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How did the Battle of Wattignies in 1793 help protect Paris from invasion?
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French Revolutionary wars
Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole, 17 November 1796, oil on canvas by Antoine-Jean Gros, 1796; in the Versailles Museum.
In the autumn of 1793, the Austrian commander Prince Josias of Coburg had been advancing toward Paris, successfully taking Le Quesnoy in September and subsequently laying siege to Maubeuge on September 28.
The Battle of Wattignies, which took place on October 15â16, 1793, proved decisive in halting this momentum. The French victory at this engagement compelled Coburg to raise the siege of Maubeuge. By forcing the Austrian forces to retreat, the battle effectively disrupted the coalition's advance and averted the immediate threat of an invasion of Paris.1