The Battle of Turckheim was a battle during the
Franco-Dutch War that occurred on 5 January 1675 at a site between the towns of
Colmar and
Turckheim
Turckheim (; Alsatian: Tercka; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
History
Archeological finds indicate the area was alrea ...
in
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 ...
. The French army, commanded by the
Viscount of Turenne, defeated the armies of
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
, led by
Alexander von Bournonville
Alexander von Bournonville, Alexander de Bournonville, Alexander II Hyppolite, Prince of Bournonville and third Count of Hénin-Liétard (Brussels, 5 January 1616 – Pamplona, 20 August 1690) was a Flemish military man. He held the titles of ...
and
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick William (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 – 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is ...
.
Prelude
The aggressive campaign of
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 ...
against the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, since 1672, had provoked a hostile reaction of other European states like
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
(who controlled 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 ...
) and
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...
. Their intervention had brought the war into the
upper Rhine
The Upper Rhine (german: Oberrhein ; french: Rhin Supérieur) is the section of the Rhine between Basel in Switzerland and Bingen in Germany, surrounded by the Upper Rhine Plain. The river is marked by Rhine-kilometres 170 to 529 (the ...
, creating a threat to French territory. In 1674
Marshal Turenne, French commander in that sector, failed to prevent the invasion 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 ...
by a part of the
Imperial Army. With the arrival of year's end in 1674, the
Imperials went into their winter quarters in the region of
Colmar, a few miles south of the French winter barracks, situated in
Haguenau.
According to the conventions of war at the time, the military operations should have been halted during the winter until the return of the spring.
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 ...
, however, decided not to follow this custom. Using the
Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...
mountains as protection, he moved west and then south, reappearing in
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Terri ...
, south of his opponent, on 27 December 1674. Finding no resistance, he
reached Mulhouse on the 29th. The surprised
Imperials hastily fell back on
Turckheim
Turckheim (; Alsatian: Tercka; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
History
Archeological finds indicate the area was alrea ...
.
Battle
Turenne and his 30,000 troops found the
Imperial Army well positioned with 30,000 to 50,000 men under the command of
Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick William (german: Friedrich Wilhelm; 16 February 1620 – 29 April 1688) was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia, thus ruler of Brandenburg-Prussia, from 1640 until his death in 1688. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he is ...
, on the afternoon of 5 January 1675. However, the Imperial forces had not yet gelled completely to be ready for battle. The ensuing battle did not follow the standards of the 17th century. Turenne feigned an attack from the center and then another from his right. With Imperial attention focused on these two parts of the front, Turenne led a third of his army on a march around to his left flank. This movement skirted the mountains and was hidden from view of the enemy because of the terrain.
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 ...
captured the small village of
Turckheim
Turckheim (; Alsatian: Tercka; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
History
Archeological finds indicate the area was alrea ...
. Frederick William attempted to retake the town, but he was defeated by heavy fire from French guns and an infantry charge. Turenne then fell on the extreme right of the enemy. The speed of the attack (which was not preceded by artillery fire) and the numerical superiority at this spot disrupted and demoralized the defenders, putting them to flight after suffering 3,400 casualties.
Aftermath
With their winter quarters now threatened, Frederick William's army was forced to leave
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 ...
, leaving at
Colmar 3,000 men sick or wounded,
[Périni, batailles françaises 6e série, p.13]
/ref> and sought the safety of Strasbourg where the army in the following week crossed the Rhine River
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
, back onto the right bank into present-day Germany.
This brief but famous winter campaign by Marshal Turenne is considered one of the brightest of the 17th century. Through two indirect maneuvers (one strategic and one tactical), he had saved France from invasion, suffering only negligible casualties.
Notes
References
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Turckheim
Conflicts in 1675
1675 in France
Turckeim
Turckeim
Turckheim
Turckheim (; Alsatian: Tercka; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.
History
Archeological finds indicate the area was alrea ...