The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue upon the vast fields of Flanders on that
fateful day - July 11, 1302.
In the heartland of this picturesque landscape, an extraordinary confrontation was about to
unfold, defying the expectations of all who beheld it.
A humble yet resolute Flemish army, consisting predominantly of artisans and peasants, stood
poised to challenge the might of an entire French knight's army.
The French knights, adorned in their armour, were sure this would be a quick and easy victory.
As their commander, the Count of Artois, gave his knights the order to advance after their
crossbowmen had dented the Flemish ranks, the rag-tag peasant army braced for impact.
[Text: “‘Flanders, the Lion’ is our battle cry.”
- Jan van Renesse, commander of the reserve corps, right before the battle.]
In 1285, France’s young, new king Philip IV "the Fair" ascended to the throne.
Philip sought to regain authority over the County of Flanders, which was semi-autonomous
but technically part of the Kingdom of France, and perhaps even incorporate it into the French
territories.
Flanders was home to prosperous cities like Bruges, Ghent, Ypres, Lille, and Douai, known
for their cloth industry and trade of imported wool from England.
These cities aimed to gain independence from the Count of Flanders and the aristocracy
through city rights, although they were internally divided between patricians and craftsmen.
In 1288, Philip tightened his control on Flanders by withholding taxes.
During the 1290s, he endeavoured to secure the support of the Flemish aristocracy and
successfully garnered the loyalty of some local figures.
However, he faced opposition from a faction led by the Count of Flanders, Guy of Dampierre.
Within Flanders, the cities were divided into two factions: the "Lilies", who favoured the
French, and the "Lions" who advocated for independence.
Flanders was not the sole concern troubling Philip, for King Edward I of England held
the title of Duke of Aquitaine, acknowledging Philip's authority.
The foundations of their alliance weakened after the fall of Acre in 1291, leaving cracks
in their bonds.
Tensions escalated in 1293 when a naval clash erupted between the English and the Normans,
prompting Philip to summon Edward to the French court in an effort to resolve the conflict.
Edward, determined to avert war and forge a union through marriage with Philip's sister
Margaret, employed his diplomatic prowess.
His trusted envoy, Edmund Crouchback, engaged in arduous negotiations.
After much deliberation and strained exchanges, a fragile agreement was reached.
Edward reluctantly agreed to surrender Gascony as a gesture of submission, with the understanding
that it would be returned in due course.
However, exploiting Edward's absence from the summons as a pretext, Philip seized all
of the English king's possessions in France.
The aftermath of this betrayal unfolded in 1294, as a covert alliance between France
and Scotland, longstanding enemies of Edward I, entangled the realm in a desperate struggle
for control over Gascony.
The conflict between England and France proved a welcome situation for the Flemish.
Guy sought support from King Edward through a proposed marriage alliance, but Philip invited
him, his sons, and nobles to France in 1294, capturing them.
Though most were released after one year, Guy’s daughter remained imprisoned until
her death.
Upon his release, Guy severed feudal ties with Philip and formally formed an alliance
with Edward, prompting Philip to prepare for the invasion of the County of Flanders.
But they weren’t the only ones with an alliance, and the War of Scottish Independence redirected
Edward’s focus towards his north, rather than the Flemish rebels.
Guy was on his own.
In 1297, Count Guy's son, Robrecht of Béthune, seized Mortagne.
Philip arrested Guy's supporters and occupied the castle of l'Écluse.
The French army, led by Charles of Valois and Rudolf of Nesle, crossed the border and
clashed with the Flemish army composed of German mercenaries.
Orchies surrendered, and the French army marched into Flanders, besieging Lille and burning
down towns along the way.
In August, the French army received reinforcements, and Robert of Artois led successful campaigns
against Kassel and Saint-Winoksbergen.
The Flemish counterattack led to a French victory at the Battle of Bulskamp, with significant
losses for the Flemish.
Lille surrendered to King Philip, while the Flemish army retreated to Roeselare.
Meanwhile, King Edward I of England sent an army to Flanders but found little support
except in Ghent.
Following the fall of Lille, the French army advanced towards Courtrai.
Delegations from Bruges surrendered the city to Philip, and French soldiers occupied it.
Pope Boniface VIII's intervention resulted in a truce from 1297 to 1300, during which
the warring parties negotiated and fortified their controlled Flemish cities.
Edward abandoned his Flemish allies and made peace with Philip in 1298.
After the truce ended in 1300, the French invaded Flanders again, capturing several
towns and besieging others.
As towns fell, Count Guy, his sons, and Flemish noblemen were imprisoned, and Flanders fell
under French control.
Philip himself toured Flanders, implementing administrative changes.
Following Philip's departure from Flanders, unrest erupted once more in the Flemish city
of Bruges, targeting the French governor, Jacques de Châtillon.
