Siege of Kehl (1796)
Encyclopedia
The 1796-1797 Siege of Kehl lasted from October 1796 to 9 January 1797, during the War of the First Coalition
(part of the French Revolutionary Wars
). Forces numbering 40,000 of the Holy Roman Empire
under the command of Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg
besieged and captured the French-controlled fortress of Kehl
, across the Rhine River from Strasbourg
.
The French defense under Louis Desaix and Jean Victor Marie Moreau
almost upset the siege when they executed a sortie
that nearly succeeded in capturing the Austrian artillery park. After the defenses were thoroughly riddled by heavy bombardment from the besiegers, the French defenders capitulated and withdrew in 9 January 1797.
succeeded his brother Joseph as emperor and by 1791, the situation surrounding his sister, Marie Antoinette
, and her children, alarmed him. In August 1791, in consultation with French émigré nobles and Frederick William II
of Prussia, he issued the Declaration of Pilnitz, in which they declared the interest of the monarchs of Europe as one with the interests of Louis and his family. They threatened ambiguous, but quite serious, consequences if anything should happen to the royal family. The French émigrés continued to agitate for support of a counter-revolution abroad. On 20 April 1792, the French National Convention declared war on Austria. In this War of the First Coalition (1792–1798), France ranged itself against most of the European states sharing land or water borders with her, plus Portugal and the Ottoman Empire.
The war went well, initially, for the Coalition allies. In 1792, a mostly Prussian allied army under Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
assembled at Koblenz
on the Rhine. In July, Brunswick's army easily took the fortresses of Longwy
and Verdun. Brunswick then issued a proclamation, written by the émigré Prince de Condé, declaring their intent to restore the King to his full powers and to treat any person or town who opposed them as rebels to be condemned to death by martial-law. This had the effect of motivating the revolutionary army and government to oppose them by any means necessary, and led almost immediately to the overthrow of the King by a crowd which stormed the Tuileries Palace
.
As the war continued, in the north, the Allies succeeded in pushing the French Republican forces out of the Lowlands, at Valmy
on 20 September, they came to a stalemate against Dumouriez and Kellermann
in which the highly professional French artillery
distinguished itself. Although the battle was a tactical draw, it gave a great boost to French morale. Further, the Prussians, finding that the campaign had been longer and more costly than predicted, decided that the cost and risk of continued fighting was too great, and they decided to retreat from France to preserve their army.
Although the campaigns in the north went, overall, in favor of the Allies, the French had been successful on several other fronts, occupying Savoy
and Nice
in Italy, while General Custine
invaded Germany, several German towns along the southern Rhine, and reaching as far as Frankfurt
. Dumouriez went on the offensive in Belgium
once again, winning a great victory over the Austrians at Jemappes
on 6 November, and occupying the entire country by the beginning of winter.
A key to the French success was the army's ability to cross the Rhine at will. The crossings at Hüningen, near the Swiss city of Basle, and the crossing at Kehl
, near the Alsatian city of Strasburg
, gave them ready-access to most of southwestern Germany; from there, French armies could sweep north, south, or march east, depending on their military goal. The imperial army had laid siege to Kehl, but the garrison there had successfully defended themselves.
main imperial army, near Kehl. Jourdan's idea was to crush Charles north of Kehl; if he could not do that, he would at least push Charles back into Bavaria, and from there to Austria, forcing a culminating battle somewhere along the Danube between Passau and Vienna. In this way, he could pressure the House of Habsburg into submission.
After Jean Victor Moreau led his army across the Rhine at Hüningen to support Jourdan's plan. After crossing, he swung north, and proceeded down the Rhine, on the east side, toward Kehl. When Baillet de Latour engaged the main Austrian force northeast Kehl, Archduke Charles
entrusted to Lieutenant Field Marshal Fürstenberg the command of the siege force at Hüningen, which included two divisions with 20 battalions of infantry and 40 squadrons of cavalry. It speaks highly of Charles' confidence in the Prince that the Archduke would charge him with the taking of the Hüningen bridgehead. His confidence was well-placed; on 27 October 1796, Fürstenberg initiated the siege works before Hüningen. His chief engineer opened the fortifications and drained the water-filled moat. Fürstenberg offered the commander of the bridgehead, the French general of brigade Jean Charles Abbatucci
, the opportunity to surrender, which was declined. In the night of 30 November – 1 December, Fürstenberg's troops stormed the bridgehead twice, but were twice repulsed. In one of these attacks, the French general was mortally wounded and died on 3 December.
