Alain Gasquetさんのイラストまとめ

Here we will close this modest review of the 1797 campaign over the Rhine. A small affair compared to other engagements of these turbulent times, but quite an interesting one, for its tactical, strategic and political ramifications. Thanks for you reading until this conclusion!

But after his greatest triumph, Moreau was going to be crushed politically by Napoleon, having shown limited political flair, completed with even less affirmed republican passion. Forced into exile in the US, he would come back to fight Napoleon only to die in 1813 in Dresden

On the19th of September 1797, just a few months after the campaign, a moribund Hoche passed away in Wetzlar, from what would be later identified as tuberculosis, surrounded his closest officers. This early death, at barely 29, was an immense shock.

Lacking the ruthlessness or cunning of a Bonaparte or a Barras, his projects would be defeated: a leadership of the Ministry of War stopped in matter of days, the short-lived Cisrhenian Republic, the preparation of another big scale Irish expedition with his friend Wolfe Tone

The old imperial city was surrounded by once mighty walls and defensive systems. But the preceding years had shown that their military efficiency was long gone. Briefly occupied in late 1792, Heavily bombarded in 1796, the town had until then represented no real challenge.

But now was the key moment for Lefebvre. The Austrians had pre-emptively destroyed the bridges on the Inna River to cover Frankfurt but this certainly was not going to stop the main French offensive. Pontoons were quickly built.

4 columns converged towards Diersheim to chase the French, supported by an important artillery barrage. The light artillery the French had been able to install during the night was soon silenced by its counterpart.

What I found quite amazing is how a decisive battle / campaign such as Fleurus (1794) has pretty much only had one (short) book dedicated to it over the last century.

In the North, Ney and Hoche continued their aggressive attacks, striking the rearguard of Werneck now formed by the Elsnitz divisions in Giessen. Ney skilfully got around the town and surprised on a retrograde movement Elsnitz, taking another 400 prisoners and couple of canons.

On the 21st, Lefebvre, having just received his new instructions to cut Werneck through Frankfurt, started his move from Limberg, tumbling any Austrian forces on his way. Grenier himself moved to Weilburg. The two thirds of the French Army were now on a race to the South East.