The Battle of Fontenoy is a historical battle in Empire: Total War. The player is France, and the AI is Great Britain, Austria, and the United Provinces.
Description[]
The War of the Austrian Succession had its roots in the ancient Salic law that said no woman could inherit the Holy Roman Empire. Despite this, Maria Theresa succeeded to most of her father's possessions, and there was an understanding among many German princes that her husband could be elected Emperor. Frederick II of Prussia, however, used the dispute to invade Silesia in 1740 to enhance Prussian power and prestige.
The war quickly became a European affair as old enmities surfaced once again. The French, naturally, opposed the Austrian Hapsburgs.
In 1745, at Fontenoy in the Austrian Netherlands, a French army under the redoubtable Marshal de Saxe, clashed with a Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian force. The battle was an extremely bloody one, with eventually the French left holding the field against a massed infantry assault by the British and their allies.
The British defeat encouraged the French to stir up rebellion in Scotland, leading directly to the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite rising of "the '45'".
Units[]
France[]
- General Maurice de Saxe’s Bodyguard
- One Unit of Garde du Corps
- Four Units of Line Infantry
- Two Units of Maison du Roi
- Two Units of Hussars
- Two Units of Cuirassiers
- Three Units of 12-lber Foot Artillery
- Two Units of Irish Brigade
Great Britain[]
- The Duke of Cumberland’s Bodyguard
- Six Units of Line Infantry
- One Unit of 12-lber Foot Artillery
- Two Units of Guards
Austria[]
- General Marshall Konigseek’s Bodyguard
- Two Units of Line Infantry
- One Unit of 12-lber Foot Artillery
United Provinces[]
- Prince Waldeck’s Bodyguard
- Two Units of Line Infantry
- One Unit of Horse Guards
- One Unit of 12-lber Howitzer Foot Artillery
Overview[]
The battle sees a French army pitted against multiple groups attacking from many directions. Unlimbering the artillery and using canister shot can help the French line infantry gain the upper hand.
Historical Background[]
Historically, the Battle of Fontenoy was a decisive (though costly) victory for the French.