Siege of Le Quesnoy (1793)

Siege of Le Quesnoy (1793)
Part of War of the First Coalition
The defenses of Le Quesnoy are preserved in a park.
Date 28 August – 13 September 1793 Location Le Quesnoy, France Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Habsburg Austria French Royalists	Republican France
Commanders and leaders
Count of Clerfayt	François Goullus
Strength
18,000	5,000
Casualties and losses
208	5,000

The siege of Le Quesnoy (28 August – 13 September 1793) saw a force made up of Habsburg Austrians and French Royalists led by François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt lay siege to a Republican French garrison commanded by François Goullus. After two and a half week siege, the French capitulated after suffering heavy losses. The War of the First Coalition operation was fought at Le Quesnoy, located near the border with Belgium about 27 kilometres (17 mi) west of Maubeuge.

After the successful sieges of Condé and Valenciennes, the Coalition divided their forces. While an Austrian army laid siege to Le Quesnoy, a British-led army marched west to the coast to operate against Dunkirk. On 11 September, two French columns marched to the relief of Le Quesnoy. The force from Cambrai on the west came to grief in the Battle of Avesnes-le-Sec while the force from Maubeuge was also repelled. The Le Quesnoy garrison laid down their arms on 13 September, but the siege of Dunkirk was a total failure. Undeterred, the Austrian host next laid siege to Maubeuge, leading to the Battle of Wattignies in mid-October.