Battle of Guinegate

Significance

The Battle of Guinegate, fought on August 26, 1513, pitted an English force of 30,000 under Henry VIII and Maximilian I against a French force of approximately 7,000, resulting in French casualties of 3,000. The engagement occurred during the War of the League of Cambrai, a conflict in which multiple European powers combined against France. The disparity in force sizes and the scale of French losses indicate a decisive English and Imperial tactical success. Among the French commanders present were Jacques de la Palice, Charles IV of Alençon, Louis d'Orléans, and the Chevalier de Bayard, making the engagement one of some prominence within the wider Franco-Imperial contest of the period. The battle represented an instance of direct English military intervention on the continent under Henry VIII, aligning English arms with Maximilian I's Imperial forces against the French crown at a moment when the League of Cambrai was fracturing and alliances were in flux.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (9)