WI: Marlborough VS Eugene
The two greatest commanders of the Allied side, both contributed greatly to the Allied victory at the Battle of Blenheim and in the War of Spanish Succession. After reading “Emperor Constantine’s” post on the subject I got this idea, What if these two commanders had fought who would have been victorious? Size and units at bottom of page.
John Churchill Duke of Marlborough Britain’s greatest commander during the War of Spanish Succession. He began his military career under the tutelage of French Marshall Turenne, who in turn was trained by Maurice of Nassau, at the Battles of Sinzheim and Enzheim. Next he took an instrumental part in the crushing of the Monmouth rebellion at the Battle of Sedgemoor. Taking command of British forces in 1704 he quickly seized the initiative, marched down the Danube, and won the Battle of Blenheim. His further campaigns and victories at the Battles of Ramillies in 1706 and Oudenarde in 1708 sealed his reputation as a great commander. He never lost a battle though he did come close to it in his final fight at Malpaquet. Marlborough had one maxim that he followed; read your opponent’s formation find their weak spot and then attack.
Prince Eugene of Savoy was perhaps the greatest Austrian general in history. Eugene rapidly rose through the ranks of the Austrian army and in 1697, at the age 34; he gained fame by destroying an Ottoman army at the Battle of Zenta killing some 25,000 of them. At the start of the War of Spanish Succession, in 1701, Eugene was given command of the Imperial forces in Northern Italy. He preformed spectacularly in his new position and by the next year he had defeated the French army and captured its commander Villeroi at the Battle of Cremona. Eugene’s next task was fighting beside Marlborough at the Battle of Blenheim. By 1706 he took up his old position again as commander of Imperial forces in Northern Italy. He preformed brilliantly during that year defeating the French under Duke Orleans and driving the French forces completely from the country. For the rest of the war Eugene assisted Marlborough during his campaigns in the Low Countries. After the end of the war, in 1714, Eugene had to wait only two years before another battle. This time he was again faced with the Ottomans and, as he was twenty years earlier, he successfully defeated the Ottomans at the Battle of Belgrade and swept them out of Hungry. Perhaps his greatest achievement was still yet to come the complete overhauling and reorganization of the Imperial Army.
I am making this a kind of a multi stage battle between a British force based on Marlborough’s campaign in the Low Countries and Eugene’s campaigns in Northern Italy. The first stage will be a skirmish between the advanced guards and the second will be the main battle.
British forces
William Cadogan’s Advanced Guard: 1,800 men: 1st foot guards and 16th of Foot
Marlborough’s main army: 62,000 men, 90 guns, 20 mortars
Austrian Forces
The Margrave of Muzzlberg’s Advanced Guard: 22,000 men: Prinz Von Hanover’s Brigade, Wittinghoff Brigade, Wald Brigade, Reischach Brigade, Wurttemberg Brigade , Prinz Von Baden’s Cavalry Brigade, Meri Cavalry Brigade, Fuchs Cavalry Brigade, Bibra Cavalry Brigade. In total 5 Brigades of Grenadiers and 4 Cavalry Brigades.
Eugene’s main army: 44,000 men, 60 guns
The Question is who wins?
Sources
Masters of the Battlefield by Julian Thompson
Commanders by R.G Grant
Battle by R.G. Grant
In This Sign Conquer by Ray Lucas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ramillies
http://www.spanishsuccession.nl/english_army.html