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Just a note : "Garde française" is written with a "ç" which is pronounced like an S in English, not like a "K" (or double "S" in French, the single one being pronounced more like an English "Z"). The same "ç" when we say it is "Français" So you would pronounce it like "Gard Fransaize" in English cause the ending "E" is silent in French %)
copying my comment here cuz it might be more visible 10:45 I think it's Marc-Pierre de Voyer and not Marc-Rene, Marc Rene de Montalembert was an engineer and writer from the same period though.
At 0:31 you can see a large narrow body of water in Eastern Europe. That's the reservoir north of Kyiv. It was created by a dam built in the 1960s lol.
"You see what a victory costs. The blood of our enemies is still the blood of men. The true glory is to spare it." - Louis XV to Louis Ferdinand following the Battle of Fontenoy
@@Briselance yes but he was the only king in Europe who thinks that. His reign was at the end a catastrophe for France and is in the opinion of many historians one of the key reason of the French Revolution.
@@walideg5304 true. Ever since the days of Prince Eugene, the French Monarchy was already stirring up trouble on the domestic front that led to the French Enlightenment & the age of Voltaire towards the Revolution.
The 18th century is such a battlefield between France and England. War of Spanish and Austrian succession, Seven Years war, American War of Independence followed by the start of the Napoleonic wars
@@metarus208 i know i know but some historians consider that the conflictual period of 1159-1259 can also be considered as a previous unofficial 100 years war
34:47 My man with the cavalry likely saved an absolute slaughter...This video was a masterpiece, by the way. It's crazy how many different people groups were represented at this battle.
Time to play Empire Total war again ! The battle of Fontenoy is one of few battles that are available in the game. Maybe it should have been interesting to include it. By the way "gardes françaises" means "french guard" with "françaises" being pronunced "franssaize" instead of "frankaiz" like in the video. I liked it, thanks to cover it. This battle is quite known here in France but not really out of France so thank you ! Everything including France and more France vs England is an instant click from me. :)
Jean Thurel was a french military man that lived 107 years. Born in 1698 in France during the reign of Louis XIV and died in 1807 under Napoleon had 3 brothers that had been killed during the battle of Fontenoy in 1745. 3 sons in one battle is awful for the parents my got.
He died when France was at its most power and glorious. Hope he looked back at the history and his nation and felt pride he helped to forge it. Lucky he didn’t see the collapse that came 7 years later
An assault with two botched flanking attacks into well defended positions, against a numerically superior army, with an advance into a kill zone surrounded on 3 sides by the enemy, under enfilading artillery fire, and SOMEHOW this was a "close" battle. It's a miracle the British army wasn't completely annihilated. The troops must have been exceptional to fight as far and as fiercely as they did.
yea i thought the same thing. maybe the pragmats didnt have proper intel, but it was such a well defemded position in my eyes it was suicide. they could have easily won that battle if the french were not this heavily entrenched.
@@Timo-tm6rj It is as you say, Cumberland and Waldeck didn't really have proper intel or a good view of the entire French disposition. For us, we are blessed to have records of this battle and a top-down eagle-eye view of the battlefield. However, for the Anglo-Hanoverians, the most they could probably make out were the Redoute D'Eu and Chambonas, as well as a thin blur of entrenchments and men, with the occasional flashes and smoke from artillery batteries, from the French position at Fontenoy. The Dutch, likewise, could probably only see a thin line of Frenchmen cresting the road between Fontenoy and Antoing, the redoubts in front of them, as well as the aforementioned blur of entrenchments and men around both of the fortified settlements. Before the Anglo-Hanoverians, there was actually a sunken road with a higher elevation, which likely hid the disposition of most of the French army behind it, which Cumberland would not have been able to see until he had already moved up and fallen into Saxe's trap. The most, I imagine, that could be seen with a spotting glass were the Gardes Francaises and Gardes Suisses. To say nothing of the Arquebusiers de Grassin hiding within the Bois de Barry. Marechal de Saxe chose his battlefield well, such that the battlefield could conceal the greater portion of his forces, while funneling any attack into killing zones enfilading the attackers from multiple directions. Now, while Cumberland is also to blame for his failures to properly coordinate with Waldeck, as well as his decision to take position among the Foot Guards on the British advance when he should have been on horseback, running back and forth to issue commands and oversee the troops from a clearer vantage point, it is a testament to the sheer professionalism of the Anglo-Hanoverian soldiers that they were able to bloody the French so despite the latter possessing all of the advantages in terrain, manpower, and having a superior commander. One must also speak of the brave Dutch troops, who despite being repulsed multiple times, still went into the fray again to try and pin down the French right and break through Fontenoy. While they performed below expectations during this battle, the Dutch are renowned for their courage and their training is not a bit inferior to that of the Anglo-Hanoverians.
I wonder what would have happened if the British took the woods. They couldn't have taken the redoubts, but neither could the redoubts ignore them. The six pounders could also harass those positions. That would have relieved the infantry from flanking fire, possibly allowing the British to retain enough soldiers to hold back the Irish.
Fantastic video, probably the best depiction of the battle of Fontenoy I've ever seen or read. And marvelously narrated. This is a work of the highest standard, well done!
@@realhorrorshow8547 a clear win. The pragmatic army was perfectly tricked in that position by the previous weeks mouvement by De Saxe as explained by the video
@@walideg5304 Oh, don't get me wrong. Looking at the map I wouldn't have attacked in the first place. But if the rest of the pragmatic army had fought as well as the British, it could have been a victory in spite of the disadvantages. What annoyed me is someone claiming victory when all his countrymen did was kick a British force when they were down. I despise that kind of bully's side-kick behaviour and always have.
