This topic aims to list all the primary battles that took place in the Low Countries during the middle ages. At the moment the listed battles are discussed briefly, mentioning only the opposing commanders, the victor, and a short bit on the course of the battle and its consequences. I start the listing in 1200, largely because chronicle sources in the Low Countries are few and far between for any earlier period, and often legendary parts are added.
A little explanation may be in order: when I list the name of a territory behind a person's name, for example "Ferrand (Flanders)", that person is the lord of the listed territory. When it says "for *territory name*", that person is acting on behalf of the territory, but not actually its political leader. Battles are listed as decisive when its outcome had direct political consequences.
I do not aim to give a political history, merely to list all battles of some importance; nevertheless, the battles do show interesting trends in the socio-political situation of the Low Countries, and it can be seen that rebellions and civil wars were very frequent, in particular from the 14th century on.
A little information on the territories, for reference:
MAP (uses Dutch names; Henegouwen is Hainault, Luik is Liege, Namen is Namur)
Brabant: Duchy, largest territory in the Low Countries. Gained the duchy of Limburg in 1288.
Flanders: County, officially part of France. Populace often at war with their counts and the king of France.
Friesland: Communal democracy. No direct ruler; military commanders (“Potestates”) were elected in case of need.
Guelders: County, from 1337 duchy. Jointly ruled with Jülich from 1378 on, but this union did not last and was dissolved in the 1420s.
Hainault: County, initially part of Flanders until a war of succession split that land in two. French speaking.
Holland: County, jointly ruled with Hainault after 1296 (as the counts of Holland had left no issue).
Liege: Bishopric, from the mid 1300’s on liege lord of the county of Loon/Looz.
Namur: County of minor importance. French-speaking, though not part of France.
Utrecht: Bishopric, also in control of Overijssel and Drenthe.
13th century
Sources for this period are not terribly compelling, excluding those for the southern half of the Low Countries, and Holland. Territories were still struggling to raise sizeable contingents, as is demonstrated by the battle of Bakkeveen (1231), where 50 casualties were considered enough of a setback to cancel the campaign. The political balance as seen in later centuries was already apparent now, with Brabant and Flanders being strongest militarily. Guelders and Holland were still more than a little shaky, and hovered between brilliance and mediocrity.
1202 Heusden (Imperial Succession War)
Dirk VII (Holland), Otto I (Guelders) - Henri I (Brabant)
Defeat
Course of the battle:
After raiding Den Bosch/’s Hertogenbosch, the counts of Holland and Guelders were defeated and captured in battle.
1213 Steppes (Imperial Succession War)
Hugues de Pierrepoint (Liege) - Henri I (Brabant)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The duke of Brabant was defeated after ravaging Liegois territory, suffering numerous casualties.
1214 Bouvines (Imperial Succession War/Anglo-French War)
Philippe II Augustus (France) - Otto IV (Empire), Ferrand (Flanders), William Longespee (for England), Henri I (Brabant), Henri III (Limburg), etc
Victory
Course of the battle:
While heading west with his army, the king of France was being followed by emperor Otto IV, who tried to force a battle. Philippe II Augustus, however, discovered in advance, and drew his men up near Bouvines. The emperor and his allies hurried to catch up with the king, and as such appeared on the field in serious disarray - their infantry may not even have arrived before battle started. The French then attacked and defeated the imperials, who fled, emperor Otto only barely escaping. The Brabançons set up a schiltron to cover the retreat. Breaking it up cost the French a good while, allowing the other imperial forces to escape.
1227 Ane (Drenthish Rebellion)
Otto II (Utrecht) - Rudolf van Coevorden (Drenthe)
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The Episcopal armies mistook a peat bog for a grassy field. When they charged at the position of the rebels, they bogged down and were attacked by light infantry. The bishop of Utrecht died in combat, as well as many of his knights; however, this did not end Utrecht's involvement in Drenthe.
1231 Bakkeveen (Drenthish Rebellion)
Wilbrand van Oldenburg (Utrecht) - Drenthish rebels
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The bishop of Utrecht and his Frisian allies suffered 50 casualties.
1232 Nutspete (Drenthish Rebellion)
Utrechters, Frisians - Drenthish rebels, Groningers, Westphalians
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The armies of Utrecht were defeated once again.
1252 Unknown (Danish invasion)
Sicko Sjaerdema - Abel of Denmark
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
King Abel died in battle, ending Norse incursions in Friesland.
