On November 1st, 1700, King Charles II of
Spain died childless, bringing an end to almost 200 years of Habsburg family rule over the
Spanish Empire. The closest heirs to the Crown of Spain were
Austrian or French. Whoever’s House assumed control over the
Spanish throne would rule over the Kingdom of Spain and her vast overseas empire. The death of the King of Spain left a vacuum
in the “Balance of Power” between the most influential European nations. Within days of the sickly king’s death,
the news reached the palaces and courts of Europe’s Great Powers, and it seemed as though they would
become embroiled in yet another major war... “And so, the Pyrenees have ceased to exist.”
- King Louis XIV of France
November 16th, 1700 It had been less than five years since the
conclusion of the last major conflict, the Nine Years’ War, which ravaged Europe for
a decade. King Louis XIV - known throughout Europe as
the “Sun King” for his immense wealth and absolute power over the Kingdom of France
- was interested in acquiring the Spanish Crown for his family, the House of Bourbon. It was too good an opportunity for Louis to
simply give up - this was a chance to shape the most powerful empire the globe had ever
seen, and truly live up to his title of the Sun King. Well aware of Louis’ ambitions with Spain,
his arch-rival Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, contested the French claim to the Spanish
throne. Fearing the loss of a balance of power in
Europe if Louis was to acquire Spain, Emperor Leopold attempted to revive the Grand Alliance
which had been formed against the Bourbons in the Nine Years’ War, politically allying
himself with the German states of the Empire, as well as the King of England, who was also
the Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic - King William III, more commonly known as “William
of Orange.” As everyone held their breath, the Protestants
and the Bourbons decided to go down the path of peace to avoid another bloody conflict. In 1698, dignitaries from France, England,
the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire convened at The Hague to agree to a diplomatic
solution to the issue of the Spanish succession. On October 11th, 1698, the Bourbon and Protestant
diplomats finally agreed to a peaceful settlement with the signing of the Treaty of The Hague,
also known as the First Partition Treaty. In the provisions of this treaty, the Spanish
throne would go to Joseph Ferdinand Leopold of Bavaria, the 6-year old son of Maximlian
II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria. When the boy ascended to the Spanish throne,
the French and Austrians would subsequently divide up the Spanish Empire amongst themselves. Peace and compromise had finally been reached. Then everything fell apart. Months later, Joseph Ferdinand died of smallpox,
throwing all settlements and compromise plans out the window. The Bourbon and Protestant diplomats convened
again in London the following year, and on March 25th, 1700, signed the Treaty of London,
or Second Partition Treaty. In this hastily-arranged compromise, the new
heir to the Spanish throne would be Archduke Charles of Austria, the youngest son of the
Holy Roman Emperor. When the Spanish learned of the Treaty of
London in mid-June of that year, Charles - amazingly still not dead despite years of aging health
- amended his will in favor of Archduke Charles and again specified an undivided monarchy. Despite the bumpy road, the path to peace
had at last been achieved. But in early September, 1700, Charles became
ill once more. His death seemed imminent. The pro-Bourbon faction managed to persuade
the sick King to alter his will in favour of Philippe, Duke of Anjou. Louis XIV’s grandson. Immediately upon receiving the news at the
court session, Louis was faced with an international dilemma. He faced two options: on the one hand, he
could insist on maintaining the Treaty of London that made Archduke Charles of Austria
the King of Spain - thus empowering his rivals. However, if Emperor Leopold refused the territorial
concessions, France could call on England and the Dutch Republic to enforce the treaty. On the other hand, Louis could reject the
Treaty of London and allow his grandson to accept the Spanish throne, thus uniting the
Spanish and French realms under the House of Bourbon and creating his desired Franco-Spanish
empire. This would obviously result in a war with
England, the Dutch Republic, and Austria. Weighing his options, Louis finally decided
to take his chances and reject the Treaty of London, as Philip was proclaimed King Philip
V. There would be war. “It was characteristic of Leopold that his
obstinacy was not accompanied by activity: though his refusal to accept the treaty was senseless unless
he was prepared to fight for what he wanted.” - Falkner, Prince Eugene of Savoy, p. 38 Following the ascension of Philip V to the
Spanish throne, the French and Austrians began preparing for the war that was now inevitable. Both nations laid out strategies to achieve
their aims. Geographically, Austria could at best seize
the Spanish possessions in Italy without any outside aid. The Duchy of Milan, Kingdom of Naples, and
Sicily were top contenders for Habsburg occupation. When word reached Vienna that Louis had accepted
the Spanish throne for his grandson, Leopold ordered the occupation of Milan. His reasoning was that Milan, as an Imperial fief, would de jure
return to the Holy Roman Empire upon Charles’ death. On top of this, Imperial troops in Milan provided
a safety net for Victor Amadeus, whose Duchy of Savoy would undoubtedly be overrun by French
forces if they decided to move into Northern Italy. Formally, no war had been declared, yet both
sides were scrambling to prepare their armies for an inevitable clash. In February, French Army regiments proceeded
to occupy the Spanish Netherlands. Louis managed to upset the English people
when his plot to meddle in England’s line of succession was uncovered. Only Elector Max-Emannuel of Bavaria, Governor-General
of the Spanish Netherlands, openly allied himself with France - this was seen as a betrayal
by the English and Dutch. Northern Italy would become the scene of the
undeclared war’s opening manoeuvres. Leopold appointed Prince Eugene of Savoy as
the commander of Imperial forces in the region. The haphazard preparations for war left much
to be desired. Eugene spent the first weeks of 1701 painstakingly
collecting and equipping his Austro-Imperial army for the coming Italian campaign. This delay allowed the French Army to cross
into the Duchy of Savoy, shockingly under the graces of Victor Amadeus, and move through
the Alpine passes into the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The newly-organized French Army of Italy,
commanded by Lieutenant-General René de Froulay, Comte de Tessé, occupied Milan. The newly-styled King Philip V of Spain was
recognised by Naples and Sicily. Following this, Victor Amadeus decided to
marry off his youngest daughter, Maria Luisia Gabriella, to the new Spanish King, betraying
Emperor Leopold and establishing an alliance with France. Now, Prince Eugene would have an incredibly
daunting task set before him. “It was amazing that an army
and its artillery had crossed such dangerous and precipitous mountains where there had been no roads before.”
