The Flemish militia decisively defeats the French knights at the Battle of the Golden Spurs, on July 11, 1302: near Kortrijk (Courtrai), Belgium. The battle solidified Flemish resistance against French annexation, earning its name from the hundreds of golden spurs collected from fallen French nobles.
It was a stunning defeat of the French forces that were expecting an easy victory but instead, allowed the Flemish militias to effectively destroy the French armored cavalry with significant losses including top nobles. The battle is commemorated annually as the Flemish Community Holiday.
