page_title: Battle of Les Avins
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Les Avins / Battle
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Relief Positionskarte von Belgien English: Physical location map of Belgium, for geo-location purposes. Français&#160;: Carte physique vierge de la Belgique, destinée à la géolocalisation. Scales: Topography: 1:1,180,000 (precision: 295 m) Bathymetry: 1:3,716,000 (precision: 929 m) Equirectangular projection, WGS84 datum Standard meridian: 004° 33' E Central parallel: 50° 30' N Geographic limits of the map: Top: 51° 48' N Bottom: 49° 12' N Left: 002° 12' E Right: 006° 54' E
context_page_description: The Battle of Les Avins or Avein took place on 20 May 1635, outside the town of Les Avins, near Huy in modern Belgium, then part of the Bishopric of Liège. It was the first major engagement of the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War, a connected conflict of the Thirty Years' War.
  France supported the Dutch Republic in its war of independence from Spain, but avoided direct involvement. In February 1635, the two countries agreed to divide the Spanish Netherlands and in May, a French army of 27,000 entered the Bishopric of Liège, intending to link up with the Dutch at Maastricht and attack Leuven.
  Outside Les Avins, they ran into a Spanish force of between 8,500 to 13,000; the French made a frontal assault and over-ran their positions, inflicting around 4,000 – 5,000 casualties, including 1,500 prisoners.
context_section_description: Much of the fighting focused on different parts of the Spanish Road, an overland supply route connecting Spanish possessions in Northern Italy to Flanders. After 1601, it was rarely used for moving soldiers, but remained vital for trade, and went through areas essential to French security. At the start of 1635, France threatened the Road at a variety of points; as well as 27,000 men under Urbain de Maillé-Brézé in Picardy, they had armies in Champagne, Lorraine, the Sarre, and the Valtellina. 
  However, the French military was not yet the force it later became, and the 1635 campaign showed serious weaknesses in logistics and co-ordination. With over 100,000 men under arms, they underestimated the effort required to support these numbers, and there was very little co-ordination between the different armies. 
  In May, Louis declared war on Spain, claiming to be responding to a request for support from the Elector of Trier, whose territories were occupied by Spanish troops. They included the Bishopric of Liège, last point in the Road. The French entered Liège in two divisions, one led by Maillé-Brézé and the other by Châtillon. Their intention was to link up with Dutch forces based at Maastricht, under the Prince of Orange, and then attack Leuven. Outside Les Avins, they made contact with a Spanish force of between 8,500 to 13,000, commanded by Thomas, Prince of Carignano.
  Although inferior in numbers, the Spanish were more experienced and in a strong position, their infantry placed behind a series of hedges, and artillery covering the approaches. The French commanders debated whether to attack, before deciding retreat would be more dangerous. Their artillery commander, Charles de La Porte, positioned his guns to provide covering fire; Châtillon and Maillé-Brézé drew up their troops in standard formation, infantry in the centre and cavalry on the wings, before launching a frontal assault.
  On the right, Maillé-Brézé was initially repulsed with heavy losses, before rallying and attacking again. On the left and centre, Châtillon attacked the Spanish artillery with 4,000 men and eventually over-ran their positions by weight of numbers. Seeing this, the French reserve of 5,000 came up; assuming this was a new army, Carignano ordered a general retreat. Most of the Spanish casualties occurred in this phase of the battle; they lost 4,000 – 5,000 dead, wounded or taken prisoner, including Charles of Austria, nephew of Emperor Ferdinand, and the Comte de Feria. Exact French losses are unknown but they suffered severely in their assault.
caption: 1635 campaign in Northern France and the Spanish Netherlands (modern borders shown)
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