I love the play by play battles. Not having any knowledge of this battle beforehand, I was on the edge of my seat. So many close calls on both sides. So many times it could have gone one way or the other. Looking forward to watching more.
Incredible battle and commanders. I didn’t know much about The war of the Austrian Succession, but this sparked my interest. Such elaborate manoveauring and so many commanders and different troops involved. It was truly a delight to watch this. Also, Marechal de Saxe is truly inspiring. I’m so glad to find another great commander to read about :)
There is a very interesting fact about this battle, related to the Irish Americans: a year ago I was reading about the role of the Irish battalions in the American Civil War and their great bravery during their charges against the Confederates at the beginning of the War, mainly during the peninsula campaign and I found it striking that they used "Remember Fontenoy" as their battle cry and how this motto inspired them with determination, but I never understood the level of importance or implication that this battle meant for the exiled Irish and that turning point I am understanding right now after watching the video. I think that Fontenoy, rather than a French victory, is more remembered as an Irish moral victory and I'm not saying this because I don't think the French deserve this victory, but after seeing all the problems the Irish have had until they were able to get their freedom as independent nation, is that one comes to capture the pride that gives them that their ancestors have been so important in achieving such a resounding victory on the side of their French allies (such as the Polish case in the Napoleonic Wars), another reason is that for the French this war was a wasted opportunity and many consider it, together with the 7 Years War, as one of the main causes of popular weariness towards the nobility and the Bourbons in general, which would end up unleashing the Revolution decades later, because they could not achieve any notorious territorial benefit, such as the annexation of Belgium (something that seemed a fact after his victory in this war, but after the peace treaty, vanished, making the sacrifice almost in vain), added to that the other allies of the French got benefits that they did not, like Spain and Prussia. So, if one wonders why the British had more Imperial luck than the French, it is because they knew how to take better advantage of their victories in wars than the French and their allies, especially because of their daring diplomacy.
It Is above all that Louis XV played the fool. He was strongly borrowed from the values of the enlightenment, even if it starts from a good feeling, in politics, You should never be too sentimental. Or else, Freemasonry was already at work to destroy the nobility slowly until the revolution^^ Besides, Louis XIV would have had no Mercy. Mainly because it was more expensive to maintain both naval and Land forces at the same Time, at sea and frontiers. France had Always been a continental force first and foremost. The proof is that they had fewer settlers in North America than the brits.
I agree with your thoughts around how this contributed to the French revolution. It was also economic reasons... this war, the 7 years and in particular the American revolutionary war, cost the French in today's money 100's and 100's of billions. It virtually bankrupted them. The wars cost Britain a lot $$ as well, but such was the strength of the British economy they could absorb the costs.
I was wondering why the frequency of the civil war videos slowed a bit down but great to see you cooperating with History Marche :) that's some effort well spend!
Thanks for connecting so clearly the overall context in Europe and the battle. It's awesome. This battle and the war itself are not being taught in french school.
I saw this video a few days ago and really enjoyed it, I wanted to watch it again that same day (a bit later) and I just couldn't find it! I spent so long searching for the video (I wasn't sure it was from History Marche so I couldn't just check the channel). So glad it wasn't taken down for good!
D'après vous, le roi Louis XV a-t-il rétrocédé les Pays-Bas espagnols aux Habsbourgs car il savait que les Anglais ne toléreraient jamais que ce pays tampon entre la France et les Pays-Bas ne tombe aux mains des Français ?
Excellent video, this battle was largely unknown to me, especially all these details. As a Dutchmen who knows quite a bit about history I was surprised to see them fighting in this battle. Hope to see more HistoryMarche video's about Dutch history, as there's so much more to tell about it.
@@Zakariya3603disagree. The Dutch have had a very strong and large army in between 1590 and 1713, which won numerous victories. Until 1795 it still was an army to consider for the European powers. During the Napoleonic Wars the Dutch played a relatively minor part, but performed well in action. Most notably during the 1799 and 1815 campaigns. After that the Netherlands was largely neutral, but still conquered a lot of territory in Indonesia. The Dutch have a proud but underrated military history I would say. Even in our own country much of it is unkown
@@Raadpensionaris I never denied that, i know that the Dutch have a good military record, you held your own well against commanders like Condé in Seneffe and even were the troyan horse of Marlborough in Ramillies and Oudenarde. But Dutch military history simply doesn't compare to French or English military history, the Netherlands has always a nation that often relied on diplomacy and trade than brute force akin to the Phoenicians, the VOC was quite possibly the richest and most successful company to ever exist, something which the French and the British never accomplished.
@@Zakariya3603 I mean, I wouldn't want to compare ourselfs to France and England. They are and were much bigger countries, so it is only natural that they have more military accomplishments. I just think that Dutch military history on land is often underrated. Yes the Dutch were defensive minded and focussed on diplomacy, but they absolutely were able to fight when it was needed. And that was quite often
@@Raadpensionaris Yes, and that's why i named battles like Seneffe, the Dutch became a proper military betwwen 1581 to 1795, nobody ever said otherwise.
Very nice to see your video about Fontenoy. A series such as those about Napoléon's battles would be even better including a detailed account about Prague, Dettingen, Weißenburg and the campaigns in Italy.