1253 Westkapelle (Flemish-Holland Wars)
Willem II (Holland), Dirk (Cleves) - Gwijde van Dampierre (for Flanders), count of Guines (for France)
Victory
Course of the battle:
A Franco-Flemish force was roundly beaten while trying to occupy Zeeland.
1256 Hoogwoud (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Willem II (Holland) - Frisians
Decisive defeat
Course of the battle:
Willem II fell through the ice and was killed by the Frisians before his troops arrived on the scene, ending the Hollandic invasions of Friesland for decades.
1263 Reimerswaal (Regency War)
Otto II (Guelders), Hollandic noblemen - Aleidis van Avesnes (Holland)
Victory
Course of the battle:
After the death of Willem II, a regent ruled Holland until count Floris came of age. When the regent died, in 1258, the regency passed to Floris’ aunt, Aleidis van Avesnes. Many nobles disagreed with this decision and called upon count Otto II, who defeated Aleidis in a naval battle, becoming the new regent.
1272 Alkmaar (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Hollanders - West-Frisians
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The West-Frisians attacked and overwhelmed a force of Hollanders trying to build a road for invading West-Friesland, inflicting 500 casualties. The Hollanders routed, but halfway through met up with forces coming to their assistance, and repulsed the Frisians, who had nevertheless delayed Hollandic progress.
1282 Schellinkwoud (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Nicolaas van Kats, Albrecht van Voorne, Wolfert van Borselen (for Holland) - West-Frisians
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
Hollander forces performed a naval landing under cover of archers, and overwhelmed the enemy. 600-1200 West-Frisians died; Holland established strongholds in West-Friesland, paving the way to permanent occupation.
1288 Worringen (Limburg Succession War)
Jan I (Brabant), Adolf V (Berg), Eberhard I (Mark), Walram (Jülich), etc - Siegfried von Westenburg (Cologne), Reinald I (Guelders), Henri VI (Luxembourg), Adolf von Nassau, etc
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
In this largest and most-studied medieval battle of the Low Countries, Jan van Brabant captured or killed his principal opponents and won the duchy of Limburg. The forces of the archbishop of Cologne were spread out on too wide a front, and the Brabançons, though outnumbered, beat them by fighting in tightly packed ranks. The forces of Guelders plundered the baggage of the Brabançons, not really taking part.
1297 Veurne (Franco-Flemish War)
Robert II of Artois (for France) - Willem van Gulik the Elder (for Flanders)
Victory
Course of the battle:
Flemish infantry advanced on a French position. The French infantry, alarmed, warned the knights, who formed up and attacked the Flemish, hastily deployed behind carts. The Flemish were routed, Willem van Gulik was captured.
14th century
Not only did territories become stronger and therefore more capable of waging effective war, we are also much better informed on this period due to the rising standards of local chronicles. This was a very violent period for every part of the Low Countries, excluding perhaps Drenthe, as several territories became involved in the Hundred Years War. Guelders grew far stronger than previously, and, despite a bloody civil war, managed to turn the tables and beat Brabant multiple times. Border wars were also frequently fought, often over insignificant fortresses or tiny cities. The urban middle class, particularly in Flanders and Liege, turned rebellious, and in the wake of the Black Death the serf population of Guelders rose in revolt.
1301 Hogewoerd (Utrecht-Holland War)
Willem II (Utrecht) - Lichtenbergers (rebels), Hollanders
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The bishop of Utrecht was killed in battle against a much larger force consisting of his subjects and Hollanders.
1302 Kortrijk/Golden Spurs (Franco-Flemish War)
Willem van Gulik the Younger, Gwijde van Namen, Jan van Renesse (for Flanders) - Robert II of Artois (for France)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The French, trying to break the siege of Kortrijk, attacked the Flemish besiegers, who had, however, taken up a strong position behind a small stream. The French could not go round the Flemish ranks, and broke on the Flemish spears and goedendags. The French cavalry suffered over 900 casualties, including their commander Robert II, but as they still held the count of Flanders prisoner, the battle had no political consequences.
1304 Zierikzee (Franco-Flemish War)
Rainier Grimaldi (for France), Holland - Gwijde van Namen (for Flanders)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The Flemish invasion of Zeeland was ended abruptly, as they lost 23 out of possibly 37 ships and suffered over 1000 casualties.
