Battle of Almansa 1707 • Classical Era
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Battle of Almansa

Classical Era French victory
Historical significance:

Summary

In southeastern Spain, Anglo-Portuguese troops attempt to maintain their hold on the Kingdom of Valencia. The Duke of Berwick, a French general of English origin in the service of Louis XIV and Philip V, concentrates his forces to confront the Allied army at Almansa. His deployment in double line with a well-placed reserve allows a solid defense at the center and a decisive enveloping manoeuvre on the flanks. The Allied army is encircled, routed, and suffers heavy losses.

Historical context

Spain is a key battlefield in the succession conflict. The Bourbons (Philip V) seek to reconquer the territories of the Crown of Aragon that passed to the enemy. Almansa is the turning point of the war on the Iberian Peninsula, ending enemy presence in the southeast.

Tactics

Flexible double-line deployment, solid center (Spanish infantry flanked by French troops), mobile cavalry on the wings. Frontal attack is checked but the wings outflank and encircle the enemy. Artillery pins the Allied lines. Optimal use of flat, open terrain.

Consequences

Major strategic victory: Valencia and Aragon are reconquered by the Bourbons. Regions in revolt against Philip V face administrative repression: suppression of the fueros (regional rights). The Bourbon dynasty consolidates its hold on the throne of Spain.

Location

Place : Almansa, Kingdom of Valencia (present-day Spain)
Coordinates : 38.8667°N, 1.1°W

Related battles

Battle of Ramillies

1706

Villeroi deploys his army in a rigid line on open ground, believing his center impregnable. Marlborough feints an attack on the French left flank (near Taviers), forcing the French to redeploy their reserves. He then launches a powerful breakthrough on their right flank at Ramillies. The line rupture is swift and decisive: Allied cavalry crushes the French retreat, which turns into a rout. This masterly manoeuvre is one of the most studied of the eighteenth century.

Defeat

Battle of Turin

1706

After a long siege begun in spring, the French encircle Turin, capital of the Duchy of Savoy, and bombard the city. However, the Imperial army led by Eugene of Savoy manages to cross the Alps, outflank the French lines, and launch a decisive attack against the rear of the besieging camp. Caught in a pincer between a sortie by the besieged and an external offensive, the French withdraw in disorder. The encirclement collapses within hours.

Defeat

Battle of Lleida

1707

Following the decisive victory at Almansa, Franco-Spanish troops pursue their reconquest of Catalonia. In June, Marshal Villars's army besieges Lleida, a fortified city held by troops loyal to Charles of Austria. After several weeks of bombardment and coordinated attacks on the outer bastions, the defenders yield. The Catalan governor Moragues is captured. The city is occupied as part of the pacification campaign in northeastern Spain.

Victory