Siege of Maastricht (1794) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Siege of Maastricht (1794)
Part of the Flanders campaign in the War of the First Coalition
Fort St. Pieter is part of the old defenses of Maastricht.
Date 22 September – 4 November 1794 Location Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands 50°51′N 5°41′E / 50.850°N 5.683°E / 50.850; 5.683 Result French victory
Belligerents
France	Habsburg Monarchy  Dutch Republic Hesse-Kassel
Commanders and leaders
Jean-Baptiste Kléber	Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel Wilhelm von Klebeck
Units involved
Army of Sambre-et-Meuse	Coalition
Strength
35,608	8,000, 344 guns
Casualties and losses
300	500, 344 guns Garrison went free.

The Siege of Maastricht (September 22 – November 4, 1794) was a successful attack on the city of Maastricht. French forces, led by General Jean-Baptiste Kléber, surrounded and attacked the city. The defenders were a mix of Austrian and Dutch soldiers. They were commanded by Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. This event was part of the larger War of the First Coalition. In the end, the French won, and the city surrendered.

Why the Siege Happened

After the Battle of Fleurus

The Battle of Fleurus on June 26, 1794, was a very important fight. It was a turning point in the war. The French army, led by General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, won a big victory. This made the armies fighting against France, called the Coalition, start to retreat.

The Coalition armies included soldiers from Austria, Britain, and the Dutch Republic. After their loss at Fleurus, they began to pull back. The British and Dutch armies went north. The Austrian army moved east.

French Armies Advance

As the Coalition retreated, the French armies pushed forward. General Jourdan's army kept winning battles against the Austrians. This forced the Austrian army to move back across the Rhine River.

With the Austrians gone, Maastricht was left alone. It had a Coalition army inside its walls. General Jourdan then sent General Kléber and his army to capture Maastricht. This was a key city to control.

Map depicts the Flanders campaign, showing the dates in July 1794 when movements occurred.

Taking Control of Belgium

The French army continued to advance into what is now Belgium. They captured many cities. On July 1, Jourdan took Mons. This made the British troops retreat further.

By July 10, the French had taken Brussels, a major city. The Coalition armies kept moving back. The British and Hanoverian troops went north into the Dutch Republic. The Austrian army moved behind the Meuse River.

The French also started to take back fortresses they had lost earlier. Many of these strongholds surrendered. This allowed more French soldiers to join the main armies. By mid-September, the French were ready to attack again.

On September 18, the French won another battle at Sprimont. This forced the Austrian army to retreat even more. They moved behind the Rur River.

The Siege of Maastricht Begins

Surrounding the City

After the battle at Sprimont, the Austrian army was pushed back. General Kléber's French forces then surrounded Maastricht. The French government wanted the city captured quickly.

Jean-Baptiste Kléber

General Jourdan sent 15,000 men under General Guillaume Philibert Duhesme to block the city. This meant no one could get in or out. The rest of Kléber's army prepared for the main attack.

The siege of Maastricht officially started on September 22, 1794. The city's defenders had about 8,000 soldiers. They were commanded by Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel. The Austrian commander inside the fortress was Wilhelm von Klebeck.

Key Commanders and Events

A young officer named Michel Ney was part of Kléber's staff. He was very brave and was promoted during this time. Kléber's army included several divisions, led by generals like Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte and Louis Friant.

Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel

On October 2, the main French army fought the Austrians at the Battle of Aldenhoven. The French won, and the Austrian army had to retreat across the Rhine River. This left Maastricht completely isolated.

With the main Austrian army gone, General Jourdan sent Kléber's full army back to Maastricht. They were now ready to launch a full-scale attack.

The Final Attack

General Kléber asked Prince Frederick to surrender the city. But Prince Frederick refused. So, on November 1, the French began firing their 80 siege guns. The cannons fired non-stop at the city.

Michel Ney in 1792.

The constant bombing broke the spirits of the defenders. Austrian soldiers inside the city started to loot homes. Dutch soldiers even fired on them to stop the chaos.

General Kléber sent Michel Ney into the fortress twice to talk. On his second visit, Ney convinced Prince Frederick to give up. Ney argued that continuing to fight would only destroy the city. Prince Frederick finally agreed to surrender on November 4.

The defenders were allowed to leave the city with their weapons and flags on November 7. They were not taken as prisoners of war. The French captured 344 cannons and 31 regimental flags. The French lost about 300 soldiers. The Coalition lost 500 soldiers killed or wounded.

Maastricht was also home to a famous mosasaur fossil. French scientists asked that the building holding the fossil not be bombed. When the city was captured, the French took the mosasaur's head and sent it to Paris.

Armies Involved

Coalition Forces in Maastricht

The defenders of Maastricht were a mix of soldiers from different nations.

Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel's garrison

Units	Size/Strength
Michael Wallis Infantry Regiment Nr. 11	2 battalions
Kheul Infantry Regiment Nr. 19	2 battalions
Kinsky Infantry Regiment Nr. 36	2nd Battalion
Stain Infantry Regiment Nr. 50	1 battalion
Wenzel Colloredo Infantry Regiment Nr. 56	2 battalions
Nassau-Usingen Infantry Regiment	1 battalion
Von Wilcke Infantry Regiment	Depot
Gunners	316 men
Miners	173 men
Hesse-Kassel Dragoon Regiment	4 squadrons
Coalition total	8,000 men, 344 guns

French Siege Army

General Kléber's army was much larger and well-equipped for the siege.