Siege of Mainz (1793)

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Siege of Mainz
Mainz plan. XVIII.jpg
date April 14, 1793 to July 23, 1793
place Mainz
Casus Belli Mainz occupied by the French
output Coalition victory
Parties to the conflict

France 1804First French Republic France

Holy Roman Empire 1400Holy Roman Empire Holy Roman Empire Prussia Austria Saxony Electoral Palatinate Hesse-Darmstadt Hesse-Kassel Saxony-Weimar
Prussia KingdomKingdom of Prussia 
Habsburg MonarchyHabsburg Monarchy 
Electorate of SaxonyElectorate of Saxony 
Electoral PalatinateElectoral Palatinate 
Commander

François Ignace Ervoil d'Oyré
Alexandre de Beauharnais
Jean-Baptiste Kléber
Annibal Aubert du Bayet

Friedrich Adolf von Kalckreuth
Friedrich Wilhelm II.
Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand

Troop strength
23,000 men approx. 36,000
losses

approx. 4,000

approx. 3,000

Battles and sieges of the
First Coalition War (1792–1797)

Verdun - Thionville - Valmy - Lille - Mainz (1792) - Jemappes - Namur - Neerektiven - Mainz (1793) - Famars - Valenciennes (1793) - Arlon (1793) - Hondschoote - Meribel - Avesnes-le-Sec - Pirmasens - Toulon - Fontenay-le-Comte - Cholet - Lucon - Trouillas - Menin - Wattignies - Biesingen - Kaiserslautern (1793) - First Battle of Weissenburg (1793) - Second Battle of Weissenburg (1793) - Boulou - Tourcoing - Tournay - 13th Prairial - Fleurus - Vosges - Aldenhoven - San-Lorenzo de la Muga - Genoa - Hyeres - Handschuhsheim - Mainz (1795) - Loano - Montenotte - Millesimo - Dego - Mondovi - Lodi - Borghetto - Castiglione - Mantua - Siegburg - Altenkirchen - Wetzlar - Kircheib - Kehl - Kalteiche - Malsch - Neresheim - Deining - Amberg - Würzburg - Rovereto - Bassano - Limburg - Biberach I - Emmendingen - Schliengen - Arcole - Fall von Kehl - Rivoli (1797) - St. Vincent - Diersheim - Santa Cruz - Neuwied - Camperduin

The siege of Mainz was a military operation during the First Coalition War (1792–1797). After the city of Mainz was occupied by French troops in 1792 and the Mainz Republic based on democratic principles was founded in March by the Mainz Jacobins around Georg Forster , the coalition troops of Prussia and Austria proceeded to recapture the fortress the following year.

course

The bombardment of the city in June 1793
Sketch for the siege of 1793

From April 14, 1793, the city was surrounded by 32,000 soldiers of the First Coalition (mainly Prussia). 23,000 French defended the city, which seemed sufficient in view of the fortifications and despite the reinforcement of the siege troops by a further 12,000 Austrians. At first the Prussian troops tried to seize the forts with a series of maneuvers. After this was unsuccessful, they began bombing the city on the night of June 17, 1793. The history of this siege was written down in the form of a fictitious diary between 1820 and 1822 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , who accompanied Duke Karl August von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach in this siege. Goethe was supposed to act as war correspondent, but was not given the necessary freedom to do so. After he had noted some things in detail at the beginning of the siege, he stopped at the latest on July 7th. In a letter to Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi he wrote: "Precisely what matters, one must not say." The siege was not outstanding in terms of military tactics and was more of a material battle. Psychologically and historically, the reconquest of the city was indispensable for the coalition forces and the empire.

In the city, the center of the Mainz republic since March of that year , sieges and bombings soon caused growing tensions between the civilian population, the municipal administration under Mayor Franz Konrad Macké and the French general staff under the leadership of Général de brigade François Ignace Ervoil d'Oyré , Commandant en chef of Mainz, Kastel and the associated posts. He had practically taken power since April 2nd. When martial law was introduced on July 13, the remaining population was more and more irritated. After a relief army did not arrive for reinforcement, the General Staff decided on July 17 to start negotiations with the besiegers. The surrender took place on July 23. The remaining 18,000 soldiers who were still defending the city received free retreat. In return, the General Staff promised not to use these troops to attack the coalition armies for a year. The army led by General Kléber arrived in Nantes on September 6th . The Mainz fortress , but also the civil city of Mainz, thus became an advanced post of the Prussian-Austrian armed forces.

consequences

Large parts of the city were badly hit by the bombing and many important buildings were destroyed. The Favorite Pleasure Palace , the electoral stables , the Younger Dalberger Hof , the Dompropstei , Dominican Church and the Jesuit Church were completely destroyed, the Liebfrauenkirche , St. Gangolf (both later demolished) and the Mainz Cathedral were badly damaged.

With the occupation and siege of Mainz, the old Electoral Mainz structures finally came to an end. The Electorate of Mainz and its electoral residence city could no longer recover from the occupation and the political and warlike actions that resulted from it. The events of 1793 marked the beginning of the sinking of the Aurea Moguntia . The city lost its status as a residence. Their status and character were to change irrevocably over the next few decades.

