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The Battle of Mouscron (26–30 April 1794) was a series of clashes that occurred when the Republican French ''Army of the North'' under Jean-Charles Pichegru moved northeast to attack Menen (Menin) and was opposed by Coalition forces under the overall leadership of François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt. In their initial advance, the French began the Siege of Menin and captured Kortrijk (Courtrai). With Habsburg Austrian reinforcements, Clerfayt counterattacked on the 28th but Joseph Souham soon massed superior French forces and drove the Coalition troops out of the area. This Flanders Campaign action happened during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The battle occurred near Mouscron, Belgium, located at the French border south of Kortrijk and at Menen, located west of Kortrijk. Because most of the Coalition army was covering the Siege of Landrecies, the early French advance was largely successful in driving back a weak screen of Hanoverian troops. On the north bank of the Lys River, a division under Jean Victor Marie Moreau besieged Menen, while Souham's division operated on the south bank. Clerfayt's foray enjoyed initial success at Mouscron, but Souham on his own initiative concentrated superior forces against the Coalition. Completely isolated by Clerfayt's defeat, the largely Hanoverian garrison of Menen under Rudolf von Hammerstein broke out of the fortress and escaped on the 30th. The next action occurred at the Battle of Courtrai on 10 May. ==Background== For the 1794 Flanders Campaign, the French deployed 160,000 troops in the ''Army of the North'' and 35,000 in the ''Army of the Ardennes''. Against them the Coalition used approximately 150,000 soldiers from Habsburg Austria, the Dutch Republic and various contingents paid for by the Kingdom of Great Britain. Coalition strategy called for their armies to exert pressure the north and northeastern frontiers of France in order to open a path to Paris. Jean-Charles Pichegru had control over the two French armies whose lines stretched from Dunkirk on the North Sea west through Lille, Douai and Cambrai to Maubeuge. ''Army of the Ardennes'' was posted on the right wing and the newest recruits were used to man the fortresses. The French enjoyed numerical superiority but the Coalition fielded troops of better quality. According to the plan drawn up by Minister of War Lazare Carnot, the French were to turn both Coalition flanks. The Coalition army was headed by Austrian Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who was supported by British Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Both armies operated on the ''cordon system'' which required troops to guard the entire frontier.〔Dodge (2011), p. 120〕 With 85,000 soldiers, Coburg began the Siege of Landrecies to start the 1794 campaign. Pichegru made two relief attempts but both were repulsed.〔 On 26 April one of the columns commanded by René-Bernard Chapuy was crushed at the Battle of Beaumont-en-Cambresis by the Duke of York. In this fiasco, the French suffered losses of 7,000 killed, wounded and missing, plus 40 guns and 50 ammunition wagons taken. When Chapuy was made prisoner his captors found Pichegru's plan of campaign on his person. This outlined the attack that was about to be carried out in Flanders. These Republican French failures led to the surrender of Landrecies on 30 April 1796. French losses in the siege amounted to 2,000 dead from enemy action or sickness and 5,000 captured.〔Smith (1998), p. 76〕 On 13 April 1796, Pichegru was at Lille to organize his attack. His army consisted of divisions led by Pierre Antoine Michaud at Dunkirk with 13,943 soldiers, Jean Victor Marie Moreau at Cassel with 15,968 troops, Joseph Souham at Lille with 31,865 men and Pierre-Jacques Osten at Pont-à-Marcq with a 7,822-strong brigade. Pichegru assigned Moreau's brigade of Nicolas Joseph Desenfans to Souham. Moreau was assigned half of Michaud's division as compensation.〔Phipps (2011), p. 292〕 Austrian General François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt with 28,000 troops was responsible for covering the Coalition right wing.〔 On 23 April a French force advanced from Cambrai toward Denain, menacing Coalition troops led by Hessian General Ludwig von Wurmb. In response, Clerfayt was directed to move south from his base at Tournai toward Denain. Aware of the danger to Menen (Menin), Clerfayt was irritated by these orders from Austrian chief of staff Karl Mack von Leiberich.〔Phipps (2011), p. 293〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Mouscron」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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