Battle of Villersexel Battle of Villersexel The Battle of Villersexel took place on 9 January 1871 as part of the Franco-Prussian War. Elements of the French "Armée de l'Est" under General Bourbaki engaged August von Werder's Prussian forces. It resulted in a French victory. In the turmoil and confusion following major reverses and capitulations at Sedan, Paris, and Metz, the remaining French armies faced major supply difficulties which restricted their movements. The "Armée de l'Est" was tasked with reaching and assisting Belfort, where Colonel Denfert-Rochereau still held out. Werder's Prussians caught up to Bourbaki in the evening of 9 January at Villersexel, where
Battle of the Golden Spurs heavy cavalry. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Battle of the Golden Spurs became an important cultural reference point for the Flemish Movement. In 1973, the date of the battle was chosen to be the date of the official holiday of the Flemish Community in Belgium. The origins of the Franco-Flemish War (1297–1305) can be traced back to the accession of Philip IV "the Fair" to the French throne in 1285. Philip hoped to reassert control over the County of Flanders, a semi-independent polity notionally part of the Kingdom of France, and possibly even to annex it into the