1304 Mons-en-Pévèle (Franco-Flemish War)
Philip IV the Fair (France) - Willem van Gulik the Younger (for Flanders)
Draw
Course of the battle:
The French could not dislodge the Flemish from their strong defensive position, but an impetuous counter-attack by Willem van Gulik ended in his death, which was a serious blow to the Flemish.
1306 Unknown (Danish invasion)
Reinier Camminga (Friesland) - Danish invaders
Victory
Course of the battle:
The Frisian commander died, but the Danes were forced to retreat.
1327 IJzeren (Protection of trade)
Maastricht militia (for Liege) - Reinoud van Valkenburg (robber knight)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The civic militia of Maastricht attacked the robber knight Reinoud van Valkenburg near IJzeren, routing his forces.
1328 Cassel (West-Flemish Rebellion)
Philip VI (France) - Nicolaas Zannekin (West-Flemish rebels)
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
Zannekin was killed and the agrarian rebels were defeated; French rule was enforced.
1337 Cadzand (Hundred Years War)
Walter Manny (for England) - Guy, bastard of Flanders
Victory
Course of the battle:
The looting and pillaging English drew out the pro-French army and defeated them, capturing the bastard Guy.
1340 Sluys (Hundred Years War)
Edward III (England) - Hugues Quiéret, Nicholas Béhuchet (for France)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The English fleet defeated the bottled up French/Genoese navy, causing great loss of life.
1345 Warns (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Willem IV (Holland) - Frisians
Decisive defeat
Course of the battle:
The count of Holland, who had advanced on the city of Staveren and was suddenly attacked, was killed in battle, causing an immediate political crisis at home and ending involvement in Friesland.
1346 Vottem (Liegois Rebellion)
Godefroid de Harduémont (for the rebels) - Engelbert van der Mark (Liege)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The bishop of Liege and allied contingents suffered a defeat against the Liegois infantry.
1347 Tourinne (Liegois Rebellion)
Liegois rebels - Engelbert van der Mark (Liege)
Decisive defeat
Course of the battle:
The rebels were defeated and had to negotiate for peace, though the cities were allowed to maintain their privileges.
1351 Veere (Hook-Cod Civil War)
Dirk van Brederode (Hooks) - Cods
Victory
Course of the battle:
Minor naval victory of the Hookish faction in the Hook and Cod civil war in Holland
1351 Zwartewaal (Hook-Cod Civil War)
Dirk van Brederode (Hooks) - Willem V (Cods)
Decisive defeat
Course of the battle:
Naval battle. Dirk van Brederode was captured, and Willem V could now garner support in all of Holland against his mother, who was deserted by her principal ally Edward III of England.
1356 Vrijenberg (Serf Rebellion)
Eduard (Guelders) - Serfs
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
The revolting and disorganised serfs were massacred and not heard of again.
1356 Scheut (Brabançon Succession War)
Lodewijk van Male (Flanders) - Wenceslas (Brabant)
Victory
Course of the battle:
The count of Flanders, claiming the throne of Brabant, invaded and briefly attacked the Brabançons, who routed in panic. All of Brabant was soon occupied, but in the end external political help resulted in the return of duke Wenceslas.
1361 Tiel (Guelders Succession War)
Eduard (Guelders) - Reinald III (Guelders)
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
Eduard came to the relief of Tiel, which was besieged by his brother Reinald. He entered the city, joined up with the garrison and charged out, the battle quickly turning into a rout.
Reinald was captured and imprisoned, Eduard established himself as duke of Guelders.
1371 Baesweiler (Jülich-Brabançon War)
Wenceslas (Brabant), Guillaume I (Namur) - Willem II (Jülich), Eduard (Guelders)
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
The Brabançons were attacked on the march, and incapable of deploying properly due to too much baggage. The forces of Jülich and Guelders, though smaller in numbers, overran and routed them. Duke Wenceslas was captured and released for a massive ransom reluctantly paid by the Brabançon cities, which undermined his political position and prevented him from ruling effectively for the rest of his reign. Duke Eduard of Guelders was mortally wounded in battle.
1382 Westrozebeke/Roosebeke (Flemish Rebellion)
Charles VI (France), Lodewijk van Male (Flanders) - Filips van Artevelde (Flemish rebels)
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
The Flemish rebels under Filips van Artevelde attacked the French and their count, but were beaten back by a combined infantry and cavalry attack. Van Artevelde died, and the Flemish soldiers were decimated, ending their revolt.
