Battle of Lleida (1642) explained

Conflict:Battle of Lleida
Partof:the Reapers' War and the
Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)
Date:7 October 1642
Place:Lleida, Principality of Catalonia
Coordinates:41.6167°N 0.6333°W
Result:Franco-Catalan victory
Combatant1:Kingdom of France
Principality of Catalonia
Combatant2:Spain
Commander1:Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt
Comte de Roches-Baritault
Commander2:Marquis de Leganés
Strength1:12,000-13,000
Strength2:22,000-25,000
Casualties1:1,000 killed
Casualties2:2,000 killed
Campaignbox:

The Battle of Lleida took place on 7 October 1642, during the Catalan Revolt, part of the wider Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659). A combined Franco-Catalan army under Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt defeated a larger Spanish force led by Marquis de Leganés, sent to capture the town of Lleida.

Background

In the summer of 1642, an army commanded by Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt, French military commander in Catalonia, marched into Aragon. In order to divert him, Leganés assembled troops from Tarragona and Zaragoza to retake the important city of Lleida, then held by a French garrison.

La Mothe positioned his smaller army in the Llano de las Forques and defeated the Spanish army. After the victory, the French Army besieged Tortosa, but was forced to withdraw.

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