Maurice de Saxe Biography and Timeline

Invasion of England

Prepares a fleet at Dunkirk to land 12,000 troops in London, aborted after a bad storm

Role range: 1740-1748

Occupation

French troops occupy Brussels

Role range: 1740-1748

Siege of Brussels

French troops occupy Brussels

Role range: 1740-1748

Battle of Fontenoy

French victory over 50,000 British, Dutch & German. Britain gains compensation in America & India. After the Battle of Fontenoy France occupies the Austrian Netherlands

Role range: 1740-1748

Battle of Fontenoy

The French under Maurice de Saxe stop an allied advance on Tournai

Role range: 1740-1748

Capture of Fontenoy

After the Battle of Fontenoy France occupies the Austrian Netherlands

Role range: 1740-1748

Invasion of Netherlands, The

After the Battle of Fontenoy France occupies the Austrian Netherlands

Role range: 1740-1748

Rule of Netherlands, The

After the Battle of Fontenoy France occupies the Austrian Netherlands

Role range: 1740-1748

Capture of Bruges

French advances after Fontenoy threaten and secure Bruges.

Role range: 1740-1748 – 1744-1750

French Win Battle of Rocourt

Maurice de Saxe defeated the allied army near Liège on 11 October 1746.

Role range: 1740-1748

Battle Confirms French Battlefield Strength

Saxe’s army demonstrated the effectiveness of its coordinated assault on allied positions.

Role range: 1740-1748

Battle of Rocoux

Frances Marshal Saxe defeats Austria for control of The Netherlands

French Army Campaigns In Flanders

Marshal Maurice de Saxe led French operations in the Austrian Netherlands during 1746.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allies Assemble Against French

The allied army brought together British, Dutch, Hanoverian and Austrian troops to oppose France.

Role range: 1740-1748

Saxe Advances Toward Liege

Maurice de Saxe manoeuvred his army toward the allied position near Liège.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Outnumber Allied Forces

Maurice de Saxe commanded a numerically superior army at the battle of Rocourt.

Role range: 1740-1748

Rocourt Villages Become Strongpoints

Allied defenders occupied villages and built up their local positions before the French attack.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Left Faces French Advance

The allied left flank came under pressure as French troops prepared their attack.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Infantry Advances On Villages

French infantry under Saxe attacked the allied village positions on 11 October 1746.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Artillery Supports Assault

French guns supported the infantry as it approached the fortified allied positions.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Defenders Fire From Houses

Allied infantry used village buildings and enclosed positions to resist the French attack.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Assault Targets Rocourt

French troops fought to drive the allied defenders out of Rocourt.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Line Contests Village Ground

The allied army resisted French attacks amid the cluster of settlements on the battlefield.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Reinforcements Press Forward

Saxe maintained pressure by committing further troops to contested positions.

Role range: 1740-1748

Village Fighting Inflicts Losses

Close fighting around the villages produced casualties among both French and allied soldiers.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Centre Faces Heavy Pressure

French attacks increasingly challenged the allied position in the centre.

Role range: 1740-1748

Dutch Troops Face French Assault

Dutch formations were among the allied troops attacked by the advancing French army.

Role range: 1740-1748

British Troops Support Allied Position

British units took part in the allied resistance against the French offensive.

Role range: 1740-1748

Hanoverian Units Serve With Allies

Hanoverian troops fought alongside other contingents in the allied army.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Capture Contested Positions

French troops seized important village positions despite the defenders’ resistance.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Withdrawal Becomes Necessary

The loss of forward positions made the allied line increasingly difficult to hold.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Pressure Breaks Allied Defence

Saxe’s sustained attacks forced allied troops back from their defensive positions.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Command Orders Retreat

Allied commanders withdrew their army rather than continue the increasingly unfavourable battle.

Role range: 1740-1748

Both Armies Record Casualties

The battle inflicted losses on the attackers and defenders during the fight for the villages.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Retain Campaign Initiative

The victory allowed Saxe to maintain French military initiative in the Austrian Netherlands.

Role range: 1740-1748

Allied Army Avoids Destruction

The allied army withdrew from Rocourt without being completely destroyed.

Role range: 1740-1748

French Advance Continues in Netherlands

The victory formed part of France’s wider successful campaigns in the Austrian Netherlands.

Role range: 1740-1748

Rocourt Precedes Further Allied Fighting

The conflict continued after Rocourt, including another major battle at Lauffeld in 1747.

Role range: 1740-1748

Battle of Laufield

Defeats the Duke of Cumberlands Anglo-Dutch Army

Role range: 1740-1748

Capture of Bergen

The French consolidate their occupation of Austrian Flanders

Role range: 1740-1748