, by the entrance to the old village of Kehl. By 16 Frumaire, these were connected in a grand parallel, a series of batteries in a semicircle around the new village. On the morning of 16 Frimaire, the Austrians opened fire simultaneously with their batteries, and kept up a salvo the entire day. At four in the afternoon, they attacked a French position, which was defended by 300 men. They succeeded in taking it, but the French counter-attacked, and recovered it, taking also some prisoners. At the same time, they attacked the other works, called the Bonnet de Pretre, where only 20 men were posted, and succeeded in taking it, and afterward connected it to their other battle works.
of the 36th Infantry Regiment, which bore his name until his death in battle in 1799.
Total: 40 Battalions.
Of these, Moreau notes, fifteen battalions were in daily service on the right bank, about six battalions in the fortification of Kehl itself, and three in the entrenchments. Three battalions occupied the islands on the rhine (Ehrlerhin, and Kintzig). A reserve of six battalions encamped on the left bank of the Rhine.
An emigre named Klinglen, from Strasbourg, was a major general in the service of the Emperor, and he gave useful information to the enemy of the locality. Several engineers. The Imperial troops employed to guard the Rhine are not included.
First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition was the first major effort of multiple European monarchies to contain Revolutionary France. France declared war on the Habsburg monarchy of Austria on 20 April 1792, and the Kingdom of Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later.These powers initiated a series...
(part of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
). Forces numbering 40,000 of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
under the command of Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg
Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg
Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg was an Austrian military commander. He achieved the rank of Field Marshal and died at the Battle of Stockach....
besieged and captured the French-controlled fortress of Kehl
Kehl
Kehl is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg.-History:...
, across the Rhine River from Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
.
The French defense under Louis Desaix and Jean Victor Marie Moreau
Jean Victor Marie Moreau
Jean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.- Early life :Moreau was born at Morlaix in Brittany...
almost upset the siege when they executed a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
that nearly succeeded in capturing the Austrian artillery park. After the defenses were thoroughly riddled by heavy bombardment from the besiegers, the French defenders capitulated and withdrew in 9 January 1797.
Background
Initially, the rulers of Europe viewed the revolution in France as an event between the French king and his subjects, and not something in which they should interfere. In 1790, LeopoldLeopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold II , born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1765 to 1790. He was a son of Emperor Francis I and his wife, Empress Maria Theresa...
succeeded his brother Joseph as emperor and by 1791, the situation surrounding his sister, Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, and her children, alarmed him. In August 1791, in consultation with French émigré nobles and Frederick William II
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William II was the King of Prussia, reigning from 1786 until his death. He was in personal union the Prince-Elector of Brandenburg and the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel.-Early life:...
of Prussia, he issued the Declaration of Pilnitz, in which they declared the interest of the monarchs of Europe as one with the interests of Louis and his family. They threatened ambiguous, but quite serious, consequences if anything should happen to the royal family. The French émigrés continued to agitate for support of a counter-revolution abroad. On 20 April 1792, the French National Convention declared war on Austria. In this War of the First Coalition (1792–1798), France ranged itself against most of the European states sharing land or water borders with her, plus Portugal and the Ottoman Empire.
The war went well, initially, for the Coalition allies. In 1792, a mostly Prussian allied army under Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick
Charles William Ferdinand , Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, was a sovereign prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and a professional soldier who served as a Generalfeldmarschall of the Kingdom of Prussia...
assembled at Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
on the Rhine. In July, Brunswick's army easily took the fortresses of Longwy
Longwy
Longwy is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are known as Longoviciens.-Economy:Longwy has historically been an industrial center of the Lorraine iron mining district. The town is known for its artistic glazed pottery.-History:Longwy initially...
and Verdun. Brunswick then issued a proclamation, written by the émigré Prince de Condé, declaring their intent to restore the King to his full powers and to treat any person or town who opposed them as rebels to be condemned to death by martial-law. This had the effect of motivating the revolutionary army and government to oppose them by any means necessary, and led almost immediately to the overthrow of the King by a crowd which stormed the Tuileries Palace
Tuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
.
