This is a scholarly article published in the official Austrian military historical journal Austrian State Archives (Kriegsarchiv) (Mittheilungen des k.k. Kriegs-Archivs). It presents a detailed operational study of the Battle of Neerwinden (1793), one of the major engagements of the early War of the First Coalition.
The article reconstructs the battle fought on 18 March 1793 in the Austrian Netherlands, where Austrian and Coalition forces under Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld defeated the French Revolutionary army commanded by Charles François Dumouriez. It analyzes the strategic situation leading up to the battle, including the French invasion of the Low Countries following earlier victories at Jemappes and the Coalition counteroffensive that reversed French gains.
The study provides a detailed breakdown of troop movements, battlefield dispositions, and the multi-column French attack against well-prepared Austrian defensive positions along the Kleine Gete River near Neerwinden. It emphasizes the effectiveness of Austrian defensive coordination, artillery deployment, and command decisions that ultimately led to the collapse of the French offensive.
A significant portion of the article also examines the broader consequences of the battle, including the French withdrawal from the Austrian Netherlands and the political crisis that contributed to Dumouriez’s defection shortly afterward. The engagement is presented as a turning point that shifted the momentum of the campaign in favor of the Coalition.
As with other Mittheilungen volumes, the study is based on official Austrian military records, making it a highly authoritative source for operational history. While focused on Austrian and French forces, it also provides useful context for German Coalition contingents participating in the 1793 campaign, including units from various German states that operated alongside Austrian forces—though Hessian troops are only indirectly involved within the wider Coalition structure.
