Battle of Rocroi

E151754

The Battle of Rocroi was a decisive 1643 engagement in which French forces under the young Duc d’Enghien shattered the dominance of the Spanish tercios, marking a turning point in European military and political power.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Battle of Rocroi canonical 16
Battle of Rocroi (1643) 2

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf battle ⓘ
military engagement ⓘ
ageOfKeyCommander Duc d’Enghien was in his early twenties ⓘ
linked to: Duc d’Enghien
alsoKnownAs Battle of Rocroy ⓘ
approximateStrengthFrench about 22,000 soldiers ⓘ
approximateStrengthSpanish about 25,000 soldiers ⓘ
belligerent Kingdom of France ⓘ
Spanish Monarchy ⓘ
linked to: Spanish monarchy
casualtiesFrench significantly lower than Spanish casualties ⓘ
casualtiesSpanish heavy casualties and many prisoners ⓘ
chronologicalOrder fought early in the Franco-Spanish War ⓘ
combatantForce Army of Flanders ⓘ
French Army of Picardy ⓘ
commander Francisco de Melo ⓘ
Louis II de Bourbon, Duc d’Enghien ⓘ
linked to: Duc d’Enghien
conflictIn Thirty Years' War ⓘ
countryAtTime Kingdom of France ⓘ
date 19 May 1643 ⓘ
geographicalRegion Ardennes ⓘ
linked to: Ardennes region
historicalEra Age of Absolutism ⓘ
historicalPeriod Early Modern period ⓘ
influenced subsequent European infantry tactics ⓘ
laterTitleOfCommander Duc d’Enghien later became known as the Grand Condé ⓘ
legacy often cited as the beginning of French military supremacy in Europe ⓘ
symbol of the decline of the Spanish Road and Habsburg military power ⓘ
modernCountryLocation France ⓘ
notableFor defeat of Spanish tercios ⓘ
end of the myth of Spanish military invincibility ⓘ
rise of French military prestige in Europe ⓘ
opponentUnitType Spanish tercios (pikemen and musketeers formations) ⓘ
partOf Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659) ⓘ
place near Rocroi, Ardennes, France ⓘ
politicalContext early ministry of Cardinal Mazarin ⓘ
regency of Anne of Austria in France ⓘ
precededBy death of Louis XIII of France (May 1643) ⓘ
primaryWeaponSystems cavalry with pistols and swords ⓘ
field artillery ⓘ
pike and shot formations ⓘ
relatedWork depicted in various historical paintings and engravings ⓘ
result French victory ⓘ
decisive French victory ⓘ
tacticalFeature use of flexible French infantry and cavalry tactics against tercios ⓘ
tacticalOutcome encirclement and destruction of much of the Spanish infantry ⓘ
turningPointIn European balance of power ⓘ
decline of Spanish military dominance ⓘ
rise of France as a leading European power ⓘ
year 1643 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (18)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé → notableWork → Battle of Rocroi (1643) ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Rocroi
Franco-Swedish phase → hasKeyEvent → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Battle of Lens → precededBy → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Siege of Arras (1640) → followedBy → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Francisco de Melo → participatedIn → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Battle of Jankau → precededBy → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Spanish tercios → foughtIn → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Spanish tercios → notableDefeat → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Battle of Honnecourt → followedBy → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
French and allied army → battle → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Louis II de Bourbon → notableWork → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ
Louis II de Bourbon → notableWork → Battle of Rocroi (1643) ⓘ
linked to: Battle of Rocroi
Prince of Condé → associatedWith → Battle of Rocroi ⓘ