As the war continued, in the north, the Allies succeeded in pushing the French Republican forces out of the Lowlands, at Valmy
Battle of Valmy
The Battle of Valmy was the first major victory by the army of France during the French Revolution. The action took place on 20 September 1792 as Prussian troops commanded by the Duke of Brunswick attempted to march on Paris...
on 20 September, they came to a stalemate against Dumouriez and Kellermann
François Christophe Kellermann
François Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann, 1st Duc de Valmy was a French military commander, later the Général d'Armée, and a Marshal of France...
in which the highly professional French artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
distinguished itself. Although the battle was a tactical draw, it gave a great boost to French morale. Further, the Prussians, finding that the campaign had been longer and more costly than predicted, decided that the cost and risk of continued fighting was too great, and they decided to retreat from France to preserve their army.
Although the campaigns in the north went, overall, in favor of the Allies, the French had been successful on several other fronts, occupying Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in Italy, while General Custine
Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine
Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine was a French general. Born in Metz, he began his military career as a captain in the Seven Years' War, where he learned to admire the modern military organisation of Prussia....
invaded Germany, several German towns along the southern Rhine, and reaching as far as Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. Dumouriez went on the offensive in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
once again, winning a great victory over the Austrians at Jemappes
Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. General Charles François Dumouriez, in command of the French Revolutionary Army, defeated the greatly outnumbered Austrian army of Field Marshal Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen and his second-in-command...
on 6 November, and occupying the entire country by the beginning of winter.
A key to the French success was the army's ability to cross the Rhine at will. The crossings at Hüningen, near the Swiss city of Basle, and the crossing at Kehl
Kehl
Kehl is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg.-History:...
, near the Alsatian city of Strasburg
Strasburg
-Places:*Strasbourg, a city in Alsace *Straßburg, Austria, in Carinthia*Strasburg, Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania*the former name of Brodnica, became Polish after World War I*Strassburg, the German name for Aiud, Alba...
, gave them ready-access to most of southwestern Germany; from there, French armies could sweep north, south, or march east, depending on their military goal. The imperial army had laid siege to Kehl, but the garrison there had successfully defended themselves.
Sieges at Hüningen and Kehl
In 1796, Jean Baptiste Jourdan initiated a plan against the Archduke CharlesArchduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
main imperial army, near Kehl. Jourdan's idea was to crush Charles north of Kehl; if he could not do that, he would at least push Charles back into Bavaria, and from there to Austria, forcing a culminating battle somewhere along the Danube between Passau and Vienna. In this way, he could pressure the House of Habsburg into submission.
After Jean Victor Moreau led his army across the Rhine at Hüningen to support Jourdan's plan. After crossing, he swung north, and proceeded down the Rhine, on the east side, toward Kehl. When Baillet de Latour engaged the main Austrian force northeast Kehl, Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
entrusted to Lieutenant Field Marshal Fürstenberg the command of the siege force at Hüningen, which included two divisions with 20 battalions of infantry and 40 squadrons of cavalry. It speaks highly of Charles' confidence in the Prince that the Archduke would charge him with the taking of the Hüningen bridgehead. His confidence was well-placed; on 27 October 1796, Fürstenberg initiated the siege works before Hüningen. His chief engineer opened the fortifications and drained the water-filled moat. Fürstenberg offered the commander of the bridgehead, the French general of brigade Jean Charles Abbatucci
Jean Charles Abbatucci
Jean Charles Abbatucci or Abatucci was a French general during the War of the First Coalition...
, the opportunity to surrender, which was declined. In the night of 30 November – 1 December, Fürstenberg's troops stormed the bridgehead twice, but were twice repulsed. In one of these attacks, the French general was mortally wounded and died on 3 December.
Conduct of the siege at Kehl
The French had made several night sorties on the works of the besiegers. In these forays, they would chase the diggers out of the lines, but the Austrian reserves always recovered the works before the French could capture any cannons or destroy the construction. Every day, the Austrians were expanding their works and erecting new batteries. On the 8th they had built some new trenches on the left of the SchutterSchutter
Schutter can refer to two rivers in Germany:*Schutter , tributuary of the Kinzig, Baden Württemberg*Schutter , tributuary of the Danube, Bavaria...
, by the entrance to the old village of Kehl. By 16 Frumaire, these were connected in a grand parallel, a series of batteries in a semicircle around the new village. On the morning of 16 Frimaire, the Austrians opened fire simultaneously with their batteries, and kept up a salvo the entire day. At four in the afternoon, they attacked a French position, which was defended by 300 men. They succeeded in taking it, but the French counter-attacked, and recovered it, taking also some prisoners. At the same time, they attacked the other works, called the Bonnet de Pretre, where only 20 men were posted, and succeeded in taking it, and afterward connected it to their other battle works.