Great video. Did not know much about the battle but watched it because we still have an enemy flag seized by a French ancestor at Fontenoy in our home. In tatters obviously. His regiment was not mentioned in the video and I find it difficult to spot where the action occurred. Anyway, much easier to watch this in an armchair now than being with the ranks and files at the time. What a butcher house!
As the British and Hanoverian line infantry moved toward the French center, my eyes literally widened at the position they were funneled into. "Makes the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible military exercise."
There is no way anything can make the charge of the light brigade look sensible. As an example of total nonsense it has few peers. But Fontenoy was a close run battle.
The Anglo-Hanoverian infantry in the center was so formidable that they almost just carried the day on their own. Their commanders failed them. 'I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion' - Alexander the Great. Saxe was a lion here.
je ne peux faire autrement que m'abonner.....merci pour les traductions lisibles en français....Napoléon , parlant de l'artillerie dira: "le feu tue"....le rôle de l'artillerie est ici démontré... merci à vous pour ce magnifique travail
Maurice de Saxe is one of the most underrated commanders in European history. Cumberland seemed to be mediocre at best by contrast. Culloden was his only great victory.
You being too polite about 'Butcher' Cumberland ! 🙄 P.S. Notice the Scottish impact of the Pragmatic Army : Munro,Campbell and Lindsay,Earl of Crawford ! 😉
Maurice was very good at getting the enemy to play into his hands on both the tactical and operational levels and thus efficiently achieving his objectives. He was very good though at efficiently playing to his army’s strengths and his opponents’ weaknesses while mitigating his own weaknesses. Cumberland on the other hand was a buffoon.
it was the opposite actually, it was the commanding officer of the british 1st foot guards regiment who stepped forward and challenged the French officer to fire first.
@@lollius88 Yes, and it's supposed to have been the French retort: "No, you go first". Like schoolchildren taunting each other. Apocryphal or not, these quotes always leave a bad taste. It's mostly officers playing war, while their soldiers get killed and maimed.
@@Pippin1505 Well at least they led from the front. Also such retorts can help raise the morale of the men and make them angry. As in "they think that theyre better than you"
@@Pippin1505No they wanted to gain a tactical advantage. When you have fired a volley you are temporarily blinded by smoke. At this moment the opponent has an opportunity to manoeuvre without being seen for a brief moment and, for exemple, launch a baïonnette charge or reposition or juste stay and counter shoot.
@@watch-Dominion-2018 that's not the fault of the soldiers. If it wasn't for the English troops present the defeat would have been way way worse for the pragmatic army
Also, judging by the arrangement of all these squares, neither side used their advantages properly, nor in a way that would guarantee the least amount of casualties with victory. I'm sure they did what they could in reality though, and large battles between thousands of men are always, and I mean always, disorderly and chaotic. Especially without a form of instant communication.
Excuse, if bunch of infantry charge into the middle of your frontline, but you got many cannons and reserves, yet you suffice with ordering few of your cavalry to charge your enemy instead of a collective infantry march with cavalry flank charge, You are an absolute buffoon. And with all the mistakes the Allied side made, they gave a potential victory to you with a silver platter in many occasions. This battle makes me angry.
@@hannibalburgers477 I feel your anger, man. I'm as outraged as Saxe upon seeing the sheer idiocy done by the French leaders, they have all the resources and pretext to victory they can have. Yet, they couldn't land a decisive blow. How can they let such a big formation of British troops directly march towards their center without great consequences ? Cannons from the redoubts should've torn them apart. Insanity. Drip charging a seemingly large wall of bayonets and muskets with cavalry, and even failing to organize a disciplined charge.
It is astonishing that they were that organized without any radio or technology of any kind.. and in a misty fog. How the heck did they command that large of a force and maintain the organization?!
they didn't. You saw from the recount several times where the fogs of war impeded both side. from the calvery charge on the french side being piecemeal to the brittish and dutch not cordinating when they attack the left flank.
You would be right to say that George II was the last REIGNING sovereign to take part in a battle. But the last person who would ultimately become King of England who took part in a battle was George VI who fought at Jutland in 1916.
I did notice that the Cumberland’s men in the center were much more numerous than Saxe’s men in the center , which is what allowed Cumberland’s men to use that “rolling” fire that so devastated the French center during the midpoint of the battle . Saxe was the head and heart of the French army and victory , in this battle , like this very good animated narration shows .
cumberland jump the gun a bit by attacking before having a full knowledge on what awaited him but he wasn't a fool that clear from the video he know he needed to clear those guns at the readout but his commander fail to clear the forest leading to them. several times during the day brittish made headway against the french but the field marshal was cleary a man who knew his business and louis did well putting his trust in him. Had the french army learn that the king retreated moral would plummet and could lead to a defeat.
23:41 I find it almost ironic that the British here were practicing rifle rotation to the front ranks even though Maurice de Saxe wrote about it in his war manual (not that they couldn't both do it, but still)
Imagine being Marsall Saxe - "Fellas tighten up, my boss is here observing." Fellas - "Who's your boss, boss?" Saxe - "The King of France." That's power.
"Gentlemen of the French Guards, would you care to fire?" "No, it's alright you may go first. You are the attacking force, after all!" "Lovely, gentlemen. Alright, make ready! Fire! Now it is your turn, good sirs!" "Yes, indeed. You guys seem to have shot Timothee on that first volley, there, what a shame. Make ready! Fire!" "By God, your men have better aim than us! Your Frenchmen are quite admirable! Make ready! Fire!" I imagine that is how warfare was fought in the 18th century, lmao
I am blown away by your quality, it's just insane in details, maps, movements... Also, the XVIII century has the reputation of being refined, effeminate, etc., but here you can really see that the true brutality of the battles of the age, the carnage of the arrillery, and how brave those men were.
