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Happy 'Guldensporenslag' (Battle of the golden spurs)!
As there were a few threads celebrating the 4th of July and the Canadian national day, I thought it would be cool to celebrate the Flemish day as well. After all, today is the 700th anniversary of one of the most historical battles of the middle ages, and very few people know about it. To make it Civ-related, I'll try tell the story in Civ terms, with maybe some usefull tactics as well.
The larger setting
In the 13th century, Flanders (only part of what Flanders is today) was one of the richest regions of Europe, more or less independant. The Count of Flanders was a vassal of the King of France, but was allowed to follow his own course. However, when Phillipe IV needed more money to fuel his war with England, he raised additional taxes on the Flemish cities. Count Gwijde of Flanders reacted by declaring Flanders' independance in 1297, signing a pact with the English to battle the French. However, Philippe IV sends an army, and defeats the small Flemish army, taking the count and most of his family as prisoners of war. Flanders is no longer a vassal state, but annexed into France.
The battle
The following years, a few Flemish cities revolt, but the revolts are repressed by French troops. In 1302, however, the whole of Flanders revolts, all cities 'culture flip', and an army of Flemish citizens is formed under the leadership of a poor weaver, Pieter de Coninck. The army consisted mostly of pikemen, crossbowmen, and citizens wielding a 'Goedendag' (litteraly 'goodday', in the meaning of 'hello'), a heavy club with one end reinforced with an iron spike. In total, this footarmy is 9000 men strong. Further, some 40 knights join, which is neglectable against the 2500 French knights and 4000 footmen the French king sends to claim Flanders again.
The 11th July 1302, these two armies meet at a field outside Kortrijk, strategically choosen by the Flemish because of a small river that splits the field in two. The French, overconfident because of the much larger army of knights (a knight was considered to be equal to 10 footmen) attack, but are slowed considerably by the 3m-wide river, and are slaughtered by the Flemish ranks of pikemen and Goedendags. The Flemish tactic was rather simple, but unconventional for that time: pikemen and Goedendags were alternated in the first rank, and while the pikemen embedded their pike into the ground to break the knight's rush, the citizens bashed the horses' or knight's heads with their goedendags. The result was astounding, nearly no French knight escaped.
What happens next
After the battle, the spurs of all knights are collected, and over 1000 golden spurs (coming from 500 French nobles, the shieldbearers (?) had silver spurs at best) are gathered as trophy. This is what gave the battle it's name, those spurs are still on display in a church in Kortrijk.
Flanders is independant for good, and remains so until it is annexed by the Burgundies in the 15th century.
In 1838, Hendrik Conscience writes a novel, the Lion of Flanders, which becomes both the basis of Flemish patriotic feelings, and an incentive to get all Flemish people to learn how to read. It is still more or less obliged literature for the whole of Flanders.
Historical importance
Historically, there are a number of reasons why this battle is so important. Of course, the independance of Flanders is one of them, but this is rather local, and of no interest to the rest of the world. But, the guldensporenslag is also the first ever battle in which footmen defeat a large army of knights, troops that were considered allmighty at the time. The tactic of embedding pikes into the ground to break the rush, while using clubs to bash heads is later used by many armies (BTW, clubs are better then swords here: with a sword you are more likely to hit one of the pikemen as it is most useful when slashing in big sweeps horizontally).
Further, this battle is what most historians describe as the turning point in power: not the nobles, but the cities have true power from now on.
Civ notes
In civ terms: fortified pikeman behind a river, aided with some sort of finishers is the best to counter knights. And while in 1302 the river made retreat of knights impossible, in civ you can finish the knights with some low cost warriors or swordmen.
Cities can culturally flip, as they did in many occasions irl, the independance of Flanders is just one of them (that I haven't seen mentioned here before).
This battle would be great for a scenario, but without scripting it will never play right: the French wanted to break al resistance in one big battle, no AI would do so in civ. But at least they would pillage all Flemish land, just like the French did in 1302.
