Battle of Lambusart

The Battle of Lambusart (June 12–16, 1794) saw a Republican French army led by Jean Baptiste Jourdan try to cross the Sambre River against a combined Dutch and Habsburg Austrian army under William, Hereditary Prince of Orange. The French were repulsed in the fourth of five attempts to consolidate a foothold on the north side of the Sambre. The clash occurred during the War of the First Coalition, part of a wider struggle known as the Wars of the French Revolution. In 1794, Lambusart was an independent village, but it is now part of the Fleurus municipality. Lambusart is located about 10 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of Charleroi.

Battle of Lambusart
Part of War of the First Coalition
Date 12–16 June 1794 Location Fleurus, Belgium Result Austro-Dutch victory
Belligerents
Dutch Republic Habsburg Austria	Republican France
Commanders and leaders
Prince of Orange	Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Strength
37,600 [1]	70,000 [2]
Casualties and losses
3,000	3,000, 8 guns

Three times during the spring of 1794, the French armies attempted to cross the Sambre in the face of resistance by First Coalition forces. The French were turned back at Grandreng on May 13, Erquelinnes on May 24, and Gosselies on June 3. On the last occasion, the French were able to briefly lay siege to the fortress of Charleroi. Meanwhile, Jourdan was detached from the Army of the Moselle with four divisions and moved toward the fighting on the Sambre. After arriving with large reinforcements on June 4, Jourdan assumed control of the Army of the Ardennes and the right wing of the Army of the North. On June 12, the French crossed the Sambre and laid siege to Charleroi for the second time. On the 16th, the Prince of Orange attacked and broke the French right flank, forcing Jourdan to lift the siege and withdraw south of the Sambre. The final showdown along the Sambre would come at the Battle of Fleurus on June 26, 1794.