Cumberland faced very strong positions and was probably foolish to even assault them. To the great credit of both armies the resolve to win was contested to the extreme. Simply extracting the British Infantry in the final stages was a minor miracle given the difficult terrain they had to recross and exposed to fire on 3 sides.
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Just a note : "Garde française" is written with a "ç" which is pronounced like an S in English, not like a "K" (or double "S" in French, the single one being pronounced more like an English "Z").
The same "ç" when we say it is "Français"
So you would pronounce it like "Gard Fransaize" in English cause the ending "E" is silent in French %)
copying my comment here cuz it might be more visible
10:45 I think it's Marc-Pierre de Voyer and not Marc-Rene, Marc Rene de Montalembert was an engineer and writer from the same period though.
⁸
Great video
One of the only channels that has an accurate map of how the Netherlands was still part water back in the day, + points
Except for the "kingdom of England" lol it was Great Britain at that time ! Since 1707.
@@Unpseudopascommelesautres they butcher empire and kingdom names all the time but that’s ok
@@Unpseudopascommelesautres That is technically correct, the Kingdom of England exists continuously to this day
At 0:31 you can see a large narrow body of water in Eastern Europe. That's the reservoir north of Kyiv. It was created by a dam built in the 1960s lol.
Yeah yeah, water levels were higher in the past and global warming is a myth. Heard all the conspiracy theories before
I like the addition of the clock animation on the upper-right, it gives a sense of how long each particular action on the field was taking! 🙂👍
Oh very cool I didn't even see that till I read the comment
"You see what a victory costs. The blood of our enemies is still the blood of men. The true glory is to spare it."
- Louis XV to Louis Ferdinand following the Battle of Fontenoy
Louis XV was too naive. A good man, a very bad king for France.
@@walideg5304 Maybe so. Yet his quote shows, I think, a genuine will not to a blood-thirsty monster.
@@Briselance yes but he was the only king in Europe who thinks that.
His reign was at the end a catastrophe for France and is in the opinion of many historians one of the key reason of the French Revolution.
@@walideg5304 true. Ever since the days of Prince Eugene, the French Monarchy was already stirring up trouble on the domestic front that led to the French Enlightenment & the age of Voltaire towards the Revolution.
I’m sorry Louis, but that’s the dumbest advice I’ve ever heard….
i'm blown away by both how brutal this battle was and by how much detail has survived in the historical records
Give a historian enough funding, time, and access to archives, and they will produce excellent research.
In the grand scheme of history this battle happened last week, shouldn’t be that surprising
The 18th century is such a battlefield between France and England. War of Spanish and Austrian succession, Seven Years war, American War of Independence followed by the start of the Napoleonic wars
Its called second 100 year war
From 9 year war(1689) to Napoleonic war (1815)
@@jayantkumar2314 I didn't know that. Interesting. I've also read about the "first" 100 years war (from 1159 to 1259)
Less than half of the pragmatic army was British in this battle. Britian always had allies helping them.
@@iagosevatar4865 The first Hundred Years' between England and France was between 1337 and 1453.
@@metarus208 i know i know but some historians consider that the conflictual period of 1159-1259 can also be considered as a previous unofficial 100 years war
I swear those French guys holding the forest carried the battle.
They did. The artillery played also a crucial role.
Who knew that 11 men could hold off so much infantry for so long!
true had the brittish manage to clear the forest and put pressure on the readoubts maybe the center push wouldn't had falter at the end.
True, really great observation, they prevented the massive allied infantry square from being able to gain any leverage
Top tier comment, I would have thought clearing the forest be a priority
34:47 My man with the cavalry likely saved an absolute slaughter...This video was a masterpiece, by the way. It's crazy how many different people groups were represented at this battle.
Multi ethnic battlefest
Time to play Empire Total war again ! The battle of Fontenoy is one of few battles that are available in the game. Maybe it should have been interesting to include it.
By the way "gardes françaises" means "french guard" with "françaises" being pronunced "franssaize" instead of "frankaiz" like in the video.
I liked it, thanks to cover it. This battle is quite known here in France but not really out of France so thank you !
Everything including France and more France vs England is an instant click from me. :)
tabarnak de louis sur la roiie de la soi apres la dwar
Jean Thurel was a french military man that lived 107 years. Born in 1698 in France during the reign of Louis XIV and died in 1807 under Napoleon had 3 brothers that had been killed during the battle of Fontenoy in 1745. 3 sons in one battle is awful for the parents my got.
I think you meant 109 years right?
He died when France was at its most power and glorious. Hope he looked back at the history and his nation and felt pride he helped to forge it. Lucky he didn’t see the collapse that came 7 years later
An assault with two botched flanking attacks into well defended positions, against a numerically superior army, with an advance into a kill zone surrounded on 3 sides by the enemy, under enfilading artillery fire, and SOMEHOW this was a "close" battle.
It's a miracle the British army wasn't completely annihilated. The troops must have been exceptional to fight as far and as fiercely as they did.
yea i thought the same thing. maybe the pragmats didnt have proper intel, but it was such a well defemded position in my eyes it was suicide. they could have easily won that battle if the french were not this heavily entrenched.
@@Timo-tm6rj It is as you say, Cumberland and Waldeck didn't really have proper intel or a good view of the entire French disposition. For us, we are blessed to have records of this battle and a top-down eagle-eye view of the battlefield.
