Battle of Bouvines - Prelude

Prelude

The campaign was designed by John, who was the fulcrum of the alliances; his plan being to draw the French away from Paris southward against himself and keep him occupied, while the main army, under Emperor Otto IV, marched on Paris from the north. John's part in the general strategy was carried out at first, but the allies in the north moved slowly. John, after two encounters with the French, retreated to Aquitaine on 3 July.

On July 23, after having summoned his all vassals, Philip had an army consisting of 4,000 cavalry and 11,000 piétons (foot soldiers). The emperor finally succeeded in concentrating his forces at Valenciennes, although John was out of the picture, and in the interval Philip Augustus had counter marched northward and regrouped. Philip now took the offensive himself, and in maneuvoering to get a good cavalry ground upon which to fight he offered battle (27 July), on the plain east of Bouvines and the river Marque. Otto was surprised by the speed of his enemy and was thought to have been caught unprepared by the King of France (which has probably attracted the emperor in this piège). Although he was under a Church interdict, Otto, already an excommunicate, decided to launch an attack rather than negotiate with the French.

The imperial army drew up facing south-westward towards Bouvines, the heavy cavalry on the wings, the infantry in one great mass in the center, supported by the cavalry corps under the emperor himself. The total force is estimated at 25,000 men; a much larger proportion of foot soldiers and slightly less cavalry than the French. The French army of 15,000 men took ground exactly opposite in a similar formation, cavalry on the wings, infantry, including the townsmen (milice des communes) in the center, Philip with the cavalry reserve and the royal standard, the Oriflamme, in rear of the men on foot. Philip's army contained about 2,000 knights (750 were from the royal demesne) and 2,000 mounted sergeants with the rest being infantry.