A minor engagement in the Franco-Dutch War that contributed to French control of Alsace and the Rhine crossing near Strasbourg.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 July 1678
- Conflict
- Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678)
- French Commander
- François de Créquy
- Imperial Commander
- Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
- Location
- Baden-Württemberg, modern Germany
- War ended
- Treaty of Nijmegen, January 1679
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the closing stages of the Franco-Dutch War, France sought to consolidate its position in Alsace and secure the Rhine crossing near Strasbourg. French forces under François de Créquy were operating against Imperial troops commanded by Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, in a campaign to dominate the strategically vital Rhine frontier.
On 23 July 1678, French and Imperial forces clashed at Ortenbach, near Gengenbach, in what was technically a skirmish rather than a full battle. The engagement was part of a broader French offensive in the region of Baden-Württemberg, pitting Créquy's army against the Imperial force of the Duke of Lorraine.
The skirmish formed part of a sequence of operations that allowed France to secure Alsace and capture Kehl along with the Rhine crossing near Strasbourg. The war formally concluded with the Treaty of Nijmegen in January 1679, and Strasbourg itself was subsequently annexed by France in 1681.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
François de Créquy.
Side B
1 belligerent
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine.