Campagnes du corps sous les ordres de son altesse sérénissime Mgr le Prince de Condé

Campagnes du corps sous les ordres de son altesse sérénissime Mgr le Prince de Condé

 Armand François Hennequin d’Ecquevilly, Le Normant, Paris, 1818

This work is a detailed memoir and campaign history of the émigré Army of Condé, written by Armand François Hennequin d’Ecquevilly, who served within the royalist forces during the French Revolutionary Wars.

The book chronicles the operations of the Army of Condé, a force composed of French royalist émigrés who fought alongside Coalition powers against Revolutionary France. It follows the army’s formation in the early 1790s and its participation in campaigns along the Rhine frontier, where it operated in coordination with Austrian and other German Allied forces.

A central focus of the work is the leadership of the Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, under whose command the émigré corps took part in various Coalition operations during the War of the First Coalition. The narrative describes marches, engagements, sieges, and the difficulties faced by royalist troops fighting in exile, including issues of supply, coordination with Allied commanders, and morale.

The book also provides insight into the broader political and military context of the émigré forces, including their reliance on Austrian and other Coalition support, and their hopes of restoring the French monarchy through military intervention. It reflects both the operational realities of the campaigns and the ideological motivations of the royalist cause.

La campagne de l'Argonne (1792): thèse présentée à la Faculté des lettres de Paris par Arthur Chuquet

 

La campagne de l'Argonne (1792)

Arthur Chuquet, L. Cerf, Paris, 1886

This scholarly thesis by Arthur Chuquet provides a detailed study of the Argonne campaign of 1792, one of the critical phases of the opening year of the French Revolutionary Wars. It focuses on the Allied invasion of France by Prussian and Austrian forces and the French defensive operations in the rugged Argonne region.

The work reconstructs the strategic situation following the Coalition advance into northeastern France, after the capture of border fortresses such as Longwy and Verdun. It examines the French efforts to block the invasion routes through the Argonne passes, where terrain, supply difficulties, and command decisions played a decisive role in shaping the campaign.

A major emphasis is placed on the maneuvering of both armies as the Prussian-led forces under the Duke of Brunswick attempted to force their way through the forested and fortified corridors toward the interior of France. The thesis analyzes French defensive deployments, the coordination between different French armies, and the eventual Coalition decision to abandon the direct advance.

The study culminates in the events leading up to the Battle of Valmy (20 September 1792), showing how the Argonne operations directly contributed to the stalling of the invasion and the stabilization of Revolutionary France in its first major existential crisis.

La Belgique sous la domination française (1792-1815). Dumouriez dans les ci-devant Pays-Bas autrichiens.

 

Volume 1

Volume 2

This historical work examines the French occupation and administration of Belgium (the former Austrian Netherlands) from the outbreak of the Revolutionary Wars in 1792 through the end of the Napoleonic period in 1815. It places particular emphasis on the early Revolutionary phase under the command of Charles François Dumouriez, who led the French Army during the invasion and initial conquest of the Austrian Netherlands.

The book focuses on the political and military transformation of the region after French victories in 1792–1794, when the territory shifted from Habsburg control to French Revolutionary administration. It examines Dumouriez’s campaigns in the Low Countries, including the advance that followed the Battle of Jemappes, as well as the complex relationship between military conquest and revolutionary political goals.

A major theme is the interaction between occupying French forces and the local population in the “ci-devant Pays-Bas autrichiens,” exploring how revolutionary institutions, reforms, and administrative changes were introduced. The study also considers resistance, collaboration, and the gradual integration of the region into the French Republic and later the Empire.

Although the book spans the entire period up to 1815, its strongest focus is on the early 1790s, when Dumouriez and subsequent French generals established control over Belgium during the War of the First Coalition. It situates these operations within the broader context of Revolutionary expansion and the collapse of Habsburg authority in the region.

Révolution et la guerre. Hoche à l’armée de la Moselle. Les généraux du Directoire

 

Révolution et la guerre. Hoche à l’armée de la Moselle

Edmond Lenient (attributed), Millot frères, Besançon, 1920

This historical work examines the intersection of the French Revolution and military operations through the career of Lazare Hoche, with particular emphasis on his command of the Army of the Moselle and the broader evolution of French leadership under the Directory.

The first part of the book focuses on Hoche’s role during the Revolutionary Wars, especially his operations on the northeastern frontier where the Army of the Moselle played a key role in the campaigns against Coalition forces along the Rhine. It highlights his organizational reforms, operational planning, and efforts to restore discipline and effectiveness within the Revolutionary armies during a period of intense political instability.

