Book in French only!
At the end of the summer of 1793, the French Republic was on the brink of collapse. Engaged in a war against a powerful coalition of European states, it had suffered defeat after defeat since spring, and its territory was invaded on all its borders. On September 8, 1793, by winning the victory of Hondschoote over their Anglo-Hanoverian adversaries in Flanders, the Republican troops defeated the Siege of Dunkirk. However, this was insufficient to disrupt the plans of the Prince of Coburg, who, at the end of the month, began, alongside Austrian troops, the siege of one of the last citadels protecting the northern border: Maubeuge.
Despite its garrison of 20,000 men, the stronghold could not hold out for long. Urged on by the representative on mission Lazare Carnot, General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan hastily assembled a relief army. The fighting took place on October 15 and 16: 45,000 French fighters attacked 21,000 Austrians entrenched south of Maubeuge, mainly around the villages of Dourlers and Wattignies.
In this new installment of the Forgotten Battles collection, the author, drawing on the archives of both belligerents, reveals the twists and turns of this battle, which secured the liberation of Maubeuge and offered a welcome respite to the Republic.