Battle of Messkirch

Battle of Messkirch (1800)
Part of War of the Second Coalition
Battle of Messkirch
Date 4 and 5 May 1800 Location Messkirch, present-day Germany Result French victory.
Belligerents
First French Republic	Habsburg Austria

The Battle of Messkirch was fought on 4 and 5 May 1800 and resulted the victory of French army against the Austrians.

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, after which the Austrian retreated to Messkirch where they enjoyed a more favourable defensive position.

The French repeatedly assaulted the town on 4 and 5 May always 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.

See also

• French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1800

References

• 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: Ders.: Das Gögginger Dorfbuch. Gemeinde Göggingen. Göggingen 1969. S. 365 ff.