Battle of Ramillies
Summary
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.
Historical context
After Blenheim, Marlborough seeks to drive the French from the Spanish Netherlands. Villeroi, appointed to restore French prestige in the region, confronts the Anglo-Dutch army believing he holds the advantage of terrain. He underestimates Marlborough's mobility.
Tactics
Diversionary manoeuvre on the left to draw reinforcements, then a thundering attack on the opposite flank with reserve cavalry and infantry supported by mobile artillery. The French lines, too rigid, cannot react in time.
Consequences
Major strategic debacle: within weeks the Allies retake Louvain, Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, and Ostend. French control over the Spanish Netherlands is virtually lost. Louis XIV glimpses the need for a separate peace, without immediate success.