Armée du Rhin (1791)
The Armée du Rhin ( German Rhine Army ) was an association of the French Revolutionary era , which was set up to protect the country from danger from abroad. Established on December 14, 1791, it existed with interruptions until May 5, 1801.
Lineup and changes
- It was established by order of King Louis XVI. dated December 14, 1791. By a decree of the National Convention of October 1, 1792, parts were spun off as the "Armée des Vosges".
- With the order of the “Conseil exécutif” of March 15, 1793, the “Armée des Vosges” was reintegrated.
- The right wing formed from the 9th frimaire on III (November 29, 1794) with the left wing of the Armée de la Moselle, the "Armée devant Mayence" (army in front of Mainz).
- By decree of 13th ventôse an III (March 3, 1795) the "Armée du Rhin" and the "Armée de la Moselle" merged to form the "Armée de Rhin-et-Moselle". This decree reached the army on March 18, the next day Général Michaud took over the rank of "Général commandant l'armée de Rhin-et-Moselle" (Supreme Commander of the Rhine and Moselle Army), which had been Général Kléber on an interim basis had led, but none of them had changed the organization of the armies. The unification of the two armies was only carried out organisationally by the Général Pichegru from April 20, 1795 after their meeting in front of Luxembourg . Only from that day on did the “Armée de Rhin-et-Moselle” actually exist.
- With the instruction of the Directory of the 8th vendémiaire to VI (September 29th 1797), with the implementing regulation from October 7th to 20th, 1797 the Armée de Sambre-et-Meuse and the "Armée de Rhin-et-Moselle" became the " Armée d'Allemagne “united.
- With instructions from 19 frimaire to VI (December 9, 1797), the "Armée d'Allemagne" was divided into the Armée de Mayence and the "Armée du Rhin".
- With instructions from 10 pluviôse to VI (January 29, 1798) and execution from February 3, 1798, the "Armée du Rhin" was dissolved. The troops were relocated to the Département du Mont-Terrible and formed from March 8, 1798 the Armée d'Helvétie
- On July 18, 1799, part of the Armée de Danube were detached and an "Armée du Rhin" was formed from it.
- By instruction from 3 frimaire to VIII (November 24, 1799) the remaining "Armée de Danube" were incorporated into the "Armée du Rhin".
- With instructions from 15 floréal to IX (March 28, 1801), this army was finally disbanded on May 5, 1801.
Deployments 1792–1795
date | event | winner | Army commander |
---|---|---|---|
April 28, 1792 | Battle of Porrentruy | France | Adam-Philippe de Custine |
October 21, 1792 | Siege of Mainz | France | Custine |
September 30, 1792 | Capture of Speyer | France | Custine |
October 21, 1792 | Capture of Frankfurt | France | Custine |
November 10, 1792 | Battle of Limburg | France | Custine, Jean-Nicolas Houchard as commander of the vanguard. |
December 2, 1792 | Battle near Frankfurt am Main | Coalition forces | Custine |
April 14 to July 23, 1793 | Siege of Mainz | Coalition forces | Alexandre de Beauharnais |
October 13, 1793 | First battle near Weissenburg | Coalition forces | Jean Pascal Carlenc |
August 20 to December 23, 1793 | Siege of Landau | France |
Louis Lazare Hoche ( Armée de la Moselle ) Jean-Charles Pichegru (Armée du Rhin) |
November 18 to December 22, 1793 | Battle of Haguenau | France | Pichegru |
December 18-22, 1793 | Battle of Fröschwiller | France | Hoche |
December 26-29, 1793 | Second battle near Weissenburg | France | Hoche and Pichegru |
May 23, 1794 | Battle of Kaiserslautern | Prussia-Saxony | Claude Ignace François Michaud |
May 23, 1794 | Battle near Schifferstadt | France | Michaud |
July 12-13, 1794 | Battle at the Schänzel | France | Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr |
September 17-20, 1794 | Second battle near Kaiserslautern | Prussia-Saxony | François Ignace Schaal |
December 25, 1794 | Battle at the Mannheim bridge | France | Martial Vachot |
Composition of the army at the beginning of the 1793 campaign
I. | II. |
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Right wingGénéral Munnier
centerGénéral Custine , standing in front of Mainz .