Siege and Capitulation at Hüningen
After the capitulation of the French at Kehl on 10 January 1797, Fürstenberg finally received the additional forces with which he could end the siege at Hüningen. He ordered the reinforcement of the ring of soldiers surrounding Hüningen and, on 2 February 1797, the Austrians prepared to storm the bridgehead when General of Division Dufour, the new French commander, pre-empted what would have been a costly attack, offering to surrender the bridge. On 5 February, Fürstenberg finally took possession of the bridgehead. Francis II, the Holy Roman Emperor, appointed him as Colonel and ProprietorProprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of the 36th Infantry Regiment, which bore his name until his death in battle in 1799.
French Order of Battle
Commanding: General Dessaix and, by the end of Frimaire, Saint-Cyr relieved him.- General of Division Eblé
- Chief of Brigade Lobréau, Commander of Artillery
- General of Brigade Boisgérard, Commander of Engineers
- Battalion Chief Dédon, Bridges.
1st Division
General of Division Ambert- Davout 3rd, 10th Demi Brigade of the Line, 3 battalions each
- Decaen, 31st, 44th, Demi Brigade of the Line, three battalions each
2nd Division
General of Division Duhesme- Eckmayer, 62nd, 68th, Demi Brigade of the Line, three battalions each
- Lecourbe, 76th, 84th Demi Brigade of the Ligne, three battalions each
3rd Division
General of Division St. Suzanne- Montrichard, 93rd (one battalion), 97th of the Line, three battalions, 100th Demi Brigade, 3 battlaions
- Tharreau, 103rd, 106th, 109th demi brigades of the line, 3 battalions each
Total: 40 Battalions.
Of these, Moreau notes, fifteen battalions were in daily service on the right bank, about six battalions in the fortification of Kehl itself, and three in the entrenchments. Three battalions occupied the islands on the rhine (Ehrlerhin, and Kintzig). A reserve of six battalions encamped on the left bank of the Rhine.
Austrian Order of Battle
- General Latour, General of Artillery, commander of the Siege
- Lieutenant Field Marshal Kollowrath, commander of Artillery
- Colonel Szeredai, Director of Engineers
Infantry
- Grün-Laudon Freicorps, 2 battalions
- Szeckler, 1 battalion
- Bannat, 1 battalion
- Esclavons, 2 battalions
- Starray, 3 battalions
- Benjowsky, 2 battalions
- Nadasty, 1 battalion
1. Column
- Commanders: Burger and Tercy, Major Generals
- Archduke Anton 1 battalion
- Olivier Wallis, 2 battalions
- Kaunitz, 2 battalions
- Alton, 3 battalions
- Joseph Colloredo, 1 battalion
- Gemmingen, 1 battalion
- Kaiser, 1 battalion
- Grenadiers de Retz, Reisinger, Dietrich and Pitsch, 4 battalions (1 each)
2. Column
- Corps of Gyulay 2 battalions
- Archduke Charles, 3 battalions
- Franz Kinsky, 2 battalions
- Karl Schroeder, 2 battalions
- Grand Duke of Tuscany, 2 battalions
- Michael Wallis, 1 battalion
- Wenceslas Colloredo, 1 battalion
- De Ligne, 1 battalion
3. Column
- Lieutenant General Reise
- Major Generals Baillet Latour, Sebottendorf, Hegel
- Corps of French Emigres (Corps Conde), 2 battalions
- Wartenslaben, 3 battlalions
- Esclavons, 1 battalion
- Hohenlohe, 2 battalions
- Wenckheim, 1 battalion
- Gemmingen, 1 battalion
- Grenadiers de Candiani, Szenassi, Albsaltern, and Buedeskuty, 4 battalions
- Total: 55 Foot and Grenadier Battalions
Cavalry
- Lieutenant Generals Mels-Colloredo and Kospoth
- Major General Meerveldt, O'Reilly, Nauendorf
- Hussars frontier, 10 squadrons
- Levenher, chevauxlegers 6 squadrons
- Karacay chevauxlegers, 6 squadrons
- Prince of Lorraine, cuirassiers, 6 squadrons
- Kaiser chevauxlegers 6 squadrons
- Kaiser, carbiniers, 2 squadrons
- Archduke John Dragoons, 4 squadrons
- Hohenzollern cuirassiers, 6 squadrons
- Total Cavalry: 46 Squadrons
An emigre named Klinglen, from Strasbourg, was a major general in the service of the Emperor, and he gave useful information to the enemy of the locality. Several engineers. The Imperial troops employed to guard the Rhine are not included.