TheBattle of Saucourt was part of theViking invasions of West Francia and occurred between forces ofVikings and the troops of Kings ofWest Francia,Louis III of France and his brotherCarloman II, on 3 August 881 atSaucourt-en-Vimeu.[1]
Following theBattle of Thimeon near Charleroi where the Vikings were defeated byLouis the Younger, King ofEast Francia, they resumed their raids on the West Frankish kingdom. After taking Kortrijk in November 880, they raided Arras and Cambrai in December.[2] Later in 881, they sacked Amiens and Corbie.[3]
Louis and Carloman were victorious, in what must have been a rare pitched battle, against the northern raiders in which some 9,000 Vikings were slain according to theAnnals of Fulda.[4] The battle is celebrated in theOld High German poemLudwigslied.[5]
Despite winning the battle, Louis was unable to take advantage of this victory since he would die in an accident in 882.[4] The battle of Saucourt did nothing to stop Viking raids, who switched to raiding Lotharingia.[4]
50°06′15″N1°36′57″E / 50.1042°N 1.6158°E /50.1042; 1.6158
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