Qualla: Battle of the Golden Spurs

Battle of the Golden Spurs: Introduction

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Giovanni Villani, Public domain. They collected 500 pairs of golden spurs from the mud. On July 11, 1302, in a field outside Kortrijk crossed by streams and ditches, Flemish militia armed with pikes and a vicious spiked club called the goedendag had done the unthinkable: they had destroyed an army of French knights, the most formidable military force in Europe. The spurs, stripped from the bodies of fallen noblemen, were hung in the Church of Our Lady as trophies. The battle would reshape European warfare, prove that common men could defeat armored cavalry, and become the founding myth of Flemish national identity.

Image: Giovanni Villani | Public domain

Battle of the Golden Spurs: The Bruges Matins

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0. The revolt began with a massacre. After two years of French military occupation, the cities of Flanders rose up on May 18, 1302. In Bruges, rebellious citizens who had fled the city returned and murdered every Frenchman they could find, an event known as the Bruges Matins. King P...

Image: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas | CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of the Golden Spurs: A Prepared Killing Ground

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0. The Flemish chose their battlefield carefully. They assembled at Kortrijk on June 26 and laid siege to the French-held castle. When the French army approached, they positioned themselves in a field crossed by numerous ditches and streams, some draining from the Leie River, others...

Image: Paul Hermans | CC BY-SA 3.0

Battle of the Golden Spurs: The Charge That Failed

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Unknown sculptor, Chest of Courtrai, Public domain. French crossbowmen opened the battle, forcing their Flemish counterparts back. Then Robert II of Artois made his decision. Worried that his infantry would be overwhelmed, he recalled them to clear the way for a cavalry charge. The French horsemen unfurled their banners and advanc...

Image: Unknown sculptor, Chest of Courtrai | Public domain

Battle of the Golden Spurs: The Infantry Revolution

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit User:LimoWreck, CC BY 2.5. The death of Artois shattered French resolve. Survivors fled into the marshes, where they were easy targets, and the retreating infantry was pursued and cut down. Unusually for the period, the Flemish took few prisoners for ransom. The French lost over 1,000 men, including 75 imp...

Image: User:LimoWreck | CC BY 2.5