- Eugene to Emperor Leopold The energetic Marshal Nicolas de Catinat assumed
command of the French Army of Italy from Tessé. His goal in the region was to block any Imperial
attempt to cross the mountain passes. Catinat deduced that a nearby mountain pass
at Verona was the most likely passage the Imperials would use, and so he set up a strong
defensive line guarding it. Catinat believed his position was secure,
since, to the east, the neighbouring Republic of Venice was neutral. But in his vigorous preparations, Eugene had secretly
reconnoitred passages over these mountains. In May, Eugene crossed the Adige with an Imperial
army organised into four marching columns and the army’s supply and artillery train. An Imperial detachment kept an eye on Catinat
at Verona, while Eugene used the rugged mountain passes in the east to move his main army. Neutral Venice officially protested, but their
words were hollow and without force to back it. Only when Eugene’s army had arrived in the
region did Marshal Catinat realise the danger that his own army was in. Unsure of Eugene’s intentions, Catinat divided
his army. Ironically, this served to weaken his entire
defensive line. Instantly recognizing his favorable position,
Eugene saw a lucrative prospect in overrunning the enemy forces nearby the village of Carpi. The village of Carpi was strategically located between the Adige River and the Canalbianco
at the end of a narrow defile between the Adige and large, swampy marshes defending
the entry into the Verona Valley. The French post at Carpi was defended by three
entrenched positions - one at Castagnaro extending from the cemetery and the church to the Canalbianco,
one south of town branching out of the river, and one entrenchment in the village itself. On the morning of July 8th, Eugene found an
unguarded opening in Carpi’s position at the nearby town of Castagnaro. His army embarked on a march from their camps
on the plain of Villa-buona. French commander Saint-Fremont camped at Carpi
with his cavalry force of 16 squadrons from five horse regiments. His command was firmly entrenched around Carpi
and Castagnaro. Three fusilier companies and three grenadier
companies occupied the trenches around Castagnaro. General Tessé was camped with his division
of 8 infantry battalions and 20 cavalry squadrons further north. Eugene’s column, comprised of 11,000 men
organized from the Alt-Starhemberg and Bagni Infantry Regiments, six cavalry regiments,
and 20 regimental cannons, marched along the dam on the right bank of the Canalbianco from
Castelguglielmo towards where the Tartaro River flowed into the canal. As they reached a crossing, his troops began
installing a pontoon bridge. On the opposite end of the riverbank, Prince
Commercy’s column encamped at Castelguglielmo. Slightly smaller than Eugene’s column - seven
battalions organized into two infantry regiments and 36 squadrons in six cavalry regiments
- Prince Commercy’s column marched along the Tartaro bank before installing a bridge
at the crossing point. Amidst the darkness to the north, meanwhile,
Colonel Count Daun departed from Castelbaldo, setting out to cross the Adige and to install
his infantry and battery of artillery across the river bank. A fourth column under General Börner did
not make any river crossings, instead marching upstream along the Adige’s banks, where
he installed his artillery battery across from Carpi. Around 3:00 AM on the dark and rainy night,
Eugene’s and Commercy’s columns finished crossing their pontoon bridges. Commercy’s column ran into a small French
picket detachment but easily drove it back and scattered them with a few musket volleys. At this point, Commercy subdivided his column
in two, keeping command of the Guido Starhemberg and Herberstein Infantry Regiments as well
as the Serény and Dietrichstein Dragoon Regiments, and placing the Pálffy, Lothringen, and Taaffe
Cuirassiers Regiments under the command of General Count Pálffy. Both columns were forced to cross rugged terrain
with criss-crossing ditches and narrow roads that were little better than cart trails. This led to Commercy’s two columns lagging
behind Eugene’s command and delaying them from uniting at Castagnaro. The French were unaware of the Imperial movements
until it was too late and Count Daun had already passed the bridge near Castagnaro. Upon realizing they were about to be attacked,
Saint-Fremont alerted his troops to take their positions. Battle was upon them. The General dispatched dragoons from Carpi
to Castagnaro, and then sent a messenger travelling north towards Tessé’s Division at Legnano. The French foot infantry defending Catarne,
no more than four companies, were also dispatched into the trenches at Castagnaro. Meanwhile, the courier reached Tessé at his
camp. Tessé immediately set off towards Carpi at
the head of his vanguard and pickets, instructing his generals to follow him as soon as they