On May 18, 1302, rebellious citizens who had previously fled Bruges returned to the city
and executed every Frenchman they encountered, an event known as the Bruges Matins.
Most towns in the County of Flanders joined the Bruges uprising, except for Ghent, which
chose not to participate.
The majority of the Flemish nobility aligned themselves with the French, concerned about
what they perceived as an attempt by the lower classes to seize power.
To suppress the revolt that was brewing, Philip made a decisive move by dispatching a contingent
led by Count Robert II of Artois to march towards Bruges.
The French faced a formidable opponent in the Flemish, led by William of Jülich, who
mustered a predominantly infantry force comprised mainly of soldiers from Bruges, West Flanders,
and the eastern regions of the county.
The city of Ypres showed its allegiance by sending a detachment of five hundred men led
by Jan van Renesse.
Surprisingly, despite their city's reluctance to join the uprising, Jan Borluut arrived
with a dedicated group of seven hundred volunteers from Ghent, ready to lend their support.
[Battle Sequence]
[Text: What can such common people do against us?
Even if there are many of them, one hundred knights are worth a thousand men
on foot!
- Count Artois during the Council of War]
During the French Council of War, commanders presented different strategies for the upcoming
battle.
In the end, the plan involved advancing with crossbowmen before knights broke through the
Flemish ranks after crossing the stream.
The knights, around 2000 of the total of 8000 troops, began deploying for battle.
On the open field near the town, the Flemish army awaited the assault, protected by the
stream and the River Lys.
They numbered around 9500 troops, of whom 500 had a horse.
They destroyed the bridges to prevent crossing.
Equipped with light armour and various weapons, including pikes, swords, and shields, the
Flemish soldiers appeared to be outmatched compared to the heavy knights.
The soldiers sought encouragement from one another, prayed, and listened to friars who
blessed them.
They were motivated by the desire for revenge.
The Flemish noblemen had personal scores to settle, with some having lost properties or
family members during previous conflicts.
The young princes, Guy de Namur and Willem van Jülich, led the troops, instilling confidence.
The bravest and best-equipped soldiers formed the front ranks.
[Text: We shall gain victory, I am certain of this.
Beware, noble Flemings!
Stand firm, because the enemy will ride towards you with
much force.
Call upon the help of God.
He will certainly stand by us.
- Guy de Namur]
he Flemish army adhered to strict regulations that prohibited looting and retreating, with
severe consequences for violators.
Meritocracy was valued as deserving leaders from the common people were knighted, reflecting
a shift in importance from birthright to merit.
Guy de Namur and Willem van Jülich entrusted command to Jan van Renesse, fighting among
their troops on foot to inspire courage.
Positioned strategically, the Flemish soldiers, supported by reserve corps and men from Ypres,
formed a formidable battle array with guild and noble banners, shining weapons, and closely
ranked soldiers.
The Count of Artois's army, consisting of crossbowmen and light foot-soldiers at the
front positioned themselves towards the two waterways that protected the Flemish troops.
The knights, including the most well-equipped ones, formed their formations behind the foot
soldiers.
Observing the large formation of the Flemish army, the Count of Artois reorganized his
ten formations of knights into three larger formations, with two formations set to attack
across each stream and the third serving as a rearguard.
The first large formation faced the Grote Beek stream, the second was positioned in
front of the Groeninge stream, and the rearguard stayed further back.
The French light foot-soldiers, including crossbowmen and shield-bearers, advanced towards
the streams shortly after Guy de Namur and Willem van Jülich took their positions among
the Flemish ranks.
The sun was hidden behind a cloud, providing some luck for the Flemish.
The crossbows on both sides were fired, with the French shooting short darts.
The Flemish crossbowmen defended themselves behind shields and returned fire, but they
eventually gave way under the pressure of the enemy crossbowmen and the looming threat
of the knights.
The Flemish troops slowly moved back towards their tightly packed ranks.
The enemy's bolts had limited impact due to the distance, causing minimal casualties among
the well-protected Flemish crossbowmen.
The French foot soldiers continued to advance and shoot arrows until their quivers were
empty.
However, when they reached the streams and attempted to cross, the Count of Artois saw
it as the opportune moment to send the knights and squires forward.
The Flemish crossbowmen, seeing the cavalry advancing, retreated to a safer distance.
It was deemed too risky to let the French foot-soldiers cross the stream, as it would
be difficult to call them back and they could impede the charge of the knights.
Moreover, if the Flemings attacked the lightly armed French soldiers, it could push them
back into the stream and hinder the knights' attack.
Therefore, the foot-soldiers were ordered to withdraw, and the knights began their attack.