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Left wingGénéral Nevinger , standing in front of Bingen
cavalry
Reserves
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Commanders
- from December 14, 1791 to May 6, 1792: Maréchal Luckner
- from May 7th to July 20th 1792, on an interim basis: Général la Morlière
- from July 21st to December 25th, 1792: Général Biron
- until 19 September as commander, but subordinated to Maréchal Luckner
- 19 September to 1 October (when he was placed under the Armée des Vosges, he was subordinate to the left wing of Général Biron): Général Custine
- on October 30th, Général Biron was subordinated to the Général Custine
- from December 26, 1792 to March 14, 1793, per interim and subordinated to Général Custine: Général Deprez-Crassier
- from March 15 to May 17, 1793: Général Custine (until April 9, also commander of the Armée de la Moselle )
- from 18 to 29 May 1793, per interim and subordinated to Général Houchard : Général Diettmann
- from May 30 to August 17, 1793, provisional and subordinated to Général Houchard: Général Beauharnais
- from August 18 to September 29, 1793, on an interim basis until August 23 and then temporarily: Général Landremont
- from September 30 to October 1, 1793, on an interim basis: Général Munnier
- from October 2 to October 26, 1793, provisional: Général Carlenc
- from October 27, 1793 to January 13, 1794: Général Pichegru ( subordinated to Général Hoche from December 24th .) Pichegru who, as soon as he had taken command of the Rhine Army, dismissed all officers who could only show patriotism instead of talent and the Discipline were detrimental as they behaved in an undisciplined manner. He restored subordination and obedience within his troops and only marched against the enemy after making sure that his orders were carried out on time.
- from January 14 to October 15, 1794: Général Michaud
- from October 16 to October 20, 1794: Général Moreaux
- from October 21 to December 20, 1794: Général Michaud (subordinate to Général Moreaux)
- from December 21, 1794 to April 15, 1795: Général Michaud
- during Michaud's absence: Général Dorsner
- from December 4, 1795 to February 13, 1795: subordinated to the “Armée de Mayence” of Général Kléber
- from February 14th to April 29th 1795: subordinated to the “Armée de Mayence” of Général Schaal
- from April 11 to 16, 1795, on an interim basis: Général Kléber
- April 17-19, 1795: Général Pichegru (merging of the Armée de la Moselle and the Armée du Rhin)
- from April 20, 1795 to March 4, 1796: Général Pichegru (commandant of the new Armée Rhin-et-Moselle)
- from March 5 to April 20, 1796, by interim: Général Desaix
- from April 21, 1796 to January 30, 1797: Général Moreau (at the same time commander-in-chief of the Armée de Sambre-et-Meuse )
- from January 31 to March 9, 1797, per interim and subordinated to Général Moreau: Général Desaix
- March 10-27, 1797: Général Moreau
- from March 28 to April 19, 1797, per interim: Général Desaix
- from April 20 to September 9, 1797: Général Moreau
- from September 10 to October 6, 1797, provisional: Général Saint-Cyr (until September 18, subject to Général Hoche)
- 7 October to 13 December 1797: Général Augereau , commandant of the new “Armée d'Allemagne”, to which the troops of the “Armée du Nord” were subordinate.
- From December 14, 1797 to February 3, 1798: Général Augereau, commander of the new Armée du Rhin, resulting from the division of the new Armée d'Allemagne into the "Armée de Mayence" and the "Armée du Rhin", February 1798 was dissolved.
- from July 15 to September 24, 1799, provisional: Général Muller
- of September 25, October 23, 1799, provisional: Général Ney
- from October 24th to December 5th, 1799: Général Lecourbe
- from 6 to 27 December 1799, the left wing: Général Baraguey d'Hilliers
- from December 12 to 27, 1799, the right wing: Général Lecourbe
- from December 28, 1799 to May 4, 1801: Général Moreau
Composition of the army on August 5, 1794
- Total: 7 divisions with 50,610 men
I. | II. |
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Desaix division
Rivaud Infantry Brigade
Bressac Infantry Brigade
Forest Cavalry Brigade
Saint-Cyr division
Marchaix Infantry Brigade
Laboissière Cavalry Brigade
Vachot Division
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Frientzholts division
Division Schaal
Desgranges Brigade
Meynier division
Siscé Infantry Brigade
Sibaud Infantry Brigade
Frimont Cavalry Brigade
Prudhon Division
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Web links
- Les Volontaires nationaux et leur historique
- Les bataillons de volontaires nationaux et de réquisitions durant les campagnes militaires de la Révolution (1791–1799)
literature
- Chef d'escadron d'état-major Charles Clerget, Tableaux des armées françaises pendant les guerres de la Révolution , sous la direction de la section historique de l'état-major de l'armée, librairie militaire R. Chapelot, Paris, 1905 .
- Paul Gayant "Tableau des guerres de la Révolution"
- Digby Smith "The Napoleonic Wars Data Book" Greenhill London 1998 ISBN 1-85367-276-9