This rare contemporary account documents one of the most important operations of the French Revolutionary Wars—the crossing of the Rhine by the Army of the Rhine and Moselle under the command of General Jean Victor Moreau on 20 April 1797 (1 Floréal, Year V). The successful river crossing between Kilstett (France) and Diersheim (present-day Germany) marked the opening of Moreau's final campaign against Austrian forces during the War of the First Coalition.
Written shortly after the event, this work provides a detailed narrative of the planning and execution of the crossing, describing the movement of French troops, the construction and use of pontoon bridges, engineering operations, artillery support, and the fierce engagements required to establish a bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Rhine. The account highlights the leadership of General Moreau and the coordination of the Army of the Rhine and Moselle in one of the Revolutionary era's most skillfully executed military maneuvers.
In addition to its tactical and operational descriptions, the volume offers valuable insight into the organization of the French Republican army, the geography of the Upper Rhine, and the strategic objectives of the 1797 campaign. It serves as an important primary source for the study of Revolutionary military operations, river-crossing techniques, and the campaigns that ultimately led to the Treaty of Campo Formio later that year.
