Battle of Jemappes
The Battle of Jemappes took place on November 6, 1792, during the French Revolutionary Wars, marking a significant military engagement between the French forces led by General Charles François Dumouriez and the Austrian troops commanded by Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. The battle occurred near the village of Jemappes, where the Austrian forces, numbering around 14,000, were positioned along a strategic ridge. The French initiated the conflict with a prolonged artillery bombardment, followed by an aggressive infantry assault. Despite facing setbacks, the French troops, motivated by revolutionary fervor, ultimately succeeded in breaking through the Austrian lines by early afternoon, leading to a retreat by the Austrians.
The battle resulted in considerable casualties on both sides, estimated between 4,500 and 7,000. Jemappes is notable as the first major victory for the French revolutionary armies, which, along with the earlier Battle of Valmy, played a crucial role in saving the revolution at that time. This victory had significant implications, leading to the fall of Brussels and the Austrian Netherlands to French control within weeks. However, the triumph also led to unintended consequences, as many French volunteers, initially inspired to fight, began to leave the army, contributing to challenges that the French forces would face in 1793.
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Battle of Jemappes
Type of action: Ground battle in the War of the First Coalition
Date: November 6, 1792
Location: Jemappes, Austrian Netherlands
Combatants: 40,000 French vs. 14,000 Austrians
Principal commanders:French, General Charles François Dumouriez (1739–1823); Austrian, Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen (1738–1822)
Result: French defeat of Austrian forces
On November 6, 1792, General Charles François Dumouriez’s Army of the North, advancing toward Mons, encountered the forces of Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen. The latter could concentrate only some 14,000 troops and deployed them in positions along a ridge running through the village of Jemappes. The French opened with an artillery barrage of some three hours and then, about noon, attacked in tight columns that deployed into line formation at close range. Although repulsed several times, the French troops were rallied by Dumouriez. By two o’clock, the Austrian lines collapsed, and the troops fled from Jemappes. Each side suffered between 4,500 and 7,000 casualties. French numbers and revolutionary ardor had carried the day.
Significance
Jemappes was of great strategic importance. It was the first real field victory by the French revolutionary armies and, coupled with the Battle of Valmy (September 20, 1792), saved the revolution. Within a week, Brussels had fallen to the French and, within a month all the Austrian Netherlands. However, the euphoria of victory caused French volunteers, who had signed on for one campaign, to go home in droves, and the home front was likewise lulled. This disintegration set the stage for the disastrous French defeats in 1793.
Bibliography
Blanning, T. C. W. The French Revolutionary Wars, 1787–1802. London: Arnold, 1996.
Lynn, John A. Bayonets of the Republic: Motivation and Tactics in the Army of Revolutionary France, 1791–1794. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984.
Scott, Samuel F. From Yorktown to Valmy: The Transformation of the French Army in anAge of Revolution. Niwot: University Press of Colorado, 1998.