The formations of knights, led by standard-bearers, rode towards the stream, with the left wing
slightly ahead of the right.
Some foot-soldiers didn't hear the orders and engaged in skirmishes, while others retreated
as soon as they noticed the knights approaching.
The battle group under Raoul de Nesle, consisting of four formations advanced swiftly across
the Grote Beek.
However, crossing the three-meter-wide Groeninge stream proved challenging for the heavily
armoured knights and their warhorses.
Some horses hesitated or stumbled, causing difficulties in the crossing.
Once on the other side, the noblemen quickly reformed their formations to prepare for a
possible Flemish attack.
The French knights, with their lances, initiated a charge against the men of Bruges.
The Flemish crossbowmen abandoned their bows and shields and positioned themselves behind
the battle array.
The knights, protected by armour and armed with long lances, presented an imposing sight,
but the Flemish soldiers stood firm.
The wall of pikes and goedendags (thick iron-clad clubs) held by the Flemish soldiers didn't
give way, surprising the experienced French knights.
While some knights managed to break through the Flemish ranks, others hesitated, knowing
the risks of riding into the grounded pikes and goedendags.
Nonetheless, chronicles detail how most of the noblemen courageously continued the charge.
The charge achieved success in the center, where the knights had more room to manoeuvre,
causing a breakthrough and the retreat of some men from the Franc of Bruges.
The men of Bruges demonstrated tenacity and successfully defended themselves against the
charge.
Geoffrey de Brabant, a renowned knight, attempted a heroic breakthrough but was killed in the
process.
Raoul de Nesle also died in the initial clash.
Willem van Jülich and his standard-bearer, Jan Ferrant, fought back fiercely with their
goedendags, halting the charge.
During the battle, French knights initially broke through the ranks of the soldiers from
Bruges but were halted by the men of Bruges.
Three formations of knights on the French right-wing attacked the troops under Guy de
Namur, but the Flemish soldiers held their ground and resisted fiercely.
The Viscount of Lens failed in his attempt to attack the Flemings from behind.
Jan van Renesse intervened with his reserve corps, strengthening the Franc of Bruges and
launching a frontal attack on the French knights.
The French penetration was crushed, and the Flemish soldiers gained the upper hand.
In a fierce hand-to-hand melee, the outnumbered French knights were overwhelmed by the large
numbers of Flemish fighters.
The Flemish centre advanced, pushing the enemy back toward the streams.
The townsmen fought resolutely, and the pressure from the Flemish forces forced the French
veterans to retreat slowly.
Upon realizing the dire situation faced by the French noblemen, the Count of Artois made
the decision to lead his formation of knights in a final charge to reverse the tide of the
battle.
Ignoring warnings about the deep Groeninge stream, Artois fearlessly crossed it with
his knights and engaged the soldiers of Guy de Namur and the men of Ghent.
Artois fought valiantly, even tearing a part of the enemy's banner with his bare hands,
but he was eventually surrounded and attacked by Flemish soldiers wielding goedendags and
clubs.
Despite his pleas for them to spare his horse, Artois was mercilessly assaulted and fell,
bringing his attempt to change the battle's outcome to a complete failure.
The French noblemen, including Artois, were killed or pushed back into the streams, leading
to a brutal massacre carried out by revenge-seeking artisans and peasants.
None of the commanding noblemen who led the charge survived, except one who was captured.
After defeating the French rearguard, the panicked French fled south along different
roads, with those without horses being mercilessly killed.
The relentless Flemish pursued them, reaching distant villages and continuing the slaughter.
The people of Tournai closed their gates as the remnants of the French nobility approached,
while exhausted soldiers sought refuge in nearby villages.
Within three hours, the Flemish had effectively annihilated the once formidable French army.
The battle and subsequent pursuit lasted less than an hour, but the soldiers had fought
fiercely since early morning, covering a considerable distance.
Fallen enemy soldiers remained on the battlefield until burial, and the Flemish claimed valuable
loot.
Courtrai erupted in celebrations—the Flemish emerged victorious.
[Aftermath] [“Kill all that has spurs on!”
- Guy de Namur]
Following the defeat of the French army, the Flemish solidified their control over the
County.
Kortrijk castle surrendered, and John of Namur took control of Ghent, leading to the overthrow
of the "patrician" regime in both cities and Ypres.
More representative regimes were established, and guilds were officially recognized.
The battle became known as the Battle of the Golden Spurs due to the capture of 500 pairs
of spurs, which were offered at the nearby Church of Our Lady.
The French suffered significant losses, with over 1,000 men, including 75 important nobles,
according to the Annals.
It wouldn’t be until 80 years later, after the Battle of Roosebeke in 1382, the spurs
were reclaimed by the French, and Kortrijk was sacked by
Charles VI in retaliation.