Siege of Kehl
Kehl, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
What happened
Austrian forces under Count Baillet de Latour besieged the French bridgehead at Kehl, defended by Louis Desaix and Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr. Kehl, across the Rhine from Strasbourg, was the French army's bridge into Germany. Through the winter the Austrians dug trenches and batteries, and both sides made raids and counterattacks while the French kept repairing their bridges. In January the Austrians took an outer fort, and the French then left.
Why it matters
Control of the Rhine crossing gave the French easy access into south-west Germany. Its fall pushed them back across the river.
What came next
The nearby bridgehead at Hüningen surrendered in February 1797. The long sieges kept Archduke Charles from helping Austria in Italy.
Did you know?
The French had destroyed most of the village of Kehl before the siege began.
Timeline
- 24 Jun 1796French cross the Rhine at Kehl.
- 26 Oct 1796Siege begins.
- 9 Jan 1797French evacuate Kehl.
- 5 Feb 1797Austrians take Hüningen.