An Atlas of the French Revolutionary Wars in Germany. With Provenance to a Baron of the Empire.
Beautifully-presented and very rare atlas of the French campaign in Germany during the years 1796 to 1797.
The maps show engagements and positions at major battles including Neresheim, Amberg, Würzburg, and Schliengen. In addition, a general map of the wider region completes the set. Interestingly, the titles of the maps are in French, and all institutional examples suggest that they were printed in Paris. However, all the engravers listed appear to be German, suggesting that the maps may have been printed in Germany, possibly even during the campaigns.
We have been able to locate three further examples of that atlas (see below). The example at the British Library possesses twelve maps. The example at the Cartoteca del Archivo General Militar de Madrid possesses a total of 14 maps, however, two maps are numbered using a different system than the rest. We presume completeness for our example and the example at the British Library, given the self-consistent numbering system, and that the example in Madrid is extra-illustrated.
The German Campaign of 1796-1797
The 1796-97 campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars in Germany marked a significant episode in the broader conflict that engulfed Europe during the era of the French Revolution. Following the execution of Louis XVI and the radicalization of the Revolution, France found itself pitted against a coalition of European powers determined to contain the revolutionary contagion and restore the Bourbon monarchy. By 1796, the theater of war had shifted to southern Germany, where the French aimed to strike at the heart of the Habsburg Empire. Under the command of two young and ambitious generals, Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Jean Victor Marie Moreau, the French Revolutionary Army hoped to coordinate their movements to defeat the Austrians and gain a decisive advantage in the region.
The campaign, however, proved to be a mixed bag for the French. While Moreau achieved initial successes, even reaching as far as Bavaria and threatening the city of Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Empire, Jourdan was defeated in a series of battles, particularly at Amberg and Würzburg, by the seasoned Austrian general, Archduke Charles. These defeats compelled Moreau to withdraw, conducting a skillful retreat across the Black Forest and winning a defensive victory at the Battle of Emmendingen. The campaign of 1796-97, though failing to deliver a knockout blow to the Austrians, showcased the challenges and intricacies of coordinating movements between separate armies in the field. It also underscored the rise of new military talents who would play pivotal roles in the Napoleonic Wars that followed.
Contents
- Plan Pour l'intelligence des operations militaires entre la Lahn & la Sieg du 14 au 21 juin 1796.
- Affaire de Malsch le 9 Juillet 1796.
- Bataille de Neresheim le 11 Aout 1796.
- Carte pour la Bataille d'Amberg et les combats de les combats de Teimingen & de Neumarck en 1796.
- Bataille de Wurzbourg Livree le 3 Septembre 1796.
- Bataille de Biberach Livree Le 2 Octobre 1796.
- Bataille pres d'Emmendingen le 19me Octobre MDCCXCVI
- Affaire de Schliengen livree le 24 Octobre 1796
- Plan du Siege de Rezl en 1796.
- Explication des Planches IX et X
- Siege de la tete de pont de Kuningue en 1797
- Theatre de la guerre de 1796 en Allemagne
Provenance
The maps come from a collection owned by Romain-Joseph de Brigode-Kemlandt, Baron of the Empire (1775 - 1854), who was a deputy from the Nord in the Assemblée National and mayor of Annappes. He married the granddaughter of the Marquis de Lafayette, Célestine Louise Henriette de Fay de La Tour-Maubourg. It is his initial that appears on the green slipcase.
Rarity
We locate three examples of the work, at the BNF (number of maps not specified), the BL (12 maps), and Cartoteca del Archivo General Militar de Madrid (13 or 14 maps). These examples all appear to be bound without title pages.
The National Library of Chile possesses an atlas of the same title with the same number of maps, but the size of the maps is reduced.