On This Day

French troops conquer Nijmegen

The siege of Nijmegen occurred from 27 October to 8 November 1794 during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition.

The siege of Nijmegen occurred from 27 October to 8 November 1794 during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition. It was the last major military confrontation between the forces of the Revolutionary French First Republic and the reactionary First Coalition of European monarchs including William V, Prince of Orange, before the fall of the Dutch Republic in January 1795, which William had ruled as hereditary stadtholder since 1751. As commander-in-chief of the Dutch States Army, his indecision, several changes of mind and lack of coordination with his Anglo-Hanoverian, Hessian, Prussian and Austrian allies contributed to the eventual surrender of Nijmegen to the French revolutionaries.

Historical Significance

The siege of Nijmegen occurred from 27 October to 8 November 1794 during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition.

Events Before

  1. French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution

    Louis XVI was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.

  2. Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for high treason by the newly formed Na

    Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for high treason by the newly formed National Convention during the French Revolution

  3. Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completes the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico

    Sir Alexander Mackenzie (1764 – 12 March 1820) was a Scottish-Canadian explorer and fur trader known for accomplishing the first crossing of North America north of Mexico by a European in 1793.

  4. Alexander aged 15, later Tsar Alexander I, grandson of Catherine the Great, marries German princess Louise of Baden (Eli

    Alexander aged 15, later Tsar Alexander I, grandson of Catherine the Great, marries German princess Louise of Baden (Elizabeth Alexeievna) aged14

  5. The wedding of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz takes place.

    The wedding of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Prussia and Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz takes place.

Events After

  1. 2nd Earl of Liverpool Robert Jenkinson (25) weds daughter of the Earl of Bristol Lady Louisa Hervey at Wimbledon

    2nd Earl of Liverpool Robert Jenkinson (25) weds daughter of the Earl of Bristol Lady Louisa Hervey at Wimbledon

  2. Ludwig van Beethoven (24) has his debut performance as a pianist at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria

    Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist.

  3. French National Convention decrees "La Marseillaise" by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle as France's national anthem

    "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria,...

  4. British capture Cape Town, South Africa, from the Dutch

    The first modern humans are believed to have inhabited South Africa more than 100,000 years ago.

  5. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" poet Samuel Coleridge (22) marries Sarah Fricker in Bristol, England

    "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" poet Samuel Coleridge (22) marries Sarah Fricker in Bristol, England

More from the 1790s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 7, 1794?
The siege of Nijmegen occurred from 27 October to 8 November 1794 during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition. It was the last major military confrontation between the forces of the Revolutionary French First Republic and the reactionary First Coalition of European monarchs including William V, Prince of Orange, before the fall of the Dutch Republic in January 1795, which William had ruled as hereditary stadtholder since 1751. As commander-in-chief of the Dutch States Army, his indecision, several changes of mind and lack of coordination with his Anglo-Hanoverian, Hessian, Prussian and Austrian allies contributed to the eventual surrender of Nijmegen to the French revolutionaries.
Why is French troops conquer Nijmegen significant?
The siege of Nijmegen occurred from 27 October to 8 November 1794 during the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition.

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