A French general and one of only six Marshals to be promoted Marshal General of France. In 1658, Marshal of France Turenne led the allied forces of France and Commonwealth England to besiege Dunkirk. Turenne began the battle with artillery salvoes, and the Spanish right flank was bombarded with some harassing fire from English fleet. The Anglo-French army began to advance. Some Spanish cavalry from their reserve was sent forward and threatened the English but were defeated in turn by the French cavalry. Marshal Turenne took advantage of the receding tide to concentrate most of his cavalry on his left, and its advance enveloped the Spanish right wing. The battle lasted for about two hours, and by noon Turenne had a complete victory that ended with the rout of the Spanish forces. His military exploits over his five-decade career earned him a reputation as one of the greatest military commanders in history.