Talk:Battle of the Golden Spurs

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Contents 1 Weapons used 2 Dutch spelling 3 Mistake 4 Casualties 5 Decisive victory?

[edit] Weapons used

Removed: "Some infantrymen were equipped with new multi-barrel gunpowder weapons, but their impact on the outcome is questionable."

Removed as it is unsourced and sounds unlikely: 1302 is very early for any sort of gunpowder weapon in Europe, and they would have been cannons, not man-portable firearms. This isn't my area of expertise however, so if 213.54.17.19 can cite a source for this, I'd happily be corrected.--QuantumEngineer 21:50, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like bollocks to me. The most advanced weapons that I've read about in use at this battle are crossbows. ericg ✈ 06:12, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I've added the Flemish use of the Geldon; a long spear used with two hands like a pike, it's use here by well disciplined infantry militia foretold the gradual decline of cavalry and the importance of the pike in the subsequent centuries. I find it odd that it wasn't mentioned in this article but that the Goedenac was. I was also suprised to see that the French were given credit for having 1000 pikemen on the field. I'm sure this is a mistake and they were normal infantry spearmen, most likely using a single handed spear and shield. The section does have a source but I don't have access to that book and everything I've ever read says that the most interesting thing about this battle was the use of the Flemish Geldon, I don't think any other army had pikemen at the time except for perhaps the Scotts. Master z0b 06:22, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Dutch spelling

I'm updating the spelling of "Vlaenderen" (old spelling, pre-WWII) to "Vlaanderen" (current spelling). Even for old books the spelling is routinely updated out here, most of us can't even read the old spelling without significant effort.

If you need a reference: any dictionary will do ;-)

213.118.140.120 18:19, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mistake

Recent historical research revealed that the secret pasword most probably wasn't Schild ende vriend but 's Gilden vriend (friend of the guild)

[edit] Casualties

The casualty figures in the box and in the text don't gel. 400 noble deaths on the Flemish side or 100? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.100.130.17 (talk • contribs)

The text states that 400 nobles fought with the Flemish, not that 400 died. I don't see any disagreement within the article. ericg ✈ 18:26, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Decisive victory?

Why is this a decisive victory - there are no long term consequences associated with this battle. The reason why they speak Dutch in the area rather than French in Flanders is more to do with the geographical location (close to Holland)

I understand that this battle is however Important in that infantry beat cavalry and would continue to do so but this battle alone did not result in a change in military tactics or a change in the politics of Europe or even the region because the French returned to assert their authority anyway. Correct me if I am wrong. Tourskin 01:05, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

You are right, this battle has very little to do with why we speak Dutch in Flanders today and Flanders remained a part of France afterwards. In fact, the County of Flanders ceased to be a part of France only with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549, more than two centuries later. Hence, it was only a temporary victory.--Ganchelkas 13:26, 20 July 2007 (UTC)