The Battle of Le Cateau (29 March 1794) took place at the start of the 1794 Flanders Campaign during the

War of the First Coalition The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French Republic that suc ...

, part of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...

. It saw three Republican French divisions led by

Antoine Balland Antoine Balland (27 August 1751 – 3 November 1821) commanded a French infantry division during the early years of the French Revolutionary Wars. A former private, he was promoted to command an infantry regiment after the Battle of Jemappes. He ...

Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet Jacques Gilles Henri Goguet (11 March 1767 – 21 April 1794) rose to command a French division during the French Revolutionary Wars before he was assassinated by his own soldiers after a defeat. Trained as a physician, he studied medicine at t ...

and

Jacques Fromentin Jacques Pierre Fromentin (2 August 1754 – 19 October 1830) led a French division during the Flanders Campaign of 1793–1794. Having served in the French Royal Army for ten years, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of a volunteer battalion i ...

attack a Habsburg Austrian force commanded by

Paul Kray Baron Paul Kray of Krajova and Topolya (german: Paul Freiherr Kray von Krajova und Topola; hu, Krajovai és Topolyai báró Kray Pál; 5 February 1735 – 19 January 1804), was a soldier, and general in Habsburg service during the Seven ...

. The Austrians drove off the French and inflicted four French casualties for every Austrian casualty.

The Action

Le Cateau-Cambrésis Le Cateau-Cambrésis (, before 1977: ''Le Cateau'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The term Cambrésis indicates that it lies in the county of that name which fell to the Prince-Bishop of Cambrai. Le Cateau station has ...

is located southwest of Cambrai. Pre-empting the opening of the Allied offensive, the French launched an attack on Austrian positions at Le Cateau, and at Beauvais and Solesmes, two villages in the vicinity of Landrecies. These positions were carried by the Republicans, but Austrian cavalry were moved forward in advance of the forward units and charged. In the face of this counterattack, the French were stricken with panic and fled, leaving behind 5 guns and 400 dead. Many prisoners were taken, including sixty dragoons who had dismounted and run into a wood. Austrian losses in comparison were 120 men.T. N. Longman p.31 Three weeks later, the Coalition army would launch its spring offensive and open the

Siege of Landrecies The siege of Landrecies (1543) took place during the Italian War of 1542–46. Landrecies was besieged by Imperial and English forces under the command of Ferrante Gonzaga Ferrante I Gonzaga (also Ferdinando I Gonzaga; 28 January 1507 – 1 ...

Notes

References

* * * Battles of the War of the First Coalition Battles of the French Revolutionary Wars Battles involving Austria Battles involving France Battles in Hauts-de-France Conflicts in 1794 {{France-battle-stub