Ryswick
The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the 1688 to 1697 Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Gran ...
but in return they withdrew from territories on the right bank of the Rhine, including Kehl and Freiburg.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Ortenbach
Conflicts in 1678
Ortenbach
Ortenbach
1678 in France
Battle of Ortenbach
The Battle of Ortenbach, also known as the Battle of Gengenbach, took place on 23 July 1678 during the closing stages of the 1672-1678 Franco-Dutch War, in the modern German state of Baden-Württemberg. It featured a French army commanded by Fr ...
Ortenbach
Franco-Dutch War