battle march saw republican french army led attack coalition army commanded coalition army small contingent allied troops repulsed french assaults bitter fighting conceded defeat withdrawing field french position austrian netherlands swiftly collapsed ending threat allowing austria regain control lost province war coalition engagement fought located kilometres east brussels present day belgium victory november french armies rapidly overran driving austrians west bank french government preoccupied war breathing space offered enemy austria assembled army struck french covering force routed began gathering army took defensive position awaited confident attack coalition army outnumbered infantry possessed superiority cavalry intense fighting troops repulsed attacks french center right wing found left wing driven battlefield began retreating defeat led mass discouraged french volunteers face military collapse negotiated free withdrawal french troops return surrender belgium dutch territory soon plotting government plans failed defected austrians leaving french army chaos background french conquer belgium november french army defeated austrian army duke albert battle french enjoyed enormous numerical superiority infantry cavalry guns austrian army counting foot soldiers horsemen guns month french armies overran territory known today nation belgium right flank led advanced river way dropped force des captured commanded laid siege antwerp joined column marched northeast november garrison battalion austrian infantry regiment allowed free 27th soldiers won minor action near battalions austrians antwerp fell november infantry cavalry austrian garrison 1st companies companies plus gunners surrendered losing dead wounded french captured cannons additional pound regimental cannons muskets gunpowder man garrison von surrendered december week siege austrian defenders included battalions battalion companies half squadron gunners division counted infantry cavalry invasion dutch republic austrian counterattack opportunity drive austrians west bank rhine conjunction instead pursued pet project invasion hoped war dutch keeping neutral french government forced hand declaring war great_britain february ordering overrun undertook invasion infantry cavalry soon reinforced covered army corps pushed north time army north counted men numbered army consisted soldiers corps strong army holland troops men belgian garrisons told strength french army low countries men french army believing invincible bitter political struggles moderate extreme period army supply system fell apart neglect crossed dutch frontier february fortress fell quick siege february dutch defenders included infantry regiment surrendered city cannon allowed free 21st invested troops army austrian dutch defenders austrian general major siege work winter weather french volunteers deserted units went home fortress guns siege march dutch garrison battalions squadrons allowed free giving military engineer designed floating batteries great siege gibraltar small fort captured march men tiny garrison stiff fight lost killed survivors gave edge planned cross march seize amsterdam capturing join advancing preoccupied french commander given austrians time recover prince austrian army west bank rhine assisted promising staff officer named march swept aside covering army battle french abandoned siege march pursued slowly french forces 9th slow dutch project french government insisted charge belgium command army holland arrived march thought soldiers morale retreat advanced army seeking battle french commander failed corps army holland reinforcements earlier driven march french recaptured vigorous combat french attacked troops duke defended town soldiers guns mortars french casualties numbered opponents sustained losses killed wounded missing pulled army believing outnumbered enemies confident success century french won battle ground battle forces strengths given armies vary somewhat credited french men stating austro dutch numbers asserted french foot horse coalition counted infantry cavalry dodge wrote infantry cavalry battle foot horse according outnumbered counted infantry cavalry led right infantry cavalry right wing numbered battalions divided divisions led center included foot soldiers battalions horsemen subordinate generals center men infantry cavalry led left foot horse commanded battalion reserve strength men figures total infantry cavalry charles battalions squadrons divided number brigades command commanded battalions led battalions battalion donnell battalion squadron directed battalion battalion squadron prince directed battalion battalion donnell battalion squadrons led battalions squadrons led battalions squadrons 1st rank duke ferdinand division commander battalions infantry regiments battalion charles squadrons nassau regiments squadrons kaiser duke albert regiments directed battalions squadrons 2nd rank division commander brigadier und units included battalions infantry regiments battalion squadrons squadrons regiments count led battalions squadrons reserve division commander brigadier units battalions infantry regiments battalion murray battalions squadrons squadrons contributed battalions consisting battalions battalion regiments combat drawn right flank duke stood center reserve defended left flank village far right line left center screen coalition light troops posted little organized columns attack right led attack columns duke directed columns center commanded columns left main road french reserve formed final column far left capture swing south operated right wing believed main strength right wing protect austrian line communications planned throw heaviest blow left wing line stretched hill village left directed column attack second seize hill left ordered attack columns french little unable capture hill noon french seized finally coalition forces launched attack attack villages defended french austrian cavalry charges highly effective open ground settlements bitter fighting changed hands repeatedly villages recaptured troops austrian cavalry charge pressed french farther attempted attack right failed french cavalry covered retreat infantry maintaining position little attacked morning reaction draw substantial troops center reinforce right flank initially men driven held village captured threatened soon thrown main fighting occurred column seized drove soldiers attacks face strong coalition defenses charles saw opportunity cavalry tired french soldiers troops driven rally heard defeat wing morning 19th forced order retreat results coalition given credit triumph blamed defeat traveled paris intrigue austro dutch reported losses officers rank file horses french lost killed wounded plus men artillery pieces captured general brigade bar killed generals wounded source estimated austrian losses killed wounded missing french casualties killed wounded plus missing prisoners immediately battle french volunteers deserted colors went home days later army numbered troops men deserted hundreds march clash soldiers defeated austrians sustained casualties inflicting french march french army retreated brussels began calling detachments corps point opened negotiations austrians offered evacuate belgium armies allowed retreat terms accepted french armies withdrew camps border army holland allowed march enemy lines took position near posted army north saint sur evacuated april april heart king went january found political situation paris chaotic appalled tendency interfere army commanders having negotiated enemy offered treat austrians sent march french commander proposed army march paris overthrow crush restore constitution austrians pledged halt advance carried coup moved slowly april commissioners war minister arrived headquarters demand commander explain paris seized handed austrians tried frontier fortresses hands adherents failed attempted seizure later executed believed control regular infantry cavalry regiments hand volunteers artillery remained devoted incident fired nearly arrested volunteer battalion mistake seen austrian escort gunners took lead refusing obey seeing plot fallen apart defected austrians april accompanied duke generals cavalry longer bound previous agreement prepared invade france hitherto armies ruled directed officers begins revolutionary nightmare ironically treason gave scope control armies army commanders afterward representatives mission given extraordinary powers army commanders generals pay lives defeat real authority lay political new war minister sent agents spy generals men quick report complaint officers result disgrace execution elements system stayed force overthrown
Battle of Neerwinden (1793)