1388 Ravenstein/Niftrik (Guelders-Brabançon Wars)
Willem I (Guelders) - Brabançons
Victory
Course of the battle:
A Brabançon force sought to invest Grave, crossing the river Maas near Ravenstein. They defeated the forces of Guelders tasked to guard the crossing. However, the men of Guelders rallied and their duke, with reinforcements, came to their assistance and overwhelmed the Brabançons as they were pillaging nearby. They were routed, and many drowned while trying to swim across the river.
1396 Kuinre/Schoterzijl (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Albrecht (Holland) - Frisians
Victory
Course of the battle:
The Frisians took up a strong defensive and entrenched position in the face of an invasion, but were defeated, beginning a decade-long occupation by Holland.
1399 Ter Luine (Holland-Friesland Wars)
Hollanders - Frisians
Defeat
Course of the battle:
Frisian forces overwhelmed a Hollander army, part of which fled into a blockhouse, where they held out. The place was captured later in the year. This battle marked the beginning of the end for the Hollandic occupation of central Friesland.
15th century
This century saw a marked decline in the number of battles, and an increase, comparatively, of battles against rebellious forces. This was due largely to the considerable increase in power of Burgundy, which occupied many of the territories of the Low Countries and worked as a stabilising factor. Independent territories dared not fight Burgundy and, obviously, territories occupied by the Burgundians could no longer fight each other. The principal conflicts, therefore, were the Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War, which left Friesland in turmoil, and wars involving Guelders. The end of the century, after the death of Charles the Bold at the battle of Nancy in Lorraine (1477), saw civil wars erupt in an attempt to end Burgundian control.
1408 Othée (Liegois Rebellion)
John the Fearless (Burgundy), Willem VI (Holland), count of Namur - Henri of Perwez (Liegois rebels)
Decisive defeat
Course of the battle:
The rebels, positioned in a triangular formation on top of a tumulus, were outflanked and defeated, losing their principal commanders, forcing them to surrender.
1417 Oxwerd (Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War)
Focko Ukena/Keno tom Broke (Vetkopers) - Sicka Sjaerda (Schieringers)
Victory
Course of the battle:
500 Schieringers were killed, 400 captured.
1418 Palesloot (Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War)
Focko Ukena (Vetkopers) - Schieringers
Victory
Course of the battle:
The Schieringers were routed.
1425 First battle of Alphen (Burgundian Conquest of Holland)
Pro-Burgundian townsmen - Supporters of Jacqueline of Hainault
Defeat
Course of the battle:
Citizen levies of Haarlem, Leiden and Amsterdam, advancing to besiege Jacqueline’s stronghold of Gouda, were attacked by Jacqueline’s forces and routed.
1426 Brouwershaven (Burgundian Conquest of Holland)
Philip the Good (Burgundy) - Walter Fitzwalter (for England)
Victory
Course of the battle:
Burgundian knights defeated an English invasion force coming to the assistance of Jacqueline of Hainault. The English longbowmen held back a wave of Burgundian crossbowmen, but were then run down by knights.
1426 Second battle of Alphen (Burgundian Conquest of Holland)
Flemish forces (for Burgundy) - Supporters of Jacqueline of Hainault
Defeat
Course of the battle:
Philip the Good, certain of his position after the victory at Brouwershaven, sent Flemish forces to take Gouda. However, they were beaten back.
1426 Detern (Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War)
Focko Ukena - Ocko tom Broke and allies
Victory
Course of the battle:
Focko Ukena faced a much larger army but by inundating the land he forced the enemy to fight on a dike, annulling their numerical superiority. The counts of Diepholz and Rietberg, on Ocko's side, were killed, and the archbishop of Bremen was captured.
1427 Wieringen (Burgundian Conquest of Holland)
Burgundians - Willem van Brederode (for Holland)
Victory
Course of the battle:
Willem van Brederode, one of the principal supporters of Jacqueline, had been cruising the Zuiderzee for a long time, harassing pro-Burgundian shipping. The Burgundian fleet caught up with him and dispersed his ships, ending with his capture and thus the pacification of the Zuiderzee.
1427 Wilde Ackers (Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War)
Focko Ukena - Ocko tom Broke
Victory
Course of the battle:
Focko Ukena defeated and captured Ocko tom Broke, and became ruler in his own right.
