The death of the Emperor Charles VI in 1741 was the catalyst for a
conflict ostensibly about the female inheritance of the Hapsburg
patrimony but, in reality, about the succession to the Imperial
Throne. The great European powers were divided between those, such
as Britain, who supported the Pragmatic Sanction and the rights of
the Archduchess Maria-Theresia, daughter of Charles VI, and those
who challenged it, including Bavaria which were supported by
France. The conflict quickly escalated into what is now known as
the War of the Austrian Succession, and a series of turbulent
political events brought the crisis to a head on the road to Hanau,
near Dettingen. There, the French moved to put into place a complex
manoeuvre which had the potential to end the war at a single
stroke. A column of French troops would cross the Main near
Dettingen and block the road to Hanau, their orders being to simply
hold their ground and bar the route of the Allied British and
Hanovarian advance. A second column would cross the Main behind the
enemy and then follow their line of march northwards. The bulk of
the army would use a combination of bridges and pontoon-bridges to
cross the Main and engage the enemy from the flank as they were
strung out on the line of march. However, the plan relied heavily
on the blocking force, and command of this crucial sector fell to
an inexperienced nobleman Louis-Auguste, Duc de Grammont, who chose
to attack rather than hold his position. Consequently, the
manoeuvre failed and the French broke, fleeing for the Main and
safety, with the Gardes Francaises famously swimming the river.
Supported by specially commissioned artwork including maps and
battleplates, this title explores the battle in depth, detailing
its build-up, events, and aftermath, as well as analysing the
strengths and weaknesses of the commanders, armies, and tactics of
both sides.
General
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