The French counter-offensive Flanders Campaign

the french conquest of low countries may 1794 till june 1795.



the battle of tourcoing.

the coalition forces planned stem pichegru s advance broad attack involving several isolated columns in scheme devised mack. @ battle of tourcoing on 17–18 may effort became logistical disaster communications broke down , columns delayed. third of allied force came action, , extricated after loss of 3,000 men. pichegru being absent on sambre, french command @ tourcoing had devolved onto shoulders of joseph souham. on return front pichegru renewed offensive press advantage despite repeated attacks held off @ battle of tournay on 22 may.

although allied front remained intact, subsequently austrian commitment war became increasingly weakened. prussians on point of pulling out of war due perceived austrian duplicity in bavaria. emperor influenced foreign minister baron johann von thugut, , thugut political considerations overrode military plans. in may 1794 fixation profiting third partition of poland, , troops , generals began stripped coburg s command. mack resigned chief-of-staff in disgust on 23 may , replaced prince christian august von waldeck-pyrmont, supporter of thugut. in council of war on 24 may emperor francis ii called vote on withdrawal, left vienna. duke of york dissented withdrawal.

thugut’s negative influence has been cited 1 of decisive factors in loss of campaign, possibly more important tourcoing , fleurus. decision retreat taken despite news of great gains on southern flank. on 24 may wichard joachim heinrich von möllendorf s prussians surprised french @ battle of kaiserslautern, while on same day coburg s left wing under franz wenzel, graf von kaunitz-rietberg, after beating off attack on sambre had counter-attacked , routed french right wing completely. northern flank temporarily stabilised coburg moved forces south support kaunitz, promptly resigned after being replaced hereditary prince. pichegru benefited weakening of allied northern sector return offensive , initiate siege of ypres. series of supinely ineffective counter-attacks clerfayt through june beaten off souham.

on southern flank french army of moselle , army of ardennes combined part of right wing of army of north under jourdan, , after yet failed attempt able cross sambre , lay siege charleroi. following day ypres surrendered pichegru. coburg decided concentrate of forces on sambre drive jourdan back, leaving york @ tournai , clerfayt @ deinze face pichegru , cover right. clerfayt driven deinze , retreated behind ghent, obliging york withdraw behind scheldt.

in south coburg launched series of attacks against jourdan s combined army of sambre-et-meuse narrowly beaten off @ battle of fleurus 26 june. proved decisive turning point. french gains in both north , south austrians called off attack before clear result , retreated north towards brussels. beginning of general retreat rhineland, austrians abandoning 80-year-long control of austrian netherlands. york s anglo-hanoverians on right obliged withdraw in order defend antwerp, abandoning ostend, garrison of under lord moira able break through encircling french forces , rejoin york on scheldt.

the loss of austrian support led collapse of campaign. none of other coalition partners had sufficient forces in theatre check french advance, , began retreat northwards, abandoning brussels (conquered pichegru on 11 july). jourdan pressed whole austrian line in repeated actions through days of july, encouraging coburg s retreat tienen (tirlemont) , beyond, while york withdrew dijle river. although still ostensibly subordinate austrian command, dutch , anglo-hanoverian forces separated , moved protect dutch republic. mechelen (malines) fell on 15th, antwerp evacuated on 24th, same day duke of york crossed dutch frontier @ roosendaal, while austrians crossed meuse @ maastricht. 3 days later, pichegru occupied antwerp. meanwhile, jourdan took namur on 17 july, , liège on 27 july, abolishing prince-bishopric third time since 1789, time good. demolition of saint lambert s cathedral, in revolutionary eyes symbol of clerical power , oppression, initiated.

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