1453 Gavere (Flemish Rebellion)
Philip the Good (Burgundy) - Flemish rebels
Victory
Course of the battle:
The rebels, hailing mostly from Ghent, took up a defensive position, strengthened with many artillery pieces. A careless gunner, however, dropped a burning fuse near the gunpowder, warning his colleagues, and as the gunners ran away in fear of the explosion, the other rebels panicked and routed. They were run down by the Burgundian cavalry.
1467 Brustem (Liegois Rebellion)
Charles the Bold (Burgundy) - Liegois rebels
Decisive victory
Course of the battle:
Charles the Bold, acting in the interests of the bishop of Liege, overran the Liegois position and brought their rebellion to an immediate end, sacking Liege days later.
1468 Straelen (Guelders-Cleves Wars)
Adolf (Guelders) - Johann I (Cleves)
Victory
Course of the battle:
Duke Adolf defeated the duke of Cleves, who was trying to reinstate his brother and Adolf's father, Arnold, as duke of Guelders.
1481 Scherpenzeel (Anti-Burgundian Rebellion)
Jan van Westrenen (rebels) - Jan van Cats, Jacob van Boschhuizen, Petit Salazar (for Burgundy)
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The rebels, trying to prevent the Burgundians from escaping with stolen cattle, attacked, but were defeated and massacred by heavy cavalry, while Van Cats and Salazar simply continued escorting the cattle.
1482 Zichen (War against Willem van der Mark)
Maastricht militia (for Liege) - Willem van der Mark (for France)
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The ‘Boar of the Ardennes’ attacked and overwhelmed the civic militia of Maastricht, routing them.
1490 Brouwerhavense Gat (Anti-Burgundian Rebellion)
Frans van Brederode (rebels) - Jan van Egmond (Burgundians)
Defeat
Course of the battle:
In a naval battle, the rebels were defeated.
1496 Franeker (Schieringer-Vetkoper Civil War)
Groningers - Frisians
Defeat
Course of the battle:
The Groningers, who had been boldly raiding Friesland, were defeated outside the walls of Franeker, ending their aggression.
Kor | The Age of Chivalry is upon us!
Wellent ich gugk, so hindert mich / köstlicher ziere sinder,
Der ich e pflag, da für ich sich / Neur kelber, gaiss, böck, rinder,
Und knospot leut, swarz, hässeleich, / Vast rüssig gen dem winder;
Die geben müt als sackwein vich. / Vor angst slach ich mein kinder
Offt hin hinder.
A little explanation may be in order: when I list the name of a territory behind a person's name, for example "Ferrand (Flanders)", that person is the lord of the listed territory. When it says "for *territory name*", that person is acting on behalf of the territory, but not actually its political leader. Battles are listed as decisive when its outcome had direct political consequences.
I do not aim to give a political history, merely to list all battles of some importance; nevertheless, the battles do show interesting trends in the socio-political situation of the Low Countries, and it can be seen that rebellions and civil wars were very frequent, in particular from the 14th century on.
A little information on the territories, for reference:
Brabant: Duchy, largest territory in the Low Countries. Gained the duchy of Limburg in 1288.
Flanders: County, officially part of France. Populace often at war with their counts and the king of France.
Friesland: Communal democracy. No direct ruler; military commanders (“Potestates”) were elected in case of need.
Guelders: County, from 1337 duchy. Jointly ruled with Jülich from 1378 on, but this union did not last and was dissolved in the 1420s.
Hainault: County, initially part of Flanders until a war of succession split that land in two. French speaking.
Holland: County, jointly ruled with Hainault after 1296 (as the counts of Holland had left no issue).
Liege: Bishopric, from the mid 1300’s on liege lord of the county of Loon/Looz.
Namur: County of minor importance. French-speaking, though not part of France.
Utrecht: Bishopric, also in control of Overijssel and Drenthe.
Dirk VII (Holland), Otto I (Guelders) - Henri I (Brabant)
Defeat
After raiding Den Bosch/’s Hertogenbosch, the counts of Holland and Guelders were defeated and captured in battle.
Hugues de Pierrepoint (Liege) - Henri I (Brabant)
Victory
The duke of Brabant was defeated after ravaging Liegois territory, suffering numerous casualties.
