Battle of Lambusart

Battle of Lambusart
Part of War of the First Coalition
The Prince of Orange at the Battle of Lambusart
Date 16 June 1794 Location Charleroi, 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[1]
Casualties and losses
2,200[2]-3,000[3]	2,000[3]-4,000[2]

The Battle of Lambusart (16 June 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 V, Hereditary Prince of Orange. This battle was the culmination of 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.

Three times during the spring of 1794, the French armies attempted to cross the Sambre in the face of resistance by First Coalition forces. After three defeats, they were reinforced by four divisions from the Army of the Moselle under General Jourdan on 4 June, who then took command and led the combined forces to cross the Sambre for the fourth time, and lay siege to Charleroi for the second time, on 12 June. On the 16th, the Prince of Orange counter-attacked and broke the French right flank, forcing Jourdan to lift the siege and withdraw south of the Sambre.