However, for the Anglo-Hanoverians, the most they could probably make out were the Redoute D'Eu and Chambonas, as well as a thin blur of entrenchments and men, with the occasional flashes and smoke from artillery batteries, from the French position at Fontenoy. The Dutch, likewise, could probably only see a thin line of Frenchmen cresting the road between Fontenoy and Antoing, the redoubts in front of them, as well as the aforementioned blur of entrenchments and men around both of the fortified settlements.
Before the Anglo-Hanoverians, there was actually a sunken road with a higher elevation, which likely hid the disposition of most of the French army behind it, which Cumberland would not have been able to see until he had already moved up and fallen into Saxe's trap. The most, I imagine, that could be seen with a spotting glass were the Gardes Francaises and Gardes Suisses. To say nothing of the Arquebusiers de Grassin hiding within the Bois de Barry.
Marechal de Saxe chose his battlefield well, such that the battlefield could conceal the greater portion of his forces, while funneling any attack into killing zones enfilading the attackers from multiple directions. Now, while Cumberland is also to blame for his failures to properly coordinate with Waldeck, as well as his decision to take position among the Foot Guards on the British advance when he should have been on horseback, running back and forth to issue commands and oversee the troops from a clearer vantage point, it is a testament to the sheer professionalism of the Anglo-Hanoverian soldiers that they were able to bloody the French so despite the latter possessing all of the advantages in terrain, manpower, and having a superior commander.
One must also speak of the brave Dutch troops, who despite being repulsed multiple times, still went into the fray again to try and pin down the French right and break through Fontenoy. While they performed below expectations during this battle, the Dutch are renowned for their courage and their training is not a bit inferior to that of the Anglo-Hanoverians.
Yes, they should had been exterminated.
The Britts were excellent troops that day.
I wonder what would have happened if the British took the woods. They couldn't have taken the redoubts, but neither could the redoubts ignore them. The six pounders could also harass those positions.
That would have relieved the infantry from flanking fire, possibly allowing the British to retain enough soldiers to hold back the Irish.
It surely is more than one historical source of praise for British infantry of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Fantastic video, probably the best depiction of the battle of Fontenoy I've ever seen or read. And marvelously narrated. This is a work of the highest standard, well done!
There are at least two Gaelic Football clubs in Ireland called ‘Fontenoys’. They were named in honour of the Irish at this battle.
Well, as a Frenchman, I am extremely proud that the Irish and the French side by side have won this terrible battle.
We also don't forget Bobby Sand.
@@olivierpuyou3621 Bollocks to the pair of you. With all the advantages of position, preparation and numbers you still scrabbled a bare win.
@@realhorrorshow8547 a clear win. The pragmatic army was perfectly tricked in that position by the previous weeks mouvement by De Saxe as explained by the video
@@walideg5304 Oh, don't get me wrong. Looking at the map I wouldn't have attacked in the first place. But if the rest of the pragmatic army had fought as well as the British, it could have been a victory in spite of the disadvantages.
What annoyed me is someone claiming victory when all his countrymen did was kick a British force when they were down. I despise that kind of bully's side-kick behaviour and always have.
I just read that there is still an annual commemoration to the Irish Brigade in Fontenoy.
razor's edge till the end, what a bloody massacre, and such amazing determination from Saxe.
Amazing determination by the British infantry without artillery support!
I love the play by play battles. Not having any knowledge of this battle beforehand, I was on the edge of my seat. So many close calls on both sides. So many times it could have gone one way or the other. Looking forward to watching more.
I could've swore HistoryMarche just did this battle a while back. Oh well. I am starting to get old. Cheers from Tennessee
They did, but took it down because the final product wasn't to their standards. Added more details and animations
@@MrSteveK1138 I love his channel. Discovered Historymarche through his Hannibal videos years back
@@clongshanks5206 Same here, and more are forthcoming
Incredible battle and commanders. I didn’t know much about The war of the Austrian Succession, but this sparked my interest.
Such elaborate manoveauring and so many commanders and different troops involved. It was truly a delight to watch this.
Also, Marechal de Saxe is truly inspiring. I’m so glad to find another great commander to read about :)
magnifique travail ! vraiment belle videos félicitations ! VIVE LA FRANCE VIVE LE ROI
great video as always, the editing is great, the narrator voice is great and calming and animation is smooth as well
"It's over Cumberland! I have the high ground!"
- Marshal de Saxe
Did you watch it until the end ? 😊
There is a very interesting fact about this battle, related to the Irish Americans: a year ago I was reading about the role of the Irish battalions in the American Civil War and their great bravery during their charges against the Confederates at the beginning of the War, mainly during the peninsula campaign and I found it striking that they used "Remember Fontenoy" as their battle cry and how this motto inspired them with determination, but I never understood the level of importance or implication that this battle meant for the exiled Irish and that turning point I am understanding right now after watching the video. I think that Fontenoy, rather than a French victory, is more remembered as an Irish moral victory and I'm not saying this because I don't think the French deserve this victory, but after seeing all the problems the Irish have had until they were able to get their freedom as independent nation, is that one comes to capture the pride that gives them that their ancestors have been so important in achieving such a resounding victory on the side of their French allies (such as the Polish case in the Napoleonic Wars), another reason is that for the French this war was a wasted opportunity and many consider it, together with the 7 Years War, as one of the main causes of popular weariness towards the nobility and the Bourbons in general, which would end up unleashing the Revolution decades later, because they could not achieve any notorious territorial benefit, such as the annexation of Belgium (something that seemed a fact after his victory in this war, but after the peace treaty, vanished, making the sacrifice almost in vain), added to that the other allies of the French got benefits that they did not, like Spain and Prussia. So, if one wonders why the British had more Imperial luck than the French, it is because they knew how to take better advantage of their victories in wars than the French and their allies, especially because of their daring diplomacy.
