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How did the Battle of Fleurus in 1794 change the course of the war in Belgium?

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Napoleon I — French Revolutionary wars *Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole, 17 November 1796*, oil on canvas by Antoine-Jean Gros, 1796; in the Versailles Museum.

The Battle of Fleurus, fought on June 26, 1794, served as a decisive turning point in the French Revolutionary Wars regarding the control of the southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium).1

Although the Austrian and Dutch forces under the prince of Saxe-Coburg initially inflicted heavy casualties on the French, the larger French army led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Jean-Baptiste Kléber successfully counterattacked. Following the engagement, the Austrian forces retreated across the Meuse River.1

The strategic impact of this victory was profound: within a month of the battle, the Austrians abandoned the region entirely. This military collapse effectively ended Austrian rule in the territory, paving the way for the French National Convention to formally annex the southern Netherlands and the principality of Liège in 1795.12