THE BATTLE OF ROCROI 1643: Clash of Seventeenth Century Superpowers

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The Battle of Rocroi (19 May 1643) is famous for the French victory over the Spanish Tercios. The Duc d'Enghien, only 21 years old, defeated a Spanish army commanded by Francisco de Melo. The victory has traditionally been attributed to the military genius of the young Duke, to the superiority of the French cavalry, and to the decline of Spanish tactics. The Tercios were no longer invincible. Thus, the date of 1643 established a historical milestone of a paradigm shift in military history: the end of Spanish hegemony and the beginning of the rise of France -- the Grand Siecle of Louis XIV. Includes 31 illustrations, 17 b/w photos, 8 color illustrations, and 10 maps.

Also assesses whether, in fact, the battle of Rocroi was the beginning of the decline of the Spanish hegemony, and of its military tactics and formations. The Tercios, which had fought and been victorious in Europe for more than a century.

Analyzes the military-political context of the 1643 campaign and the tense relations between France and Spain throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, which led to the armed conflict that began in 1635, when Sweden showed signs of weakness in the Thirty Years' War, and Richelieu considered that it was necessary to act to prevent the triumph of the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs. The French and Spanish armies are also analyzed in depth, their composition, units, tactics, etc. as well as d'Enghien and Milo's chains of command.