William has led his Dutch-German-Spanish army from…
August 1674 CE
William has led his Dutch-German-Spanish army from the southern Netherlands into the territory of northern France, defended by an army under Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé.
For five weeks the two armies have maneuvered without engaging.
William decides on the 10th of August to head for Paris in order to force the enemy into fighting.
Condé sends a detachment of about five hundred horsemen to keep the Dutch vanguard busy near the village of Seneffe, blocking William’s advance.
Condé tries in the meantime to surround the sixty thousand allied troops with the forty-five thousand men at his disposal.
The horsemen manage to keep the Dutch vanguard busy, but the envelopment of the main allied force fails.
After ten hours, more than eight thousand people have died.
Condé has eight thousand dead or wounded and William has eleven thousand.
Both armies retreat from the battlefield.
Both sides claim victory although the battle is indecisive.