Army of the Moselle

Army of the Moselle
Active 1791–1795
Country France First French Republic
Branch Army
Type Army
Size Seven divisions
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette
Nicolas Luckner
François Christophe Kellermann
Jean Nicolas Houchard
Lazare Hoche
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Jean René Moreaux
Jean-Jacques Ambert

The Army of the Moselle (Armée de la Moselle) was a French Revolutionary Army from 1791 through 1795. It was first known as the Army of the Centre and it fought at Valmy. In October 1792 it was renamed and subsequently fought at Trier, First Arlon, Biesingen, Kaiserslautern, Froeschwiller and Second Wissembourg. In the spring of 1794 the left wing was detached and fought at Second Arlon, Lambusart and Fleurus before being absorbed by the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse. In late 1794, the army captured Trier and initiated the Siege of Luxembourg. During the siege, the army was discontinued and its divisions were assigned to other armies.

History

Originally known as the Army of the Centre, it was renamed by decree of the National Convention on 1 October 1792 and kept under that name in the decrees of 1 March and 30 April 1793. By the decree of 29 June 1794 its left wing joined with the Army of the Ardennes and the right wing of the Army of the North to form the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse.

The right wing remained under the orders of Jean René Moreaux as the Army of the Moselle. However, this new army's right wing was joined with the left wing of the Army of the Rhine by a decree of 29 November 1794 under the name of the Armée devant Mayence (Army before Mainz), while the rest of the army was named the Army before Luxembourg under Moreaux. Finally what remained of the Army of the Moselle was merged with the Army of the Rhine by a decree of 3 March 1795 (executed on 20 April) to form the Army of the Rhine and Moselle.

Generals

Composition

Diagram showing the evolution of the Army of the Moselle-depicting the different armies that were combined and separated as needed for the northern campaign
Evolution of the Army of the Moselle, War of the First Coalition

1793

In 1793 the Army of the Moselle counted 27 battalions of line infantry, four battalions of light infantry, 42 battalions of National Guards and 12 mounted regiments. The line infantry included the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 30th, 33rd, 96th, 99th and 103rd Demi Brigades, the 1st Battalions of the 1st, 5th, 27th, 41st and 81st Demi Brigades and the 2nd Battalions of the 2nd, 8th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 40th, 47th, 54th, 55th, 58th, 71st and 100th Demi Brigades. The light infantry consisted of the 6th, 13th, 16th and 17th Battalions. The cavalry regiments were the 4th, 10th, 11th and 14th Cavalry, 1st, 11th and 14th Dragoons, 1st, 9th, 18th and 19th Chasseurs à Cheval and the 2nd Hussars.[1]

The National Guards were made up of the 1st Battalions of the Ardennes, Creuse, Paris Butte de Moulins, Saône-et-Loire and Yonne, the 2nd Battalions of the Lot and Haute-Marne, the 3rd Battalions of the Côte-d'Or, Manche, Paris Sections Armée and Haut-Rhin, the 4th Battalions of the Oise and Var, the 5th Battalion of the Orne, the 6th Battalions of the Basses-Pyrénées and Seine-et-Oise, the 7th Battalion of the Marne, the 9th Battalion of Paris Ste. Margueritte, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Cher, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Loiret, the 4th, 6th and 7th Battalions of the Meurthe, the 1st, 3rd and 5th Battalions of the Meuse, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions of the Moselle, the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Paris République, the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Bas-Rhin, the 1st and 7th Battalions of the Rhône-et-Loire, the 1st and 4th Battalions of the Haute-Saône and the 1st and 6th Battalions of the Vosges.[1]

19 February 1794

General of Division Lazare Hoche

Source: Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. pp. 69–70. ISBN 1-85367-276-9. 

3 June 1794

Army of the Moselle, Left Wing: General of Division Jean Baptiste Jourdan

Source: Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. p. 71. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.  Brigade organization and numbers of battalions and squadrons are taken from the Fleurus order of battle on p. 86.

After 20 April 1795, this army was combined with the Army of the Rhine, forming the Army of the Rhine and Moselle.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. p. 40. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.

Sources

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