7. Early Renaissance - The Battle of Antwerp
5-7th December 1419
The Battle of Antwerp is remarkable in two ways. Firstly, it heralded the dawn of a new era in warfare, and secondly, it ended…
On the eve of the 4th of December, the commander of the Dutch forces besieging Antwerp, General Khalid al-Rashid, received scout reports from the south that the long anticipated army of Jean sans Peur of Burgundy was marching north in order to either force him to abandon the siege of Antwerpen or leave him free hand to move nearly 15.000 men into the heart of Holland.
Against his express orders, al-Khalid ordered his troops to abandon Antwerpen and move north as well. However, he decided to move straight north instead of trying to intercept Jean, who tried to keep as far east as he could to maintain as many strategic options as possible.
--Kriege die die Welt änderten, Band 2
Heinrich Hunzinger
Fischer Verlag, Deutschland
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The TV Screen
Voice of Charlton Heston: “… but the heavily encamped siege force couldn’t keep pace with the faster cavalry, which soon reached the small town of Dordrecht. Dordrecht guarded the only heavy bridge spanning the rivers Maas and Waal that had forced the Burgundians to move far to the east and the Dutch cavalry set about preparing the crossing of the nearly 17.000 men of al-Khalid’s forcees….
Part of the TV Screen
Cheese and Wooden Shoes: A History of the Dutch
The History Channel
U.S.A
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Near the River Waal, County oif Holland
Early afternoon, 5th December 1419
Pierre was excited. All that standing in Paris had paid off and on a whim, the Duke had promoted him to the rank of captain in the light cavalry. And only a few months later, he would see action! Real war! This is what he had dreamed about ever since the Duke’s soldiers had come to his village and scooped up any man who could stand without aid.
“Alright men, these are our orders. We move straight north to find suitable crossings over the Waal and Maas.”
“Aye, Sieur.”
“Be careful, lads, this is enemy territory”
And so Pierre and his men started riding north towards the river Waal. But as midday approached, a number of nasty dark clouds started approaching from the east and the first drops of rain fell.
By the afternoon, the roads were unusable and Pierre’s men were forced to dismount their horses and hope for the rain to pass and the roads to dry.
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“… The heavy rainfall forced the Burgundian army to slow down, and by mid afternoon, they had completely stopped just in sight of the river Waal. Duke Jean decided that further advance was impossible and set up a camp for the night in the hope that the next day would bring better weather and passable roads. Also, the lack of bridges forcecd Jean to move further and further west in order to find a sutiable passage over the river.
Part of the TV Screen
Meanwhile, the Dutch were crossing the Waal and moving on between the Waal and Maas, for al-Khalid suspected that, if be moved fast enough, the rain would slow down the Burgundians enough to force them to engage him now rather than near Utrecht or even Amsterdam…"
Cheese and Wooden Shoes: A History of the Dutch
The History Channel
U.S.A