Surrender points from Mayence

The surrender points proposed by the General of the Brigade d'Oyré , Kommandant en chef von Mainz, Kastel and the associated posts:

  • I.

The French army hands over to His Majesty the King of Prussia the city of Mainz and Kastel with all fortifications and the posts belonging to them in their natural state, together with all French and foreign guns, ammunition and mouth supplies, with the exception of those reserved in the following points Objects.

  • II.

The crew withdrew with all warlike decorations, and took their weapons, luggage and everything that peculiarly belongs to the individual members of the crew. - Approved with the condition that the garrison may not serve against the Allied Powers within one year, and that, if they are carrying covered wagons, the Royal Prussian Majesty is reserved to have them searched if you think it will be good .

  • III.

The crew demands that they take their field pieces and associated ammunition wagons with them. - Beaten off; however, the king allows General d'Oyré to take two four-pounders with as many wagons.

  • IV.

The staff and other officers, war commissioners, chiefs and other persons employed in the army for various purposes, and in general all French subjects belonging to the garrison, take their horses, wagons and their belongings with them. - Approved.

  • V.

The garrison remains in the fortress for 48 hours after the signed surrender, and if this time limit for the departure of the last divisions is not sufficient, an extension of 24 hours is permitted. - Approved.

  • VI.

The commander of the city is allowed one or more passports with Sr. Königl. prussis. To send out agents provided by Majesty to procure the funds necessary to pay the armed forces' debts, and until such debts have been paid or until adequate agreements have been reached, the crew offers hostages who can count on the protection of His Majesty. - Approved.

  • VII.

Immediately after their withdrawal, the garrison of Mainz and the posts belonging to it took the march to France in several columns and at different times. For their safety, each column was given a Prussian cover up to its borders. The General d'Oyré has permission to send staff officers and war commissioners ahead to provide for the livestock and shelter of the French troops. - Approved.

  • VIII.

In the event that the horses and chariots of the French army are not sufficient for the removal of their camps and other equipment, they will be procured for them at the places where they pass. - Approved.

  • IX.

Since the sick, and especially the wounded, cannot be carried away by land without endangering their lives, the necessary ships are given at the expense of the French nation to bring them by water to Thionville and Metz, and so for these venerable ones War victims to exercise the necessary caution. - Approved.

  • X.

Before the complete withdrawal of the French occupation, no Mainz resident who is currently outside the city should be allowed to return there. - Approved.

  • XI.

Immediately after signing the capitulation, the besiegers can fill the following positions with their troops: the Karlschanze, the Welsche Schanze, the Elisabethenschanze, the St. Philippschanze, la double tenaille, the Linsenberg, the Hauptstein, the Marsschanze, the Petersaue , and the two Gates of Kastel, which lead to Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. You can also jointly occupy the Neutor and the end of the bridge on the right bank of the Rhine with the French troops. - Approved.

  • XII.

In the shortest possible time, Colonel Douay, director of the armory, Lieutenant Colonel la Riboissure Unterdirektor and Lieutenant Colonel Varin, Chief of Engineers, hand over their weapons, ammunition, plans etc. to the chiefs of the artillery and engineer of the Prussian army according to the war conditions that are incumbent on them . - Accepted.

  • XIII.

A war commissioner will also be appointed to return the magazines and supplies that are in them.

  • Addition: XIV

The deserters of the allied armies are being surrendered with great precision.

Given at Marienborn , July 22nd 1793
signed Count of Kalckreuth
signed d'Oyre

People involved in the siege

literature

Schützenscheibe surrender of Mainz 1793, "9 months and 2 days Mainz was wrested from the Reich and many Germans had to suffer from it / Aim well, you German riflemen and worn the Rothen hats." "Schw. Hall, d. Augst. 1793", oil on panel, diameter 69.5 cm, Schwäbisch Hall, Hällisch-Fränkisches Museum
  • Arthur Chuquet : Les Guerres de la Révolution. Volume 7: Mayence (1792-1793). Cerf, Paris 1892.
  • Franz Dumont (ed.), Ferdinand Scherf , Friedrich Schütz : Mainz - The history of the city. 2nd Edition. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1999, ISBN 3-8053-2000-0 .
  • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe : dtv complete edition. Volume 27: Campaign in France in 1792. Siege of Mainz. With an afterword by Josef Kunz. German paperback publishing house, Munich 1962.
  • Oliver Kemmann, Hermann Kurzke (ed.): Fall of an imperial capital. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Siege of Mainz. A picture sheet. 2nd Edition. Societäts-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 978-3-7973-1044-6 .
  • Raymond Schmittlein (Ed.): Le Siège de Mayence. Un Récit de Guerre de Goethe. Volume 2. Editions Art et Science, Mainz 1951.
  • Digby Smith: The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill Books et al., London et al. 1998, ISBN 1-85367-276-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe : Siege of Mainz in the Gutenberg-DE project
  2. ^ Letters between Goethe and Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi on July 7, 1793
  3. ^ Privileged Mainzer Zeitung, No. 1 of July 29, 1793