It Is above all that Louis XV played the fool. He was strongly borrowed from the values of the enlightenment, even if it starts from a good feeling, in politics, You should never be too sentimental. Or else, Freemasonry was already at work to destroy the nobility slowly until the revolution^^ Besides, Louis XIV would have had no Mercy.
Mainly because it was more expensive to maintain both naval and Land forces at the same Time, at sea and frontiers. France had Always been a continental force first and foremost. The proof is that they had fewer settlers in North America than the brits.
@@vatsal7640 SAYS YOU
your not Irish, provide the links to support your claim.
For reference
I agree with your thoughts around how this contributed to the French revolution. It was also economic reasons... this war, the 7 years and in particular the American revolutionary war, cost the French in today's money 100's and 100's of billions. It virtually bankrupted them. The wars cost Britain a lot $$ as well, but such was the strength of the British economy they could absorb the costs.
A masterpiece! thanks for your hard work HM!
Now this is epic, it was great working with yall!
I was wondering why the frequency of the civil war videos slowed a bit down but great to see you cooperating with History Marche :) that's some effort well spend!
Thanks for connecting so clearly the overall context in Europe and the battle. It's awesome. This battle and the war itself are not being taught in french school.
Great video. I love covering battles like this that were huge and important but are not well known
I saw this video a few days ago and really enjoyed it, I wanted to watch it again that same day (a bit later) and I just couldn't find it! I spent so long searching for the video (I wasn't sure it was from History Marche so I couldn't just check the channel). So glad it wasn't taken down for good!
What a brilliant video.
Really outstanding detail and pace of the retelling of such a brutal and complicated battle.
an incredibly hard fought and unpredictable battle. i was on the edge of my seat through out the narration. one of the best ever from HM.
Merci beaucoup ! Fontenoy est important pour les Français qui aiment leur Histoire.
vive la France ,
D'après vous, le roi Louis XV a-t-il rétrocédé les Pays-Bas espagnols aux Habsbourgs car il savait que les Anglais ne toléreraient jamais que ce pays tampon entre la France et les Pays-Bas ne tombe aux mains des Français ?
@@mcgiver6977 qu'est ce qu'on en à faire ? Pourquoi tu viens de la péter ?
that was fantastic!
I don't think I ever got this fired over narration! THANKS
Thank so so much for this man! You're one of the best history channels!
This was incredible! Amazing work... playing this on the big screen at home was the best 37min of entertainment I've had in a while. Keep it up.
You’re absolutely right! This description of such a complicated battle is awesome!
It is unbelievable that France and England are allies considering the history of conflict between the two.
Democracy will do that
The threat of annihilation will do that too. (WW1,WW2)
Scott’s ,Catholic Church etc to middle❤😂
Unlikely allies, if we can it that.
RF
We let our athletes do the warring and cheer them on rather than kill each other, minus the occasional hooligan skirmish outside the stadium.
Thank you for sharing this informative, wonderful historical coverage video...
Complicated is an understatement for this battle. So many moving parts couldn't imagine doing this without radio comms!
This was the most epic video I have ever seen on this channel, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
I liked Solferino one more.
This is by the most superb channel on military history. Bravo to you and wishing you all the success in growing the channel.
This is amazing! I love all the details that have been told about this battle! Thanks!
Brilliant presentation! Thank you.
Excellent video, this battle was largely unknown to me, especially all these details. As a Dutchmen who knows quite a bit about history I was surprised to see them fighting in this battle. Hope to see more HistoryMarche video's about Dutch history, as there's so much more to tell about it.
Dutch military history is vcery lackluster, i would say your strength relies on your trade.
@@Zakariya3603disagree. The Dutch have had a very strong and large army in between 1590 and 1713, which won numerous victories. Until 1795 it still was an army to consider for the European powers.
During the Napoleonic Wars the Dutch played a relatively minor part, but performed well in action. Most notably during the 1799 and 1815 campaigns. After that the Netherlands was largely neutral, but still conquered a lot of territory in Indonesia.
The Dutch have a proud but underrated military history I would say. Even in our own country much of it is unkown
@@Raadpensionaris I never denied that, i know that the Dutch have a good military record, you held your own well against commanders like Condé in Seneffe and even were the troyan horse of Marlborough in Ramillies and Oudenarde.
But Dutch military history simply doesn't compare to French or English military history, the Netherlands has always a nation that often relied on diplomacy and trade than brute force akin to the Phoenicians, the VOC was quite possibly the richest and most successful company to ever exist, something which the French and the British never accomplished.
@@Zakariya3603 I mean, I wouldn't want to compare ourselfs to France and England. They are and were much bigger countries, so it is only natural that they have more military accomplishments. I just think that Dutch military history on land is often underrated. Yes the Dutch were defensive minded and focussed on diplomacy, but they absolutely were able to fight when it was needed. And that was quite often
@@Raadpensionaris Yes, and that's why i named battles like Seneffe, the Dutch became a proper military betwwen 1581 to 1795, nobody ever said otherwise.
Very nice to see your video about Fontenoy. A series such as those about Napoléon's battles would be even better including a detailed account about Prague, Dettingen, Weißenburg and the campaigns in Italy.