Philippe II Augustus (France) - Otto IV (Empire), Ferrand (Flanders), William Longespee (for England), Henri I (Brabant), Henri III (Limburg), etc
Victory
While heading west with his army, the king of France was being followed by emperor Otto IV, who tried to force a battle. Philippe II Augustus, however, discovered in advance, and drew his men up near Bouvines. The emperor and his allies hurried to catch up with the king, and as such appeared on the field in serious disarray - their infantry may not even have arrived before battle started. The French then attacked and defeated the imperials, who fled, emperor Otto only barely escaping. The Brabançons set up a schiltron to cover the retreat. Breaking it up cost the French a good while, allowing the other imperial forces to escape.
Otto II (Utrecht) - Rudolf van Coevorden (Drenthe)
Defeat
The Episcopal armies mistook a peat bog for a grassy field. When they charged at the position of the rebels, they bogged down and were attacked by light infantry. The bishop of Utrecht died in combat, as well as many of his knights; however, this did not end Utrecht's involvement in Drenthe.
Wilbrand van Oldenburg (Utrecht) - Drenthish rebels
Defeat
The bishop of Utrecht and his Frisian allies suffered 50 casualties.
Utrechters, Frisians - Drenthish rebels, Groningers, Westphalians
Defeat
The armies of Utrecht were defeated once again.
Sicko Sjaerdema - Abel of Denmark
Decisive victory
King Abel died in battle, ending Norse incursions in Friesland.
Willem II (Holland), Dirk (Cleves) - Gwijde van Dampierre (for Flanders), count of Guines (for France)
Victory
A Franco-Flemish force was roundly beaten while trying to occupy Zeeland.
Willem II (Holland) - Frisians
Decisive defeat
Willem II fell through the ice and was killed by the Frisians before his troops arrived on the scene, ending the Hollandic invasions of Friesland for decades.
Otto II (Guelders), Hollandic noblemen - Aleidis van Avesnes (Holland)
Victory
After the death of Willem II, a regent ruled Holland until count Floris came of age. When the regent died, in 1258, the regency passed to Floris’ aunt, Aleidis van Avesnes. Many nobles disagreed with this decision and called upon count Otto II, who defeated Aleidis in a naval battle, becoming the new regent.
Hollanders - West-Frisians
Defeat
The West-Frisians attacked and overwhelmed a force of Hollanders trying to build a road for invading West-Friesland, inflicting 500 casualties. The Hollanders routed, but halfway through met up with forces coming to their assistance, and repulsed the Frisians, who had nevertheless delayed Hollandic progress.
Nicolaas van Kats, Albrecht van Voorne, Wolfert van Borselen (for Holland) - West-Frisians
Decisive victory
Hollander forces performed a naval landing under cover of archers, and overwhelmed the enemy. 600-1200 West-Frisians died; Holland established strongholds in West-Friesland, paving the way to permanent occupation.
Jan I (Brabant), Adolf V (Berg), Eberhard I (Mark), Walram (Jülich), etc - Siegfried von Westenburg (Cologne), Reinald I (Guelders), Henri VI (Luxembourg), Adolf von Nassau, etc
Decisive victory
In this largest and most-studied medieval battle of the Low Countries, Jan van Brabant captured or killed his principal opponents and won the duchy of Limburg. The forces of the archbishop of Cologne were spread out on too wide a front, and the Brabançons, though outnumbered, beat them by fighting in tightly packed ranks. The forces of Guelders plundered the baggage of the Brabançons, not really taking part.
Robert II of Artois (for France) - Willem van Gulik the Elder (for Flanders)
Victory
Flemish infantry advanced on a French position. The French infantry, alarmed, warned the knights, who formed up and attacked the Flemish, hastily deployed behind carts. The Flemish were routed, Willem van Gulik was captured.
Willem II (Utrecht) - Lichtenbergers (rebels), Hollanders
Defeat
The bishop of Utrecht was killed in battle against a much larger force consisting of his subjects and Hollanders.
Willem van Gulik the Younger, Gwijde van Namen, Jan van Renesse (for Flanders) - Robert II of Artois (for France)
Victory
The French, trying to break the siege of Kortrijk, attacked the Flemish besiegers, who had, however, taken up a strong position behind a small stream. The French could not go round the Flemish ranks, and broke on the Flemish spears and goedendags. The French cavalry suffered over 900 casualties, including their commander Robert II, but as they still held the count of Flanders prisoner, the battle had no political consequences.
