Battle of Fleurus (1794)
| Battle of Fleurus | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition | |||||||
Jourdan at Fleurus with the balloon l'Entreprenant in the background. Painted by Mauzaisse in 1837; on display in the Galerie des Batailles, Versailles. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| French Republic |
Habsburg Monarchy Dutch Republic | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan Jean-Baptiste Kléber Louis Antoine de Saint-Just |
Prince Josias of Coburg William of Orange | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
70,000 infantry 12,000 cavalry 100 guns 1 balloon |
45,000 infantry 14,000 cavalry 111 guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 5,000, 1 gun | 5,000, 1 gun | ||||||
The Battle of Fleurus was fought on 26 June 1794 during the War of the First Coalition between the French Revolutionary Army under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and an Austro-Dutch army commanded by Prince Josias of Coburg. In what was the most significant battle of the Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition, Jourdan's army was able to concentrate its forces and defeat Coburg and his troops. The Allied defeat led to the permanent loss of the Austrian Netherlands and to the dissolution of the Dutch Republic. The battle marked a turning point for the French army, which remained ascendant for the rest of the War of the First Coalition.