Army of the North (France)
On the 14th of December 1791, the government of the Kingdom of France appointed Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, as its commander. This marked the creation of the Army of the North. The volatile political climate of the French Revolution soon turned against its leaders. Rochambeau was replaced in May 1792 and retired from service. The suspicious government of the First French Republic later charged him with treason. He barely escaped execution. In 1792, 1794, the guillotine awaited military commanders who either failed, belonged to the nobility, or displayed insufficient revolutionary zeal. Nicolas Luckner, Adam Custine, and Jean Houchard were among these unfortunates. Under Charles François Dumouriez, the army helped blunt the Prussian invasion at the Battle of Valmy on the 20th of September 1792. It also made up a large part of Dumouriez's expedition into the Austrian Netherlands which resulted in victory at the Battle of Jemappes on the 6th of November 1792. On the 18th of March 1793, the Austrians defeated Dumouriez at the Battle of Neerwinden. Auguste Dampierre was killed in battle on the 8th of May at the Battle of Raismes near Valenciennes. Under François Joseph Drouot de Lamarche, the army lost again at the Battle of Famars on the 23rd of May. Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine skirmished with the Coalition army at Caesar's Camp near Cambrai on the 7th of August. Houchard won the Battle of Hondshoote in September, forcing the English to raise the Siege of Dunkirk. Nevertheless, the government arrested Houchard for not following up his victory and executed him. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan won the Battle of Wattignies in October. On the 17th, the 18th of May 1794, the Army of the North won a victory at the Battle of Tourcoing while under the temporary leadership of Joseph Souham. The right wing of the army fought under Jourdan in an important victory at the Battle of Fleurus on the 26th of June. Soon after this, the Allied position in Flanders collapsed, leading to Austria's loss of Belgium and the extinction of the Dutch Republic in the winter of 1794, 1795. During this period, the army was engaged in mopping up operations and sieges. On the 25th of October 1797, the Army of the North officially ceased to exist and its troops became an army of occupation in the newly created Batavian Republic.
The Army of the North in Spain formed in January 1811 and included soldiers from the Imperial Guard. Its duties included holding cities and fortresses in northern Spain, fighting guerillas, and keeping the roads to France clear. On the 3rd, the 5th of May 1811, about 1,600 cavalry and six artillery pieces belonging to the army fought at the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro. The Spanish beat a 1,500-man detachment on the 23rd of June at Cogorderos in León province. This action prevented the army from helping in the fight against Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army. Only 800 men fought at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813. After the disastrous defeat at Vitoria, the Army of the North became part of the reorganized Army of Spain. Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières commanded the unit from January to July 1811. General of Division Jean-Marie Dorsenne took command from July 1811 to May 1812. General of Division Marie-François Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga led from May 1812 to January 1813. General of Division Bertrand Clausel served as commander from January 1813 to July 1813.
This name was also given to the force commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815. At its height, including reserves, it numbered 130,000 strong and consisted of many veterans from previous campaigns. In terms of quality it was the best army Napoleon had commanded since 1812 when he had led his Grand Army to disaster in Russia. It also fielded proportionally more artillery with 344 pieces and significantly more cavalry than had French armies in the campaigns of 1813 and 1814. Its left and right wings were under the independent command of Marshals Ney and Grouchy respectively when Napoleon himself was not present to direct them. This Armée du Nord is often mistakenly regarded as separate from Armée de la Réserve which it fought beside during the 1815 campaign. In fact the Armée de la Réserve was simply a large corps of the Armée du Nord that remained under Napoleon's direct command.
During the Franco-Prussian War a new Army of the North was created under Louis Faidherbe to try to break the Siege of Paris from the North. The army had achieved several small victories at towns such as Ham, La Hallue, and Amiens. It was protected by the belt of fortresses in northern France allowing Faidherbe's men to launch quick attacks against isolated Prussian units then retreat behind the fortresses. Despite access to the armaments factories of Lille, the Army of the North suffered from severe supply difficulties which depressed morale. In January 1871, Léon Gambetta forced Faidherbe to march his army beyond the fortresses and engage the Prussians in open battle. The army was severely weakened by low morale, supply problems, the terrible winter weather and low troop quality. General Faidherbe was unable to command due to his poor health resulting from decades of campaigning in West Africa. At the Battle of St. Quentin, the Army of the North suffered a crushing defeat and was scattered releasing thousands of Prussian soldiers to be relocated to the East.
The name Army of the North or Armée du Nord is given to several historical units of the French Army. The first unit fought with distinction against the First Coalition from 1792 to 1795. Other units existed during the Peninsular War, the Hundred Days and the Franco-Prussian War. Each iteration served distinct objectives across different eras. The original force ceased operations on the 25th of October 1797 when its troops became an army of occupation in the newly created Batavian Republic. A second formation appeared in Spain starting in January 1811 to hold cities and fight guerrillas. A third incarnation led Napoleon Bonaparte during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815. A fourth unit formed under Louis Faidherbe during the Franco-Prussian War to break the Siege of Paris. These separate entities shared only a title while operating in vastly different contexts and time periods.
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Common questions
When was the Army of the North created by the Kingdom of France?
The government of the Kingdom of France appointed Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau as its commander on the 14th of December 1791. This appointment marked the official creation of the Army of the North.
Who commanded the Army of the North during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815?
Napoleon Bonaparte commanded the force known as the Army of the North during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815. The army numbered 130,000 strong at its height and included many veterans from previous campaigns.
What happened to the original Army of the North on the 25th of October 1797?
On the 25th of October 1797, the Army of the North officially ceased to exist. Its troops became an army of occupation in the newly created Batavian Republic.
How did the Army of the North perform under Louis Faidherbe during the Franco-Prussian War?
The Army of the North suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of St. Quentin where it was scattered. Severe supply difficulties, low morale, terrible winter weather, and General Faidherbe's poor health contributed to this failure.
When did the second formation of the Army of the North appear in Spain?
The Army of the North in Spain formed in January 1811 and included soldiers from the Imperial Guard. This unit fought guerillas and held cities and fortresses in northern Spain until June 1813.