For which purpose you show fantasy uniforms in the illustrations instead of historical paintings?
Epic History TV has a magnificent series on the Napoleonic wars, done in colaboration with History Marche.
@@mihailupu5107 they’re videos lacking details
Brilliant documentary on this battle of 1745, would love you to do one on the Jacobite campaigns
Très bien expliqué ! Merci.
Great video. Did not know much about the battle but watched it because we still have an enemy flag seized by a French ancestor at Fontenoy in our home. In tatters obviously. His regiment was not mentioned in the video and I find it difficult to spot where the action occurred. Anyway, much easier to watch this in an armchair now than being with the ranks and files at the time. What a butcher house!
This is one of the most exciting accounts of a battle I have ever seen. Great job, HistoryMarche!
Is this your first collaboration with Warhawk? Glad to see them here!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for the support. Very kind of you.
As the British and Hanoverian line infantry moved toward the French center, my eyes literally widened at the position they were funneled into.
"Makes the Charge of the Light Brigade look like a sensible military exercise."
and yet it almost worked... im just baffled...
you fellas would be surprised how fascinating reality is at times
There is no way anything can make the charge of the light brigade look sensible. As an example of total nonsense it has few peers. But Fontenoy was a close run battle.
"We will march as slow as possible to give the French a fighting chance, gentlemen. It would be unfair to not give them ample time to surrender."
Thanks
Thanks so much for the support! Very kind of you.
The Anglo-Hanoverian infantry in the center was so formidable that they almost just carried the day on their own. Their commanders failed them.
'I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion' - Alexander the Great.
Saxe was a lion here.
Tis the story of the British military in the Early Modern era. Extreme competency at all levels except senior officers.
Saxe proved to be a good example of optimism and good leadership
@@colbygordon6936 Same could be said about the French army in the first half of the 20th century, especially at the dawn of WWII.
@@viviyep That implies the fr*nch were competent at any level.
@@colbygordon6936 they were, whether you like it or not, my dear trolling friend :)
More videos about this era please!
je ne peux faire autrement que m'abonner.....merci pour les traductions lisibles en français....Napoléon , parlant de l'artillerie dira: "le feu tue"....le rôle de l'artillerie est ici démontré... merci à vous pour ce magnifique travail
Yes! This is the videos we would love more of. More of gunpowder battles please!
Maurice de Saxe is one of the most underrated commanders in European history.
Cumberland seemed to be mediocre at best by contrast. Culloden was his only great victory.
Nobody underated de Saxe. He is considered one of the best marshals of French history
He deserves to be much more well known than he is.
@@michaelsinger4638 well in France there are many boulevards, avenues … with his name
You being too polite about 'Butcher' Cumberland ! 🙄
P.S. Notice the Scottish impact of the Pragmatic Army : Munro,Campbell and Lindsay,Earl of Crawford ! 😉
Maurice was very good at getting the enemy to play into his hands on both the tactical and operational levels and thus efficiently achieving his objectives. He was very good though at efficiently playing to his army’s strengths and his opponents’ weaknesses while mitigating his own weaknesses. Cumberland on the other hand was a buffoon.
¡Gracias!
Thank you so much for the support. Very kind of you.
Good vid,but slight corrections needed : mispelt 'cas(a)ulties' and (since 1707) its the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'
MAGNIFICAT!!! thanks for show this battle! Always I was looking for the Battle of Fontenoy!
Really enjoy this long episode!
I think I just saw the most beautiful historymarche video to date. Well done guys
Yes! Love your channel! Keep the videos coming!
Best history channel on RUclips 🎉.
« Messieurs les Anglais, tirez les premiers »
it was the opposite actually, it was the commanding officer of the british 1st foot guards regiment who stepped forward and challenged the French officer to fire first.
@@lollius88 Yes, and it's supposed to have been the French retort: "No, you go first". Like schoolchildren taunting each other. Apocryphal or not, these quotes always leave a bad taste. It's mostly officers playing war, while their soldiers get killed and maimed.
@@Pippin1505 Well at least they led from the front.
Also such retorts can help raise the morale of the men and make them angry. As in
"they think that theyre better than you"
@@Pippin1505No they wanted to gain a tactical advantage. When you have fired a volley you are temporarily blinded by smoke. At this moment the opponent has an opportunity to manoeuvre without being seen for a brief moment and, for exemple, launch a baïonnette charge or reposition or juste stay and counter shoot.
Really nice presentation well done
Finally a proper episode, not those short videos...thanks!!!
Holly shit dude, english troops tanked and carried hard back then.
GIGACHAD
nah this battle was an unmitigated disaster for the British
@@watch-Dominion-2018 that's not the fault of the soldiers. If it wasn't for the English troops present the defeat would have been way way worse for the pragmatic army
@@watch-Dominion-2018 no it wasnt, they were fighting an army in an amazing position that outnumbered them 2:1, the fact they almost won is a miracle.
@@v_cpt-phasma_v689 the commanders did an awful job and wasted many lives
@@JJaqn05 the commanders did an awful job and wasted many lives
I love great feelings of history. No spin or angle just the history we know being told without anything unnecessary being added
Also, judging by the arrangement of all these squares, neither side used their advantages properly, nor in a way that would guarantee the least amount of casualties with victory.
I'm sure they did what they could in reality though, and large battles between thousands of men are always, and I mean always, disorderly and chaotic. Especially without a form of instant communication.
