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Count Lamoral of Egmont commanded 15,000 Spanish troops against Marshal Paul de
1558 Event

July 13

Battle of Gravelines: Spain Defeats France, Controls Europe

Count Lamoral of Egmont commanded 15,000 Spanish troops against Marshal Paul de Thermes's 6,000 French soldiers at Gravelines on July 13th. The Spanish cavalry shattered the French lines within hours. De Thermes lost 1,500 men and was captured himself. Egmont became a hero across the Habsburg empire. Ten years later, the Spanish Crown he'd served so brilliantly would execute him for treason—suspected of sympathizing with Protestant rebels in the Netherlands. Victory bought him a decade, then a scaffold.

July 13, 1558

468 years ago

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