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1 - Battle of Malplaquet,
This took place in northern France, on the border with Belgium, north of the village of Malplaquet on the 11th September 1709. In August 1709 Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy took Tournai and moved on to besiege Mons. Marshal Villars, was ordered to raise the siege, and with an army of 80,000 men, took up a strong position. Marlborough advanced with 110,000 allied troops. Villars was wounded in the battle and Boufflers, who had taken command, eventually fell back on Le Quesnoy, having lost 17,000 men to the Allies' 25,000.
2 - In 1708 Marlborough and Eugene by winning a great victory at Oudenarde, took Lille and finally drove the French back to within their borders. Further attempts at peace negotiations failed, and the imperial forces in 1709 won a very costly victory at the Battle of Malplaquet, with the loss of many lives. Lord Orkney himself had nearly his entire regiment massacred at a French entrenchment, while Marlborough and Eugene were still reeling from their losses. Another account has this to say about events at Malplaquet:
..."it was under very changed conditions from Blenheim when Marlborough met the troops of Louis at Malplaquet. France was well-nigh worn out by the prolonged war. Famine within her borders, military disaster without, had caused her imperious ruler to look anxiously for peace. To this end his craftiest Ministers sought by offers of individual advantage to detach the Allies from the pact. Their efforts failed. The Alliance held fast, and demanded such humiliating conditions that Louis was obliged to renew the struggle. On the other hand, the political situation in England was such that Marlborough felt the necessity of achieving some victory that would justify the continuance of the war. Had he consulted only himself, he would have welcomed a cessation of hostilities, but he knew that France must be further stricken if the peace was to be enduring. In September, 1709, the capitulation of Douai to the Allies, and the approaching investment of Mons, brought the hostile armies closer together. The French, to the number of 110,000 were under the courageous and capable Villars, with whom was Marshal Boufflers, the brave defender of Lille. Marlborough commanded much the same strength of various nationalities with his tried comrade and friend Prince Eugene. Villars encamped in a strong position between two woods near the little village of Malplaquet. The Allies were drawn up opposite to him. For two nights and a day, the French general was allowed to strengthen his position by digging trenches and clearing his front, till early on the morning of the 11th September the Allied troops were led against him, the soldiers expressing their contempt at being "obliged to fight against moles". Villars believed in his trenches and filled them with infantry, posting his cavalry in the rear. The disposition of the Allies was a frontal attack, with a threat to enfilade the enemy's left. Led by Prince Eugene and Marlborough the line advanced against the French left and centre. Several times it was beaten back, but the attack was fiercely renewed. Half an hour after the battle had opened the young Prince of Orange, acting without orders, flung himself against the right of the trenches, only to be repulsed with a loss of 2,000 men. Although the Allies had not made much headway their onslaught on the flanks had withdrawn all the infantry from the centre, leaving the French cavalry exposed. Instantly Marlborough turned his cannon on the horsemen, following up the fire with a cavalry charge headed by the Prince of Auvergne. The charge had to be driven home no less than four times before the French gave way, but in the end the line was pierced. The French retreat was orderly, the Allies being too exhausted for pursuit. The cost to the victors was 18,000 killed and wounded; to the vanquished 14,000. Writing of the battle many years afterwards, Bolingbroke said: " A deluge of blood was spilt to dislodge them, for we did no more at Malplaquet."
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Abt 1679 - 1709 (30 years)
