Evolution or Revolution on the Battlefield? The Army of the Sambre and Meuse in 1794
Jordan R. Hayworth
War in History, Vol. 21, No. 2 (April 2014), pp. 170-192 (23 pages)

Abstract

This article assesses the transformation of warfare during the French Revolution as it relates to the battlefield. It uses as a case study the Army of the Sambre and Meuse during the 1794 conquest of Belgium. In particular, it explores the army's performance in four battles fought during the year: First Fleurus, Second Fleurus, the Ourthe, and the Roer. Of the four, only Second Fleurus has received detailed scholarly examination to date. To sustain the revolutionary view of military change, the evidence must demonstrate the dominance of French innovations at the tactical and operational levels. In contrast, this article reveals the primacy of evolutionary changes on the battlefield. Overall, French military practices did not radically depart from Old Regime developments, nor did they clearly signal the unmitigated rise of French combat effectiveness.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26098306?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents