Battle of Dreux
| date | December 19, 1562 |
|---|---|
| place | Dreux , France |
| output | Victory of the Catholics |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
|
french catholic army |
french reformed army |
| Commander | |
|
François de Lorraine, duc de Guise |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 16,000 men, 22 cannons | 8,000 men, 5,000 mounted men |
The Battle of Dreux (also known as “Battle of Blainville ” in Switzerland ) took place on December 19, 1562 as part of the French Huguenot Wars between the armies of the Catholic and Reformed parties and ended with a victory for the Catholics. The Catholic army was commanded by the so-called triumvirate consisting of the Duke of Guise , the Konnetabel de Montmorency , and the Marshal de St. André . The Protestant army was under the command of the Prince of Condé and Gaspard II de Coligny .
In the course of the battle, both sides suffered great losses, with over 8,000 dead on the battlefield. The approximately 6,600 Swiss mercenaries from the Catholic towns of the Old Confederation , who fought on the side of the French Catholics and formed the core of Charles IX's Catholic army in the Huguenot Wars , played a special role in the course of the battle . formed. Under the command of Lucerne Colonel Gebhard Tamman , they offered such strong resistance that the Catholic side was able to turn the battle that had already been believed lost. The Swiss lost over 1000 men and their leader. After the battle, Captain Ludwig Pfyffer , the so-called "Swiss King ", took command of the Swiss regiment in French services.
Anne de Montmorency was captured at the beginning of the battle, and Marshal de St. André fell in the course of the battle. This smashed the triumvirate, from which Katharina von Medici profited greatly. After the Duke of Guise's death the following year, she signed the Edict of Amboise , which allowed the Reformed faith, especially for the nobility.
Web links
- Illustration by Frans Hogenberg from 1570: In the first attack of the battle at Dreus there was a stat, The Prins by Conde de Connestable caught ... ( digitized version )
- Illustration by Frans Hogenberg from 1570: Hats the Admiral again collected soon, the third attack than in sulscher gestalt ... ( digitalisat )
- Illustration by Frans Hogenberg from 1570: This second attack on the same day, beaten again by Guise at stat Dreus ... ( digitized version )