[1][2][3] Denmark–Norway had been forced out of the Great Northern War by the Treaty of Traventhal in 1700, but had long planned on reopening hostilities with the goal of reconquering the lost provinces of Scania, Halland and Blekinge.

The pretext given was that Sweden had been intentionally trying to avoid paying the Sound Dues, and that the population of Scania, Halland, Blekinge and Bohuslän had been mistreated by the Swedish.

On 10 March 1710 the Danish force finally engaged the Swedish army, which had been hastily drafted from the surrounding regions to try to resist the Danes.

Their objective was to capture the naval base at Karlskrona in Blekinge, and the Danish army advanced quickly into Swedish territory.

Helsingborg was the key to Scania and Stenbock intended on marching through Rönneå to Kävlingeån, in doing so cutting off the Danish supply lines.

Rantzau saw that the Swedish army outflanked his own left flank in the west and was forced to dispatch troops to reinforce it quickly.

This was perceived by the Danes as an attempt to encircle their eastern flank, and to prevent this they marched further east, opening up gaps in the Danish line of battle that could not be filled by reserve troops.

At the same time a rumor developed in the Danish east flank that the Swedes had encircled them and were attacking from behind, which caused the entire formation to collapse with the troops fleeing towards Helsingborg.

[2][3] Rantzau's disappearance from the field became noticeable in the middle of the Danish line of battle upon which the Swedish forces had begun to focus their attack.

The Danes had great difficulties withstanding the assault, and as the Danish troops saw how their eastern flank was faring, the middle started to collapse due to Swedish pressure.

Danish Major-General Valentin von Eickstedt ordered a general retreat, and the Danes quickly fled from the battlefield, bringing the battle to an end.

By 5 March the last remains of the Danish army left Scania after intentionally slaughtering all their horses and sabotaging their cannons by spiking them.

The city of Helsingborg was hit hard by the battle, due both to the Swedish bombardment which destroyed its buildings, and all the remaining human and horse cadavers poisoning the wells.

The battle marked the end of any realistic hopes for Denmark to recover the Scanian territories, and they have remained part of Sweden ever since.