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Battle of Messkirch

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(Redirected from Battle of Möerskirch) Battle between France and Austria

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Battle of Messkirch (1800)
Part of War of the Second Coalition

Battle of Meßkirch
Date5 May 1800
LocationMeßkirch, present-day Germany47°59′34″N 9°6′45″E / 47.99278°N 9.11250°E / 47.99278; 9.11250
Result French victory
Belligerents
France Republican France Holy Roman Empire Habsburg Austria
Commanders and leaders
Jean Victor Moreau Paul Kray
Strength
52,000 48,000
Casualties and losses
3,000 killed or wounded 2,400 killed or wounded
1,600 captured
Battle of Messkirch is located in GermanyBattle of Messkirchclass=notpageimage| Location within Germany
War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition:
Austria About OpenStreetMapsMaps: terms of use 200km
125miles 16Battle of Hohenlinden on 3 December 1800 15Battle of Ampfing (1800) on 1 December 1800 14Battle of Neuburg (1800) on 27 June 1800 13Battle of Höchstädt (1800) on 19 June 1800 12Battle of Biberach (1800) on 9 May 1800 11 10Battle of Wiesloch (1799) on 3 December 1799 9Battle of Gotthard Pass from 24 to 26 September 1799 8Battle of Mannheim (1799) on 18 September 1799 7Battle of Amsteg from 14 to 16 August 1799 Zurich6First Battle of Zurich on 7 June 1799 Second Battle of Zurich from 25 to 26 September 1799 5Battle of Winterthur on 27 May 1799 4Battle of Frauenfeld on 25 May 1799 3Battle of Stockach (1799) on 25 March 1799 Battle of Stockach (1800) on 3 May 1800 2Battle of Feldkirch on 23 March 1799 1Battle of Ostrach from 20 to 21 March 1799  The color black indicates the current battle.

The Battle of Messkirch (5 May 1800) saw a Republican French army led by Jean Victor Marie Moreau attack a Habsburg Austrian army commanded by Paul Kray. At the start of the 1800 campaign in Germany, Moreau's 108,000-strong field army faced Kray's 120,000-man army on opposite sides of the Rhine River. By a series of maneuvers, Moreau crossed the Rhine and concentrated superior forces to defeat Kray at the Battles of Stockach and Engen on 3 May. After Kray retreated a short distance to the north, the two adversaries met again at Meßkirch. After a well-contested fight, Kray withdrew again, conceding victory to the French.

Overview

See the Messkirch 1800 Order of Battle for details of the French and Austrian armies in the campaign.

On 25 April 1800, the French Armée d'Allemagne, under Jean Victor Marie Moreau, crossed the Rhine River at Kehl and Schaffhausen. The 1st Demi-Brigade, of the Corps led by Laurent de Gouvion-Saint-Cyr, conquered St. Georgen and entered the Black Forest at Freiburg im Breisgau. After conquering Stuhlingen, 25 km south of Donaueschingen, the unit took part in the Battle of Stockach and Engen on 3 May 1800, after which the Austrian retreated to Meßkirch where they enjoyed a more favourable defensive position.

The French repeatedly assaulted the town on 4 May 1800 and 5 May 1800, both attempts being in vain. The 1st Demi-Brigade, despite the Austrian superiority there, was able to conquer Krumbach and the heights surrounding it, which commanded Meßkirch. Therefore, the Austrian moved back to Sigmaringen, followed by the French. The Battle of Biberach ensued on 9 May 1800.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Clodfelter 2008, p. 116.

References

Further reading

  • Heinrich Bücheler, Werner Fischer, Roland Kessinger: Die Schlacht bei Meßkirch 5ter Mai 1800: Gedenkband zum 200. Jahrestag. Museumsgesellschaft Meßkirch (Hrsg.). Gmeiner Verlag. Meßkirch. 1. Auflage 2000. ISBN 3-926633-47-6
  • Kempf: Unsere Heimat in den Napoleonischen Kriegen. In: Derselbe: Das Gögginger Dorfbuch. Gemeinde Göggingen. Göggingen 1969. S. 365 ff.
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