A second major theme is the transition from Revolutionary command structures to the military leadership of the Directory period (1795–1799). The work discusses how generals such as Hoche, Jourdan, Moreau, and others shaped French military strategy during the later stages of the Revolutionary Wars, particularly in campaigns against Austria and its allies.

The book places strong emphasis on the relationship between politics and military command, showing how Revolutionary ideology, internal dissent, and government oversight influenced operational decisions. It also traces the gradual professionalization of the French officer corps during this period.

Campagne in Frankreich (23 août–20 octobre 1792) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Campagne in Frankreich (23 août–20 octobre 1792)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, C. Delagrave, Paris, 1892

This work is a historical account of the early phase of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1792, focusing on the Allied invasion of France and the operations that culminated in the Battle of Valmy. Although attributed to Goethe, it reflects his presence with the Prussian and Saxon armies during the campaign, when he observed the military events unfolding in northeastern France.

The narrative covers the period from late August to mid-October 1792, beginning with the Coalition advance into French territory through the Ardennes and Champagne regions. It describes the capture of fortified positions such as Longwy and Verdun, the difficult march through the Argonne forest, and the growing logistical and operational challenges faced by the invading army.

A central focus of the work is the culmination of the campaign at Valmy on 20 September 1792, where the Prussian-led forces under the Duke of Brunswick encountered the French Revolutionary army. Rather than emphasizing tactical detail alone, the account highlights the psychological, political, and strategic significance of the engagement, which marked the failure of the invasion and the stabilization of the French Republic.

The book is valued as a semi-contemporary observational narrative rather than a purely analytical military history. Goethe’s perspective provides insight into the atmosphere within the Coalition camp, the uncertainty of command decisions, and the broader intellectual reflection on the revolutionary upheaval transforming Europe.

La campagne de 1794 entre Rhin et Moselle par Louis Hennequin

 

La campagne de 1794 entre Rhin et Moselle

Louis Hennequin, R. Chapelot, Paris, 1909

This is a detailed French military history of the 1794 Rhine–Moselle campaign during the War of the First Coalition. Written by Louis Hennequin, the work is based on extensive archival research and was published under the direction of the French Army Historical Section, making it one of the more authoritative late-19th/early-20th century operational studies of the Revolutionary Wars.

The book examines the major operations carried out between the Rhine and Moselle rivers, focusing on the French armies operating in the region—especially the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse and the Army of the Rhine—and their campaigns against Austrian and Coalition forces in western Germany. It covers the maneuver warfare that characterized the 1794 offensives, including river crossings, sieges, advances into the Rhineland, and the gradual collapse of Coalition positions on the left bank of the Rhine.

A significant portion of the work analyzes command decisions, logistical constraints, and coordination between French field armies during the rapid expansion of Revolutionary France’s control in 1794. It situates these operations within the broader strategic shift that saw French forces move from defensive survival to sustained offensive campaigning across multiple fronts.

The study also discusses key engagements and operational movements associated with the wider 1794 campaign in the Low Countries and the Rhineland, showing how victories in Belgium and along the Sambre contributed to the French advance into German territory.

Although the book is primarily focused on French operations, it naturally includes the opposing Coalition armies—Austrian, Dutch, British, and various German contingents operating in the Rhineland theater. In that broader coalition context, Hessian units appear only indirectly as part of the multinational German forces, but they are not a central focus of the narrative.

Mitteilungen des k. u. k. Kriegs-Archivs 5 (Dritte Folge, 1907) | Die Anfänge der Militärluftschiffahrt und ihre erste Anwendung im Feldzug 1794

 

Die Anfänge der Militärluftschiffahrt und ihre erste Anwendung im Feldzug 1794

This article examines the early experimental use of military balloon reconnaissance and places its origins within the context of the 1794 campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars. It focuses on how the idea of using aerial observation—still in its infancy at the time—began to influence European military thinking during the late 18th century.

The study describes the development of tethered observation balloons used by French Revolutionary forces, particularly the formation of early aerostatic units such as the Compagnie d’aérostiers, and their intended use for battlefield observation and artillery spotting. Although these innovations were not yet widely or consistently employed in 1794, the article discusses how the concept emerged during the broader operational environment of the Revolutionary wars.

In the context of the 1794 campaign, especially in the Low Countries and along the Rhine, the French armies were engaged in large-scale maneuver warfare against Coalition forces. The article situates early military balloon experimentation within this dynamic environment, where commanders were increasingly seeking new methods for reconnaissance and battlefield awareness.

However, it also emphasizes that in 1794 the practical use of military airships was still extremely limited, experimental, and not yet a decisive factor in operations. Most campaigns of that year—such as the decisive French victories in Belgium—were still conducted entirely with traditional infantry, cavalry, and artillery forces.