Excuse, if bunch of infantry charge into the middle of your frontline, but you got many cannons and reserves, yet you suffice with ordering few of your cavalry to charge your enemy instead of a collective infantry march with cavalry flank charge, You are an absolute buffoon. And with all the mistakes the Allied side made, they gave a potential victory to you with a silver platter in many occasions.
This battle makes me angry.
31:25 see, how can one justify this idiocy?
Great W for scotsman tho, absolute beasts singlehandedly broke the french unity.
Same for Irishmen of other side.
@@hannibalburgers477 I feel your anger, man. I'm as outraged as Saxe upon seeing the sheer idiocy done by the French leaders, they have all the resources and pretext to victory they can have. Yet, they couldn't land a decisive blow.
How can they let such a big formation of British troops directly march towards their center without great consequences ? Cannons from the redoubts should've torn them apart.
Insanity. Drip charging a seemingly large wall of bayonets and muskets with cavalry, and even failing to organize a disciplined charge.
@Emil Fontanot Pretty sure if they had more canister shots in the middle, it would change the casualty rates significantly.
This video is back I was half way through last week when it was removed glad you guys put it back up
It is astonishing that they were that organized without any radio or technology of any kind.. and in a misty fog. How the heck did they command that large of a force and maintain the organization?!
Musician. I'm serious.
they didn't. You saw from the recount several times where the fogs of war impeded both side. from the calvery charge on the french side being piecemeal to the brittish and dutch not cordinating when they attack the left flank.
Thank you for covering this battle.
You would be right to say that George II was the last REIGNING sovereign to take part in a battle. But the last person who would ultimately become King of England who took part in a battle was George VI who fought at Jutland in 1916.
I really enjoyed the incredible detail you guys put into this video!
I kept misreading the thumbnail as "More Furries than men"
A truly horrific site
"Their IT capabilities were terrifying" - French soldier on the charge of the 69th Yiff regiment at Fontenoy
Dear History Marche
This is your best job ever
Thank you!!
This was fricking intense.
Great video thank u
I did notice that the Cumberland’s men in the center were much more numerous than Saxe’s men in the center , which is what allowed Cumberland’s men to use that “rolling” fire that so devastated the French center during the midpoint of the battle . Saxe was the head and heart of the French army and victory , in this battle , like this very good animated narration shows .
cumberland jump the gun a bit by attacking before having a full knowledge on what awaited him but he wasn't a fool that clear from the video he know he needed to clear those guns at the readout but his commander fail to clear the forest leading to them. several times during the day brittish made headway against the french but the field marshal was cleary a man who knew his business and louis did well putting his trust in him. Had the french army learn that the king retreated moral would plummet and could lead to a defeat.
@@Marveryn Absolutely right . The French king had an important part in the success of that battle for the French therefore.
This was splendid! Would love to see more 18th century content of its like on this channel. Cheers!
I hope you do the battle of Malplaquet one day soon
This was excellent 👏🏻
"Let's attack the enemy in prepared positions where they are the strongest" - Cumberland
Gotta love the effort put into the saying of french names😁
23:41 I find it almost ironic that the British here were practicing rifle rotation to the front ranks even though Maurice de Saxe wrote about it in his war manual (not that they couldn't both do it, but still)
i think that cause his infranty i think were in the ditches or in the forest. Notice all his attack after his center was broken was with the calvary.
Hindsight is 20/20 but this is the most maddening battle I have ever watched. Without historical sources I don't think I would have believed it.
The 18th century is honestly absolute madness with how much warfare was happening
there were more wars in the 17th century
Thanks for another wonderful video!
Honestly incredible the Anglo-Hanoverian troops were able to withdraw, I cannot imagine what it would take to stay steady in that situation.
Another " Glorious retreat " 😂
I love the determination to detail. This is the first video I've watched of you and just HAVE to subscribe :)
Imagine being Marsall Saxe - "Fellas tighten up, my boss is here observing."
Fellas - "Who's your boss, boss?"
Saxe - "The King of France."
That's power.
Very good and precise video. Continue your great work!
"Gentlemen of the French Guards, would you care to fire?"
"No, it's alright you may go first. You are the attacking force, after all!"
"Lovely, gentlemen. Alright, make ready! Fire! Now it is your turn, good sirs!"
"Yes, indeed. You guys seem to have shot Timothee on that first volley, there, what a shame. Make ready! Fire!"
"By God, your men have better aim than us! Your Frenchmen are quite admirable! Make ready! Fire!"
I imagine that is how warfare was fought in the 18th century, lmao
This was the execption, not the rule. Its one of the reasons why this battle became so famous.
You seem to have shot timothee 😂😂😂
It was an ecxeption. Warfare was Always a brutal afair. Organised mass murder.
@vinz4066 very organized and cordial judging by the first quote, lol
thank you for another incredible video
What an epic battle.
Great job as usual.
I am blown away by your quality, it's just insane in details, maps, movements... Also, the XVIII century has the reputation of being refined, effeminate, etc., but here you can really see that the true brutality of the battles of the age, the carnage of the arrillery, and how brave those men were.
Well done!! Thanks :)
Wow I didn’t realize how close The Duke of Cumberland nearly pulled it off .
You meant his troop. The man was a ln asshat of a commander
The title and graphic is wrong. There was no 'Kingdom of England' in 1745. It was the Kingdom of Great Britain.
One of your best videos, keep it up!
Cumberland faced very strong positions and was probably foolish to even assault them. To the great credit of both armies the resolve to win was contested to the extreme. Simply extracting the British Infantry in the final stages was a minor miracle given the difficult terrain they had to recross and exposed to fire on 3 sides.