First Battle of Höchstädt

The First Battle of Höchstädt was fought on 20 September 1703,[1] near Höchstädt in Bavaria, and resulted in a French-Bavarian victory under Marshal Villars against the Austrians under General Hermann Otto of Limburg Styrum. The battle was part of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) over who had the right to succeed Charles II as king of Spain.

This article is about the battle in 1703. For the battle in 1800, see Battle of Höchstädt (1800).
Battle of Höchstädt
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
Date30 September 1703[1]
Location
Höchstädt in Bavaria
48°36′N 10°35′E
Result French victory
Belligerents
 Austria  Kingdom of France
Electorate of Bavaria
Commanders and leaders
Limburg Styrum
Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau		 Claude de Villars
Maximilian II Emanuel
Strength
20,000[2] 35,000[2]
Casualties and losses
11,000 dead, wounded and prisoners[2][3] 1,000 dead and wounded[2][3]

Prelude

On 15 September, the main force of the Imperial Army under Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden had taken the free city of Augsburg, threatening Bavaria from the west. A force of men under Count Styrum, which Baden had left north of the Danube river, moved east and reached Höchstädt on 19 September. Villars and Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, moved their army to intercept this force, ordering another French force of 7,000 men under d'Usson near Dillingen to attack from the rear.

The battle

The French plan almost failed as d'Usson attacked too soon, and his army, inferior in numbers, was pushed back by Limburg Styrum. However, Villars and Maximilian Emanuel arrived just in time, falling upon the Imperial army before it could adjust its positions. It was only thanks to the tremendous resistance of the rearguard under Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau that Limburg Styrum managed to save his army and reach Nördlingen.

The Austrians lost 11,000 men, many of them taken prisoner, 37 cannons, and the entire supply train. The French and Bavarians lost 1,000 men.[2]

A year later, the Second Battle of Höchstädt was fought, usually known in English as the Battle of Blenheim. (This should not be confused with the 1800 Battle of Höchstädt during the French Revolutionary Wars, which is also known as the Second Battle of Höchstädt.)[3]

References
  1. All dates in the article use the Gregorian calendar. The Julian calendar as used in England in 1703 differed by eleven days; thus the battle of Höchstädt was fought on 19 September in the Julian calendar. (See Adoption of the Gregorian calendar for a more detailed explanation.)
  2. Perrett B. (1992) The Battle Book: Crucial Conflicts in History from 1469 BC to the Present, Arms and Armour Press; ISBN 978-1-85409-328-8
  3. Eggenberger D. (1985) An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present, Dover Publications Inc; ISBN 0-486-24913-1

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