If there would ever be a Flemish Civ, please make their UU carry a goedendag, those were devastating weapons! Crude, but a so effective...
more info can be found at this site (sorry, only in Dutch)
DeepO
The larger setting
In the 13th century, Flanders (only part of what Flanders is today) was one of the richest regions of Europe, more or less independant. The Count of Flanders was a vassal of the King of France, but was allowed to follow his own course. However, when Phillipe IV needed more money to fuel his war with England, he raised additional taxes on the Flemish cities. Count Gwijde of Flanders reacted by declaring Flanders' independance in 1297, signing a pact with the English to battle the French. However, Philippe IV sends an army, and defeats the small Flemish army, taking the count and most of his family as prisoners of war. Flanders is no longer a vassal state, but annexed into France.
The battle
The following years, a few Flemish cities revolt, but the revolts are repressed by French troops. In 1302, however, the whole of Flanders revolts, all cities 'culture flip', and an army of Flemish citizens is formed under the leadership of a poor weaver, Pieter de Coninck. The army consisted mostly of pikemen, crossbowmen, and citizens wielding a 'Goedendag' (litteraly 'goodday', in the meaning of 'hello'), a heavy club with one end reinforced with an iron spike. In total, this footarmy is 9000 men strong. Further, some 40 knights join, which is neglectable against the 2500 French knights and 4000 footmen the French king sends to claim Flanders again.
The 11th July 1302, these two armies meet at a field outside Kortrijk, strategically choosen by the Flemish because of a small river that splits the field in two. The French, overconfident because of the much larger army of knights (a knight was considered to be equal to 10 footmen) attack, but are slowed considerably by the 3m-wide river, and are slaughtered by the Flemish ranks of pikemen and Goedendags. The Flemish tactic was rather simple, but unconventional for that time: pikemen and Goedendags were alternated in the first rank, and while the pikemen embedded their pike into the ground to break the knight's rush, the citizens bashed the horses' or knight's heads with their goedendags. The result was astounding, nearly no French knight escaped.
What happens next
After the battle, the spurs of all knights are collected, and over 1000 golden spurs (coming from 500 French nobles, the shieldbearers (?) had silver spurs at best) are gathered as trophy. This is what gave the battle it's name, those spurs are still on display in a church in Kortrijk.
Flanders is independant for good, and remains so until it is annexed by the Burgundies in the 15th century.
In 1838, Hendrik Conscience writes a novel, the Lion of Flanders, which becomes both the basis of Flemish patriotic feelings, and an incentive to get all Flemish people to learn how to read. It is still more or less obliged literature for the whole of Flanders.
Historical importance
Historically, there are a number of reasons why this battle is so important. Of course, the independance of Flanders is one of them, but this is rather local, and of no interest to the rest of the world. But, the guldensporenslag is also the first ever battle in which footmen defeat a large army of knights, troops that were considered allmighty at the time. The tactic of embedding pikes into the ground to break the rush, while using clubs to bash heads is later used by many armies (BTW, clubs are better then swords here: with a sword you are more likely to hit one of the pikemen as it is most useful when slashing in big sweeps horizontally).
Further, this battle is what most historians describe as the turning point in power: not the nobles, but the cities have true power from now on.
Civ notes
In civ terms: fortified pikeman behind a river, aided with some sort of finishers is the best to counter knights. And while in 1302 the river made retreat of knights impossible, in civ you can finish the knights with some low cost warriors or swordmen.
Cities can culturally flip, as they did in many occasions irl, the independance of Flanders is just one of them (that I haven't seen mentioned here before).
This battle would be great for a scenario, but without scripting it will never play right: the French wanted to break al resistance in one big battle, no AI would do so in civ. But at least they would pillage all Flemish land, just like the French did in 1302.
If there would ever be a Flemish Civ, please make their UU carry a goedendag, those were devastating weapons! Crude, but a so effective...
more info can be found at this site (sorry, only in Dutch)
DeepO
Good humor...
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