The French knights couldn't believe commoners had won. At Kortrijk on July 11, 1

1302 Event

Golden Spurs: Flemish Militia Crushes French Knights

The French knights couldn't believe commoners had won. At Kortrijk on July 11, 1302, Flemish weavers and guild workers slaughtered France's armored nobility in a muddy field—killing roughly 1,000 knights, including Robert II of Artois. The victors collected 500 golden spurs from the fallen nobles and hung them in a church. Infantry had beaten cavalry. Craftsmen had destroyed aristocrats. And for the first time in medieval Europe, a feudal king learned his mounted warriors weren't invincible against determined citizens fighting for their own cities.

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July 11, 1302

724 years ago

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Golden Spurs: Flemish Militia Crushes French Knights

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