could with the rest of his division. At 6:00 AM the head of Eugene’s column appeared
in front of Saint-Fremont’s entrenched outpost at Castagnaro. The Imperial artillery opened up a barrage
on the outpost, marking the start of the Battle of Carpi. The grenadier companies of the Alt-Starhemberg
and Bagni Infantry stormed the trenches. The attack was then quickly followed up by
the rest of the foot companies in the two regiments. They rushed the entrenchments, but a French
cavalry counterattack stagnated their advance. Reacting quickly, Eugene ordered a dragoon
counter-attack. The French resisted bravely and with fierce
determination, but the Imperials finally succeeded in storming the Castagnaro outpost. Saint-Fremont realized they could not hold
out for long against such overwhelming numbers. He dispatched another courier to Tessé to
inform him of Castangnaro’s imminent fall. Pressed hard in his front, Saint-Fremont was
forced to evacuate the outpost and retreat towards the village of Carpi. The French were pursued close behind by Eugene’s
cavalry squadrons, with some unfortunate infantrymen surrendering inside the city. Tessé received the messenger informing him
of the setback at Castagnaro. He sent a courier back to his main command
with instructions to position his division at Villa Bartolomea and await further orders. Back on the battlefield, the Imperials found
Catarne abandoned and seized it without a fight. A brief lull ensued, with the Imperials and
French collecting their soldiers. Once his forces were collected and reorganised,
Eugene ordered his troops to advance in two columns, flanked by cavalry on the left side. The marshy terrain, canals and bushes proved
to be an incredible challenge for the infantry to surmount. By now, Tessé had arrived on the battlefield
with his pickets. Upon learning of the Imperial advance, he
wasted little time in planning his next move. He took command of Saint-Fremont’s cavalry
force and orchestrated a flanking manoeuvre against the disorganized Imperial columns. Tessé sent the Ruffey Cavalry Regiment into
a frontal charge against the Imperial infantry advancing on Carpi, while flanking the cavalry
on the left. Concentrated and accurate volley fire from
the infantry combined with the arrival of the Vaudémont Cuirassiers Regiment halted
the advance of the French cavalry and prevented their complete encirclement. The battle had now turned in Eugene’s favor. The French cavalry resisted bravely, but the
Imperial army had the advantage of close-range musket volleys tearing into their ranks of
horsemen. Screams of the wounded and dying sprawled
across the battlefield littered the air, and casualties mounted on both sides. The Albert Dragoons launched a series of successful
charges, while the Ruffey and Mauroy Cavalry regiments saw success in their own repeated
attacks. But the steady fire of the Imperial foot soldiers
supporting their cavalry inflicted severe casualties on these three French regiments
and finally brought an end to their attacks. Before long, the French realized they were
at a significant disadvantage, but retreating was easier said than done in the marshy terrain. While locked in combat, a part of Eugene's
infantry column broke through the French cavalry. They continued their rapid advance on towards
Carpi. Seeing the Imperials break through the cavalry
cover, Tessé ordered a general retreat. The French cavalry officers had already been
attempting to withdraw their troopers from the field, and after seeing their comrades
in Carpi pack up and leave, they were further motivated to retreat. The retreat was in relatively good order,
with the Imperials taking stock and looting the French camp rather than pursuing the fleeing
Frenchmen. After successfully disengaging from battle,
the French moved to Villa Bartolomea, regrouping and forming a new defensive line. The French had lost three colonels, one lieutenant
colonel, 50 officers and 300 men dead or wounded. An additional 110 soldiers were taken prisoner. Prince Eugene himself received a musket shot
wound to his knee. His casualties were one lieutenant colonel
and 40 men killed, another 51 men wounded. “I have warned you that you are dealing with an enterprising
young prince; he does not tie himself down to the rules of war.” - King Louis XIV to Marshal Catinat Thanks to his victory at the Battle of Carpi,
Eugene’s army had successfully traversed a significant natural barrier, the Canalbianco. He was now ready to launch further operations
into the Duchy of Mantua, with his lines of communication well protected. Eugene’s army now controlled the territory
between the Adige and Mincio rivers, giving him ample freedom to move in whichever direction
he saw fit. But the War of the Spanish Succession had
only just begun, and the French did not plan on giving up Northern Italy so easily.
