View source for Battle of Almenar

{{for|the medieval battle|Battle of Almenar (1082)}}
{{more footnotes|date=August 2014}}
{{short description|1710 battle}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle of Almenar
| image= Derrota-i-humillacion borbonica-en-almenar-27-7-1710-cataluña.jpg
| image_size = 300
|caption=
|partof=the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]
|date=27 July 1710
|place=hills of [[Almenar]], near [[Balaguer]] ([[Catalonia]]), Spain
|result=Grand Alliance victory
|combatant1={{flagicon|Spain|1701}} [[Philip V of Spain|Bourbon Spain]]
|combatant2={{flag|Habsburg Monarchy|name=Habsburg Austria}}<br>{{flagicon|Portugal|1707}} [[Kingdom of Portugal]]<br>{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Great Britain}}<br>{{flagcountry|United Provinces}}
|commander1={{flagicon|Spain|1701}} [[Francisco Castillo Fajardo, marquis of Villadarias|Francisco de Villadarias]]
|commander2={{flagicon|Habsburg Monarchy}} [[Starhemberg]]<br>{{flagicon|Kingdom of Great Britain}} [[James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope|Stanhope]]
|strength1=22,000{{sfn|Lynn|1999|p=339}}
|strength2=24,000
|casualties1=1,300 dead or wounded<br>3,000 captured
|casualties2=400 dead or wounded
}}
{{Campaignbox War of the Spanish Succession}}

The '''Battle of Almenar''' took place near [[Balaguer]] in [[Catalonia]], on 27 July 1710, during the [[War of the Spanish Succession]]. 

In June 1710, the Bourbon-Spanish army of [[Philip V of Spain|Phillip V]] crossed into [[Catalonia]] in an attempt to capture [[Balaguer]]; an Allied force of British, Portuguese, Dutch and Austrian troops supporting [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Charles]] countered these moves and the two armies met in battle just to the north of [[Lleida]] on the afternoon of 27 July. Philip's army was defeated and forced to withdraw behind the [[Ebro]] but remained intact. 

== Prelude ==
{{Location map many|Catalonia|caption = 1710 Campaign in Spain; key locations |border = black|width =300|float = left
|label   = Balaguer      |pos =  right  |lat_deg   =41|lat_min   =47|lon_deg   = 0|lon_min  = 48
|label1=|coordinates1=|label2  = Lleida        |pos2 = left   |lat2_deg  =41|lat2_min  =37|lon2_deg  = 0|lon2_min = 38
|label3  = Barcelona     |pos3 = right  |lat3_deg  =41|lat3_min  =23|lon3_deg  = 2|lon3_min = 11
|label4  = Tarragona     |pos4 = right  |lat4_deg  =41|lat4_min  =7 |lon4_deg  = 1|lon4_min = 15
|label5  = Zaragoza      |pos5 = right  |lat5_deg  =41|lat5_min  =39|lon5_deg  = 0|lon5_min = 53
|label7  = Alfarras      |pos7 = left   |lat7_deg  =41|lat7_min  =50|lon7_deg  = 0|lon7_min = 34}}

By the spring of 1709, France was financially exhausted, the severe winter of 1708/09 led to widespread famine and [[Louis XIV]] was forced to withdraw French troops from Spain to reinforce his northern frontier. However, although the [[Battle of Malplaquet]] in September 1709 was technically an Allied victory, the casualties shocked Europe and halted their advance into France. In Spain, forces loyal to the Bourbon candidate [[Philip V of Spain|Philip V]] recaptured [[Alicante]] in April 1709 and won a resounding victory over an Anglo-Portuguese army at [[Battle_of_La_Gudina|La Gudiña]] in May. The Portuguese now declared an informal truce, allowing trade and agriculture to recommence.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Falkner|first1=James|title=The War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714|date=2015|publisher=Pen and Sword Military|isbn=978-1781590317}}</ref>

All sides wanted peace but negotiations in [[The Hague]] over the winter and spring of 1709/10 failed when the Allies demanded Louis agree to remove his grandson Philip by force if necessary. This approach was summarised by the British [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] party slogan [[No Peace Without Spain]] but was a major miscalculation. There was growing opposition to the war in Britain, now the major financial backer of the [[Grand_Alliance_(League_of_Augsburg)|Alliance]] while the campaign in Spain had largely been a failure. Phillip was far more popular with the Spanish than his rival [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Archduke Charles]] and so the war continued.

