OUDENARDE, a town of Belgium in the province of East Flanders, 18 m. S. of Ghent. While it is best known for the great victory gained by Marlborough and Eugene over the French under VendOrne in 1708, Oudenarde has many features of interest. The town hall, which took ten years to build (1525-1535), has after that of Louvain the most elaborately decorated façade in Bel gium. It was designed by H. van Peede and G. de Ronde, and is in tertiary Gothic style. The belfry tower of five storeys with three terraces, surmounted by a golden figure, is a striking feature. The council chamber contains a fine oak door and Gothic chimney piece, both c. 153o. There are also two interesting old churches, St. Walburga, partly of the 12th and partly of the 14th century, and Notre Dame, dating from the 13th century. The former contains several pictures by Craeyer and other Flemish masters.
The Battle of Oudenarde (June 3o—July 11, 1708) was fought on the ground north-west and north of the town, which was then regularly fortified and was garrisoned by a force of the Allies. For an account of the strategic situation which led up to the battle, see SPANISH SUCCESSION, WAR OF THE. The French army under the duke of Burgundy and Marshal Vendome, after an abortive at tempt to invest Oudenarde, took up a defensive position north of the town when Marlborough and Eugene, after a forced march, arrived with the main Allied army. The advanced guard of the Allies under General (Lord) Cadogan promptly crossed the Scheldt, annihilated an outlying body of French troops, and estab lished itself on the ground it had won, in front of the French centre. But the Allied main army took a long time to defile over the Scheldt and could form up (on the left of Cadogan's detach ment) only slowly and by degrees. Observing this, Burgundy re solved to throw forward his right towards Oudenarde to engage and hold the main body of the Allies before their line of battle could be formed. This effected, it was hoped that the remainder
of the French army could isolate and destroy Cadogan's detach ment, which was already closely engaged with the French centre. But he miscalculated both the endurance of Cadogan's men (amongst whom the Prussians were conspicuous for their tenacity) and the rapidity with which in Marlborough's and Eugene's hands the wearied troops of the Allies could be made to move. Marl borough, who personally directed the operations on his left wing, not only formed his line of battle successfully, but also began seriously to press the forces that had been sent to check his de ployment. Before long, while the hostile left wing still remained inactive, the unfortunate troops of the French centre and right were gradually hemmed in by the whole force of the Allies. The decisive blow was delivered by the Dutch marshal, Overkirk, who was sent by Marlborough with a large force (the last reserve of the Allies) to make a wide turning movement round the extreme right of the French, and at the proper time attacked them in rear. A belated attempt of the French left to intervene was checked by the British cavalry, and the pressure on the centre and right, which were now practically surrounded, continued even after nightfall. A few scattered units managed to escape, and the left wing retreated unmolested, but at the cost of about 3,00o cas ualties the Allies inflicted a loss of 6,000 killed and wounded and 9,00o prisoners on the enemy, who were, moreover, so shaken that they never recovered their confidence to the end of the cam paign. The battle of Oudenarde was not the greatest of Marl borough's victories, but it affords almost the best illustration of his military character. Contrary to all the rules of war then in vogue, he fought a piecemeal and unpremeditated battle, with his back to a river, and with wearied troops, and succeeded.