Battle of Valmy

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The Battle of Valmy

Date	20 September 1792
Location	Between Sainte-Menehould and Valmy
Result	French victory

Combatants

France

Prussia

Commanders

Dumouriez,
Kellermann

Duke of Brunswick

Strength

47,000

35,000

Casualties

300

184

War of the First Coalition
Valmy – Jemappes – 1st Mainz – Neerwinden – Entrames – Toulon – Famars – Fontenay-le-Comte – Cholet – Luçon – Hondshoote – Wattignies – Truillas – Boulou – Tourcoing – Fleurus – Vosges – Tournay – Black Mountain – Lodi – Arcole – Genoa – Hyères – 2nd Mainz – Amberg – Rovereto – Bassano – Montenotte – Dego – Cape St Vincent – Santa Cruz – Rivoli – Camperdown

The Battle of Valmy (or Cannonade of Valmy) was an inconclusive skirmish but crucial in the survival of the French Revolution. On 20 September 1792, the French Army of the Centre, commanded by Charles François Dumouriez, and elements from the French Army of the North, commanded by François Christophe Kellermann, stopped the advance towards Paris of a Prussian army, commanded by Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick around the village of Valmy in northern France. Despite the minimal casualties (less that 500 total) and the inconclusive tactical results, Valmy has been considered one of The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World because a French defeat would likely have doomed the French Revolution.

1 Background
2 Battle
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Background

After France declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792 and following early encounters in which French arms did not distinguish themselves, anti-revolutionary forces advanced into France (18 August). The combined invading force comprised Prussians, Austrians, Hessians and émigrés under the Duke of Brunswick, representing the supreme command of King Frederick William II of Prussia. The commanders-in-chief of the armies that had formed became one after another "suspects"; and before a serious action had been fought, the three French Revolutionary Armies commanded by Rochambeau, Lafayette and Luckner had resolved themselves into two commanded by Dumouriez and Kellermann.

The invading allies readily captured Longwy and slowly marched on to Verdun, which was even less defensible than Longwy. The commander, Colonel Beaurepaire, shot himself in despair, and the place surrendered on 3 September. Brunswick now began his march on Paris and approached the defiles of the Argonne. But Dumouriez, who had been training his raw troops at Valenciennes in constant small engagements, with the purpose of invading Belgium, now threw himself into the Argonne by a rapid and daring flank march, almost under the eyes of the Prussian advanced guard, and barred the Paris road, summoning Kellermann to his assistance from Metz. Kellermann moved slowly, and before he arrived the northern part of the line of defence had been forced. Dumouriez, undaunted, changed front so as to face north, with his right wing on the Argonne and his left stretching towards Châlons, and in this position Kellermann joined him at Sainte-Menehould on 19 September.

[edit] Battle

Brunswick meanwhile had passed the northern defiles and had then swung round to cut off Dumouriez from Châlons. At the moment when the Prussian manoeuvre was nearly completed, Kellermann, commanding in Dumouriez’s momentary absence, advanced his left wing and took up a position between Sainte-Menehould and the mill of Valmy. The result was the Cannonade of Valmy. Kellermann's 47,000 infantry, nearly all regulars, stood steady. The French artillery justified its reputation as the best in Europe, and eventually, with no more than a half-hearted infantry attack, Brunswick's 35,000 strong broke off the action and retired. The French suffered 300 casualties and their opponents 184.

[edit] Aftermath

This trivial engagement was the turning-point of the campaign and a turning point in the world’s history. Ten days later, without firing another shot, the invading army began its retreat. Dumouriez's pursuit was not seriously pressed; he occupied himself chiefly with a series of subtle and curious negotiations which, with the general advance of the French troops, brought about the complete withdrawal of the allied invaders from the soil of France.

The day after this first victory of the French revolutionary troops, on 21 September, in Paris, the French monarchy was abolished and the First French Republic proclaimed. The battle of Valmy was really the first victory of an army solely inspired by citizenship and nationalism and the death knell of the absolute monarchies was begun with this victory.