In May 1710, Phillip and the Spanish-Bourbon army under [[Francisco_Castillo_Fajardo,_Marquis_of_Villadarias|Villadarias]] crossed the [[Segre River|Segre]] river into [[Catalonia]] hoping to capture [[Balaguer]]. The first attempt failed due to torrential rain but French reinforcements increased the Spanish army to 20,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry and in June they tried again. The illness of the Allied commander [[Starhemberg]] enabled Philip to capture a number of small towns but after several weeks of marching and counter-marching, on 27 July [[James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope|Stanhope]]'s division crossed the Segres at [[Alfarràs]] and combined with Starhemberg's forces on the heights of [[Almenar]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Duc de Saint Simon|first1=Louis|title=Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 07|date=1902|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|isbn=1523296240|page=Chapter 14|edition=2016|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3875/3875-h/3875-h.htm#link2HCH0054}}</ref>

== Battle ==
Villadarias opened the battle with a cavalry attack on the Allied defences which initially gave way. The Spanish wasted the opening by pursuing groups of fleeing enemies and allowed the Allied lines to reform.

British, Dutch and German cavalry on the Allied left led by Stanhope and [[George Carpenter, 1st Baron Carpenter|George Carpenter]] attacked the Bourbon army's right wing which fled, taking the second line with it; British casualties included the [[William_Nassau_de_Zuylestein,_2nd_Earl_of_Rochford|Earl of Rochford]], Colonel of the 3rd Dragoon Regiment who was killed as they broke the Spanish lines.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Watson|first1=Paula|title=Nassau de Zuylestein, William, Viscount Tunbridge (1682-1710).|url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/member/nassau-de-zuylestein-william-1682-1710|website=HistoryofParliament|accessdate=17 March 2018}}</ref> The Allies simultaneously attacked the Bourbon right wing and put them to flight, with [[Philip V of Spain|Philip]] himself only just avoiding capture. 

The battle took place late in the afternoon, preventing the Allies from following up their victory and allowing the Bourbon forces to gather their scattered cavalry and reassemble in the town of [[Zaragoza]] or Saragossa.

== Aftermath ==
Shortly after this, Villadarias was replaced by the French general the [[Alexandre Maître, Marquis de Bay|Marquis de Bay]], victor over an Anglo-Portuguese army at the [[Battle of La Gudina]] in May 1709. The Bourbon army was battered but largely intact.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last1=Falkner|first1=James|title=The War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714|date=2015|publisher=Pen and Sword Military|isbn=978-1781590317}}
* {{cite book|last1=Lynn|first1=John|title=The Wars of Louis XIV, 1667-1714|date=1999|publisher=Longman|isbn=0582056292}}
* {{cite book|last1=Saint Simon|first1=Louis, duc de|title=Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency — Volume 07|date=1902|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|isbn=1523296240|page=Chapter 14|edition=2016|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3875/3875-h/3875-h.htm#link2HCH0054}}
* {{cite book |last=Van Nimwegen |first=Olaf |title=De Veertigjarige Oorlog 1672-1712: de strijd van de Nederlanders tegen de Zonnekoning (The 40 Years War 1672-1712: the Dutch struggle against the Sun King)|publisher=Prometheus |year=2020 |isbn=978-90-446-3871-4|lang=Dutch}};

[[Category:Conflicts in 1710|Almenar]]
[[Category:Battles involving Great Britain|Almenar]]
[[Category:Battles involving Austria|Almenar]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Dutch Republic|Almenar]]
[[Category:Battles of the War of the Spanish Succession in Spain|Almenar]]
[[Category:Military history of Catalonia|Almenar]]
[[Category:Segrià]]
[[Category:1710 in Spain]]