In 1302 a peasant militia arose in revolt against an oppressive tax imposed by the French patrician elites who then ruled Flanders. The peasants had what sounds like an advantage in numbers, 11,000 to 7,500, but the cavalry count was tipped heavily against them, 400 to 2,000, and each mounted knight was thought a match for 10 footsoldiers. However, the soggy, stream-riddled conditions of the battlefield prevented the cavalry from charging; bogged down, they were torn from their mounts and slaughtered. The Golden Spurs for which the battle is named were collected from 700 of these unfortunate knights.
The political fallout from Golden Spurs was significant. Dutch became the official language of Flanders, and remains so to this day. Administrative power tipped in favor of artisans and merchants rather than landed nobles.
The battle is commemorated with a monumental arch at Groeningelaan, which is now within the city limits of Kortrijk.