Rainier Grimaldi (for France), Holland - Gwijde van Namen (for Flanders)
Victory
The Flemish invasion of Zeeland was ended abruptly, as they lost 23 out of possibly 37 ships and suffered over 1000 casualties.
Philip IV the Fair (France) - Willem van Gulik the Younger (for Flanders)
Draw
The French could not dislodge the Flemish from their strong defensive position, but an impetuous counter-attack by Willem van Gulik ended in his death, which was a serious blow to the Flemish.
Reinier Camminga (Friesland) - Danish invaders
Victory
The Frisian commander died, but the Danes were forced to retreat.
Maastricht militia (for Liege) - Reinoud van Valkenburg (robber knight)
Victory
The civic militia of Maastricht attacked the robber knight Reinoud van Valkenburg near IJzeren, routing his forces.
Philip VI (France) - Nicolaas Zannekin (West-Flemish rebels)
Decisive victory
Zannekin was killed and the agrarian rebels were defeated; French rule was enforced.
Walter Manny (for England) - Guy, bastard of Flanders
Victory
The looting and pillaging English drew out the pro-French army and defeated them, capturing the bastard Guy.
Edward III (England) - Hugues Quiéret, Nicholas Béhuchet (for France)
Victory
The English fleet defeated the bottled up French/Genoese navy, causing great loss of life.
Willem IV (Holland) - Frisians
Decisive defeat
The count of Holland, who had advanced on the city of Staveren and was suddenly attacked, was killed in battle, causing an immediate political crisis at home and ending involvement in Friesland.
Godefroid de Harduémont (for the rebels) - Engelbert van der Mark (Liege)
Victory
The bishop of Liege and allied contingents suffered a defeat against the Liegois infantry.
Liegois rebels - Engelbert van der Mark (Liege)
Decisive defeat
The rebels were defeated and had to negotiate for peace, though the cities were allowed to maintain their privileges.
Dirk van Brederode (Hooks) - Cods
Victory
Minor naval victory of the Hookish faction in the Hook and Cod civil war in Holland
Dirk van Brederode (Hooks) - Willem V (Cods)
Decisive defeat
Naval battle. Dirk van Brederode was captured, and Willem V could now garner support in all of Holland against his mother, who was deserted by her principal ally Edward III of England.
Eduard (Guelders) - Serfs
Decisive victory
The revolting and disorganised serfs were massacred and not heard of again.
Lodewijk van Male (Flanders) - Wenceslas (Brabant)
Victory
The count of Flanders, claiming the throne of Brabant, invaded and briefly attacked the Brabançons, who routed in panic. All of Brabant was soon occupied, but in the end external political help resulted in the return of duke Wenceslas.
Eduard (Guelders) - Reinald III (Guelders)
Decisive victory
Eduard came to the relief of Tiel, which was besieged by his brother Reinald. He entered the city, joined up with the garrison and charged out, the battle quickly turning into a rout.
Reinald was captured and imprisoned, Eduard established himself as duke of Guelders.
Wenceslas (Brabant), Guillaume I (Namur) - Willem II (Jülich), Eduard (Guelders)
Decisive victory
The Brabançons were attacked on the march, and incapable of deploying properly due to too much baggage. The forces of Jülich and Guelders, though smaller in numbers, overran and routed them. Duke Wenceslas was captured and released for a massive ransom reluctantly paid by the Brabançon cities, which undermined his political position and prevented him from ruling effectively for the rest of his reign. Duke Eduard of Guelders was mortally wounded in battle.
Charles VI (France), Lodewijk van Male (Flanders) - Filips van Artevelde (Flemish rebels)
Decisive victory
The Flemish rebels under Filips van Artevelde attacked the French and their count, but were beaten back by a combined infantry and cavalry attack. Van Artevelde died, and the Flemish soldiers were decimated, ending their revolt.
Willem I (Guelders) - Brabançons
Victory
A Brabançon force sought to invest Grave, crossing the river Maas near Ravenstein. They defeated the forces of Guelders tasked to guard the crossing. However, the men of Guelders rallied and their duke, with reinforcements, came to their assistance and overwhelmed the Brabançons as they were pillaging nearby. They were routed, and many drowned while trying to swim across the river.
Albrecht (Holland) - Frisians
Victory
The Frisians took up a strong defensive and entrenched position in the face of an invasion, but were defeated, beginning a decade-long occupation by Holland.
