Turenne's winter campaign

Background

The Franco-Dutch War largely stemmed from King Louis XIV's desire for military glory and to punish the Netherlands for perceived betrayal during the War of Devolution (1667–68). The Dutch had begun that war as a French ally but, alarmed by Louis's territorial ambitions, allied with England and Sweden to curb French expansion. Louis paid off Sweden and England to abandon that alliance, then invaded the Netherlands in 1672. The Dutch bogged down the French advance, and other powers, including the Holy Roman Empire, joined the war against France.

In 1674, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, sought to open a second front in Alsace, much of which was under French control except for areas like the free city of Strasbourg. An Imperial army under Field Marshal Alexander von Bournonville crossed the Rhine at Strasbourg in September 1674. Turenne attacked at Entzheim on October 4 with a smaller force; the battle was tactically indecisive but prompted Bournonville to end the campaign and enter winter quarters, where he was reinforced by troops from Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg.

Louis tried to strengthen Turenne's army: Prince Louis, Grand Condé sent 20 infantry battalions and 24 cavalry squadrons, but Turenne remained heavily outnumbered. The king also invoked the arriere ban, assembling over 5,000 undisciplined men at Nancy, whom Turenne disbanded in November.

Turenne's plan

Seventeenth-century armies generally campaigned between April and October, avoiding winter combat due to bad roads and scarce supplies. Bournonville followed this tradition, moving his army of about 57,000 men into camps around Colmar in southern Alsace. Turenne's army was encamped between Saverne and Haguenau in northern Alsace, but the French were not truly in winter quarters. Turenne determined to use this advantage by marching around the enemy's flank and launching a surprise attack in winter.

French deception

To throw Bournonville off, Turenne made the French forts in Middle Alsace look ready for a winter stay. He then moved his main army southwest, away from the enemy.

After Condé’s troops joined him, he had 33,000 men. He broke this force into smaller groups to fool spies, giving each one its own route but keeping his final goal secret. He hid his army behind the Vosges Mountains and used his cavalry to block enemy view of the move.

Winter march

The French field army left camps near Saverne at the beginning of December 1674 and moved into Lorraine. Turenne requisitioned large amounts of grain and food, ignoring local complaints. The march went through Sarrebourg and Baccarat, reaching Epinal on December 18. In Alsace, Bournonville and his allies argued over what to do: some wanted to attack Saverne or Haguenau; the Elector of Brandenburg preferred to take Belfort; Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine sought to reclaim his province and sent troops to take Remiremont and Epinal, but they fled as Turenne approached.

As news of the French march reached the enemy, Turenne sent detachments east into the Vosges to feign attacks through passes like Col du Bonhomme and Col de la Schlucht, though the French had no intention of pressing these attacks. After Epinal, Turenne turned southeast; snow and bad roads slowed the advance, and food ran short. The main body marched through Remiremont unopposed and entered Belfort on December 27. From there Turenne moved northeast, reaching Mulhouse on December 29 and surprising an enemy detachment at the Battle of Mulhouse.

Striking north at the enemy headquarters near Colmar, Turenne decisively defeated Bournonville at the Battle of Turckheim on January 5, 1675, forcing the Imperials to evacuate Alsace and cross back over the Rhine at Strasbourg.

Did You Know?

• A French soldier said Turenne's manoeuvre was 'one of the best concerted Stratagems and at the same Time one of the greatest Actions that ever was done by any General.'
• Napoleon said of Turenne that his 'audacity grew with years and experience.'
• Turenne's campaign anticipated similar manoeuvres later carried out by Napoleon and Stonewall Jackson.