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Battle of Cassel (1328)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cassel was fought on 23 August 1328 by Philip VI
, the King of France
, and first ruler of House of Valois (reigned 1328-1350), against the peasant revolt in Flanders
, led by Nicolaas Zannekin
. The battle took place near the city of Cassel, 30 km south of Dunkirk in present-day France. The battle decisively ended the revolt and brought Flanders under French control.
and by forcing the Flemings to cover the approaches from Lille
and Tournai
.
The French royal army stationed itself near the abbey of Waasten. The Flemish army, led by Nicolaas Zannekin
and Winnoc le Fiere, had stationed 15,000 men about four kilometers from the French on a hill near Cassel. For three days the French and Flemish engaged in a stalemate as the French tried to lure the Flemish out of their advantageous position up the hill. On 23 August the French torched some villages in order to provoke the Flemish to come down from the hill, to no avail.
On 23 August the weather was very hot and, as the Flemings did not seem to budge, the French knights retired to their camp to shelter themselves from the heat. Zannekin used this opportunity to surprise the French and attacked the French camp. The Flemings used three divisions to attack the French army. One division was held in reserve and the other two attacked the camp. Of the attacking divisions, only the one led by Zannekin in person met a level of success; the other division was easily held by the French and then attacked in the back by the returning French raiding party. When the French knights recovered from the surprise, they counter-attacked and defeated the Flemings. Zannekin and le Fiere and about 3,200 Flemings were killed in the battle.
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
, the King of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and first ruler of House of Valois (reigned 1328-1350), against the peasant revolt in Flanders
Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328
The Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328 was a popular revolt in late medieval Europe. Beginning as a series of scattered rural riots in late 1323, peasant insurrection escalated into a full-scale rebellion that dominated public affairs in Flanders for nearly five years until 1328...
, led by Nicolaas Zannekin
Nicolaas Zannekin
Nicolaas Zannekin , was a Flemish peasant leader, best known for his role in the Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328....
. The battle took place near the city of Cassel, 30 km south of Dunkirk in present-day France. The battle decisively ended the revolt and brought Flanders under French control.
Campaign and battle
The French aimed to divide the Flemish troops by advancing along the river LeieLys River
The Leie or Lys is a river in France and Belgium, and a left tributary of the Scheldt. Its source is in Pas-de-Calais, France, and it flows into the river Scheldt in Ghent, Belgium. Its total length is ....
and by forcing the Flemings to cover the approaches from Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
and Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
.
The French royal army stationed itself near the abbey of Waasten. The Flemish army, led by Nicolaas Zannekin
Nicolaas Zannekin
Nicolaas Zannekin , was a Flemish peasant leader, best known for his role in the Peasant revolt in Flanders 1323-1328....
and Winnoc le Fiere, had stationed 15,000 men about four kilometers from the French on a hill near Cassel. For three days the French and Flemish engaged in a stalemate as the French tried to lure the Flemish out of their advantageous position up the hill. On 23 August the French torched some villages in order to provoke the Flemish to come down from the hill, to no avail.
On 23 August the weather was very hot and, as the Flemings did not seem to budge, the French knights retired to their camp to shelter themselves from the heat. Zannekin used this opportunity to surprise the French and attacked the French camp. The Flemings used three divisions to attack the French army. One division was held in reserve and the other two attacked the camp. Of the attacking divisions, only the one led by Zannekin in person met a level of success; the other division was easily held by the French and then attacked in the back by the returning French raiding party. When the French knights recovered from the surprise, they counter-attacked and defeated the Flemings. Zannekin and le Fiere and about 3,200 Flemings were killed in the battle.