Hollanders - Frisians
Defeat
Frisian forces overwhelmed a Hollander army, part of which fled into a blockhouse, where they held out. The place was captured later in the year. This battle marked the beginning of the end for the Hollandic occupation of central Friesland.
John the Fearless (Burgundy), Willem VI (Holland), count of Namur - Henri of Perwez (Liegois rebels)
Decisive defeat
The rebels, positioned in a triangular formation on top of a tumulus, were outflanked and defeated, losing their principal commanders, forcing them to surrender.
Focko Ukena/Keno tom Broke (Vetkopers) - Sicka Sjaerda (Schieringers)
Victory
500 Schieringers were killed, 400 captured.
Focko Ukena (Vetkopers) - Schieringers
Victory
The Schieringers were routed.
Pro-Burgundian townsmen - Supporters of Jacqueline of Hainault
Defeat
Citizen levies of Haarlem, Leiden and Amsterdam, advancing to besiege Jacqueline’s stronghold of Gouda, were attacked by Jacqueline’s forces and routed.
Philip the Good (Burgundy) - Walter Fitzwalter (for England)
Victory
Burgundian knights defeated an English invasion force coming to the assistance of Jacqueline of Hainault. The English longbowmen held back a wave of Burgundian crossbowmen, but were then run down by knights.
Flemish forces (for Burgundy) - Supporters of Jacqueline of Hainault
Defeat
Philip the Good, certain of his position after the victory at Brouwershaven, sent Flemish forces to take Gouda. However, they were beaten back.
Focko Ukena - Ocko tom Broke and allies
Victory
Focko Ukena faced a much larger army but by inundating the land he forced the enemy to fight on a dike, annulling their numerical superiority. The counts of Diepholz and Rietberg, on Ocko's side, were killed, and the archbishop of Bremen was captured.
Burgundians - Willem van Brederode (for Holland)
Victory
Willem van Brederode, one of the principal supporters of Jacqueline, had been cruising the Zuiderzee for a long time, harassing pro-Burgundian shipping. The Burgundian fleet caught up with him and dispersed his ships, ending with his capture and thus the pacification of the Zuiderzee.
Focko Ukena - Ocko tom Broke
Victory
Focko Ukena defeated and captured Ocko tom Broke, and became ruler in his own right.
Philip the Good (Burgundy) - Flemish rebels
Victory
The rebels, hailing mostly from Ghent, took up a defensive position, strengthened with many artillery pieces. A careless gunner, however, dropped a burning fuse near the gunpowder, warning his colleagues, and as the gunners ran away in fear of the explosion, the other rebels panicked and routed. They were run down by the Burgundian cavalry.
Charles the Bold (Burgundy) - Liegois rebels
Decisive victory
Charles the Bold, acting in the interests of the bishop of Liege, overran the Liegois position and brought their rebellion to an immediate end, sacking Liege days later.
Adolf (Guelders) - Johann I (Cleves)
Victory
Duke Adolf defeated the duke of Cleves, who was trying to reinstate his brother and Adolf's father, Arnold, as duke of Guelders.
Jan van Westrenen (rebels) - Jan van Cats, Jacob van Boschhuizen, Petit Salazar (for Burgundy)
Defeat
The rebels, trying to prevent the Burgundians from escaping with stolen cattle, attacked, but were defeated and massacred by heavy cavalry, while Van Cats and Salazar simply continued escorting the cattle.
Maastricht militia (for Liege) - Willem van der Mark (for France)
Defeat
The ‘Boar of the Ardennes’ attacked and overwhelmed the civic militia of Maastricht, routing them.
Frans van Brederode (rebels) - Jan van Egmond (Burgundians)
Defeat
In a naval battle, the rebels were defeated.
Groningers - Frisians
Defeat
The Groningers, who had been boldly raiding Friesland, were defeated outside the walls of Franeker, ending their aggression.
Kor | The Age of Chivalry is upon us!
Wellent ich gugk, so hindert mich / köstlicher ziere sinder,
Der ich e pflag, da für ich sich / Neur kelber, gaiss, böck, rinder,
Und knospot leut, swarz, hässeleich, / Vast rüssig gen dem winder;
Die geben müt als sackwein vich. / Vor angst slach ich mein kinder
Offt hin hinder.
[This message has been edited by Kor (edited 07-22-2007 @ 11:23 AM).]