The Battle of Lens 1648

The Battle of Lens marked the climax of a decade of war between France and Spain; the two contenders were exhausted, having fought in Spain, France, Flanders, Italy and Germany. The conflict would be settled in a pitched battle near the city of Lens, Flanders, in the summer of 1648.

The Spanish had neutralised the Dutch for the campaign of 1648, so they prepared to launch a major offensive against the French, who had occupied important cities in Flanders for years. Thus, the new governor, Archduke Leopold William, brother of Emperor Ferdinand III of Habsburg, took charge of an army of almost 20,000 troops.The French were commanded by the Prince of Condé, who knew how to instil a spirit of resistance in his troops.

The two armies carried out marches and countermarches to outwit their opponent and seize cities: Condé conquered Ypres, but the Archduke took Lens. Condé tried to rescue the city, but arrived too late. However, the campaign was not lost for France; the brilliant Condé decided to deploy his army on the plain to decide the campaign, its own prestige, and the fate of the war.