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CHAPTER XIX: Flanders

England had now become a principal in the war; and the united British, Hanoverian and Austrian forces marched from Flanders towards Germany. The king of England had arrived in the allied camp; and the French commander, marshal de Noailles, having cut off all their supplies, the destruction of the British and Austrian army was anticipated either by their being cut to pieces if they attempted a retreat, or by their surrender. They commenced their retreat; and, fortunately for them, the good generalship of Noailles, who had taken possession of the village of Dettingen, in their front, was counteracted by the rashness of his nephew, the count de Grammont, who advanced into a small plain to give the allies battle; but the impetuosity of the French troops was met by the resolute and steady courage of the allies, which obtained for them the victory of Dettingen. The marshal retreated; but the allies, owing to the irresolution of George II., obtained no further advantage.

The haughty and ambitious conduct of the empress, who avowed her intention of keeping Bavaria, gave great offence to several of the German princes; and France, Prussia and the elector palatine united to check the growing power of Austria. The French arms were victorious in Flanders: the king of Prussia, who had invaded Bohemia, was defeated with great loss and forced to make a precipitate retreat into Silesia: A. D. 1744. Not long after this the death of the elector of Bavaria removed all reasonable grounds for the continuance of hostilities, his son having renounced all claims to the imperial crown, while Maria Theresa agreed to put him in possession of his hereditary dominions.

During the campaign of 1745 the imperialists lost Parma, Placentia and Milan. In Flanders a large French army, under marshal Saxe, invested Tournay; while the allies, under the duke of Cumberland, though greatly inferior in numbers, marched to its relief. The king of France and the dauphin were in the French camp, and their troops were strongly posted behind the village of Fontenoy. The British infantry dis- . The British infantry displayed the most undaunted valor, carrying everything before them; but they were illbefore them; but they were illsupported by their German and Dutch allies, whose indecision or want of courage lost the day. The capture of Tournay, Ghent, Ostend and Oudenarde by the French, aided by the Irish Brigade, was the immediate consequence of this important victory.