Talk:Battle of Malplaquet
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[edit] Result?
Sorry, I meant to explain this edit in the edit summary, but accidently clicked Enter. I think "Pyrrhic Allied victory" is as good a description of the result as any. I think "Indecisive" isn't really clear. The French were forced to retreat, but the British suffered such heavy casualties that they were not able to persue. Hence Pyrrhic victory. --JW1805 (Talk) 01:39, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
That's about right. William Weir considered this one of his "fatal victories" in the book of the same title. The French had been on the ropes for several years, but remained in better shape than their enemy even though they conceded the battlefield. This battle was one of the major reasons the United Kingdom recalled Malborough a few years later and left the war and Philip was able to keep the throne of Spain and most of its possessions, which, after all, was what the war was about.--Syd Henderson (talk) 02:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Aftermath section
The myth that the French folksong dates from the battle is debunked here: "Malbrouk or Marlbrough (Marlbro'), does not date from the battle of Malplaquet (1709), but from the time of the Crusades, 600 years before. According to a tradition discovered by M. de Châteaubriand, the air came from the Arabs, and the tale is a legend of Mambron, a crusader. It was brought into fashion during the Revolution by Mme. Poitrine, who used to sing it to her royal foster-child, the son of Louis XVI. M. Arago tells us that when M. Monge, at Cairo, sang this air to an Egyptian audience, they all knew it, and joined in it. Certainly the song has nothing to do with the Duke of Marlborough, as it is all about feudal castles and Eastern wars. We are told also that the band of Captain Cook, in 1770,..."[1]
The quip about France being saved by a few more of these defeats apparently is from Villars, not Boufflers:« Si Dieu nous fait la grâce de perdre encore une pareille bataille, Votre Majesté peut compter que tous ses ennemis seront détruits. » Lettre du maréchal de Villars à Louis XIV après la bataille de Malplaquet du 11 septembre 1709. [2]
The Tories indeed used this Pyrrhic victory as a stick to beat Marlborough with, but to say that they were "moved" by it to begin agitating for withdrawal from the war is stretching events. (See W.S. Churchill, Marlborough. His Life and Times)--Ereunetes (talk) 23:29, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Battle section
One should keep track of the wings or "flanks" of the respective armies. Gen. Withers was never on the left wing of the Allied army, opposite the right wing of the French, though he was supposed to be there, before the battle started; unfortunately his column arrived too late from Tournai, so it was apportioned to the Allied right wing. And this was opposite the French left wing, pace the text in the article.
Also, the Dutch left wing did not "break off" (from what?) but started its diversionary attack at 9.30 am as planned, though the Dutch unfortunately had not been informed that it was only intended as "diversionary", and that they were opposed by a force twice their size. Hence the appalling losses.--Ereunetes (talk) 23:42, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Flags
There is something going on in the info box about the proper flag icons. I am no expert, so I won't get involved in the editing, but it seems to me what is needed is either the "lily" flag of the Kingdom of France (pre-Revolution) or possibly a battle flag, but not a naval flag (obviously).--Ereunetes (talk) 20:50, 22 April 2008 (UTC)
