French victory at Lauffeld ended Allied hopes of recovering the Austrian Netherlands and contributed to the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Key Facts
- Date
- 2 July 1747
- French army strength
- 136,000 troops
- Pragmatic Army strength
- 100,000 troops
- French commander
- Marshal Saxe
- Allied commander
- Duke of Cumberland
- Sir John Ligonier's fate
- Captured during cavalry charge saving Allied army
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In early 1747, the Duke of Cumberland planned an offensive to retake Antwerp from French forces, who had conquered much of the Austrian Netherlands between 1744 and 1746. French maneuvers threatened to cut off Cumberland's supply base at Maastricht, forcing him to abandon the offensive and fall back toward the city, bringing the two armies into direct confrontation near Lauffeld.
On 2 July 1747, a French army of 136,000 under Marshal Saxe engaged a Pragmatic Army of 100,000 led by Cumberland between Tongeren and Maastricht. A series of tactical mistakes by Cumberland undermined the Allied position. Repeated cavalry counterattacks by Sir John Ligonier prevented outright destruction of the Allied army, but Ligonier himself was captured during a final charge and later presented to the French king by Saxe.
The French victory extinguished Allied hopes of recapturing lost territory. France subsequently seized Bergen op Zoom in September 1747 and Maastricht in May 1748. However, French finances were near collapse and a Royal Navy blockade, compounded by defeat at Cape Finisterre in October 1747, strangled French trade. The resulting stalemate led both sides to the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Marshal Saxe.
Side B
1 belligerent
Duke of Cumberland, Sir John Ligonier.