Page 60 - All About History - Issue 53-17

Greatest Battles

French nobility By hook or crook
The French nobility turned out in force for the This depiction of the Battle of the Golden
expedition to quell the uprising of the people of Spurs shows some Flemish infantrymen
Flanders. In this romanticised image, a French armed with long crooks. They were
knight wearing a crown and noble trappings, possibly undoubtedly intended to grapple with
representing King Philip IV although he was not French knights, pulling them from their
present, wounds a Flemish infantryman with a lance. horses so that they would be easy prey
for foot soldiers with spiked weapons.

French infantrymen
French infantrymen actually
followed a flurry of arrows fired from
crossbows during the attack on the
Flemish positions at the Battle of the
Golden Spurs. Carrying long lances,
they initially pushed the Flemish
lines back.

Wall of pikes
The French infantrymen in
this image are carrying long
pikes, effective weapons
against opposing foot soldiers
or horsemen. Essentially long
poles tipped with sharpened
Combined arms charge iron points, the pikes presented
This depiction of the battle presents a a formidable offensive or
somewhat false image of its progress. defensive line when infantry
The French did not advance in a ranks were closed.
combined formation of horsemen and
infantry — the infantry followed a
barrage of arrows from crossbowmen
and were then withdrawn in favour of
the charge of knights that followed.

Close quarter casualties
The melee that occurred during the early stages
of the Battle of the Golden Spurs resulted in
horrendous casualties as the French infantry gained
the upper hand. Flemish casualties lie on the ground
as the French forces advance.

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