The Siege of Kehl lasted from October 1796 to 9 January 1797 .

Habsburg and Württemberg regulars numbering 40,000 , under the command Control of Maximilian Anton Karl , Count Baillet de Latour , besieged Besieging and captured Conquering the French-controlled fortifications at the village of Kehl in the German state of Baden-Durlach .

The fortifications at Kehl represented important bridgehead crossing Motion_directional the Rhine to Strasbourg , an Alsatian city , a French Revolutionary stronghold .

The crossings at Hüningen , near the Swiss city of Basel , and the crossing at Kehl , gave Giving them ready access to most of southwestern Germany ; from there , French armies could sweep north , south , or east , depending on their military goal .

However , his brother , Francis II , the Holy Roman Emperor , and the civilian military advisers of the Aulic Council categorically refused Agree_or_refuse_to_act such an armistice , forcing Hostile_encounter Charles to order simultaneous sieges at Hüningen and Kehl .

On 18 September 1796 , the Austrians temporarily acquired Getting control Control of the `` têtes-de-ponts '' ( bridgeheads ) joining Becoming_a_member Kehl and Strasbourg until a strong French counter-attack forced Motion them to retreat Escaping .

Immediately after the Battle of Schliengen , while most of Moreau 's army retreated Escaping south to cross Motion_directional the Rhine at Hüningen , Count Baillet Latour moved Motion north to Kehl to begin Process_start the siege .

On 22 November , the French defenders at Kehl , under Louis Desaix and the overall commander of the French Army of the Rhine and Moselle , Jean-Victor-Marie Moreau , almost ended Process_end the siege when they executed a sortie that nearly captured Conquering the Austrian artillery park .

In the Rhine Campaign of 1796 , Moreau 's army made a successful assault Attack crossing Motion_directional of the Rhine River at Kehl on 24 June .

The Second Battle of Kehl occurred Coming_to_be on 18 September 1796 , when General Franz Petrasch 's Austrian and Imperial troops stormed Attack the French-held bridgehead over the Rhine river .

The village of Kehl , which is now in the German state of Baden-Württemberg , was then part of Baden-Durlach .

A complex of bridges , gates , fortifications and barrage dams linked Connect Kehl with Strasbourg .

The crossings had been contested before : in 1678 during the French-Dutch war Military_operation , in 1703 during the War Military_operation of the Spanish Succession , in 1733 during the War Military_operation of the Polish Succession , and earlier in Battle Hostile_encounter of Kehl , when the French crossed Motion_directional into the German states on 23–24 June .

The crossings at Hüningen , near the Swiss city of Basel , and at Kehl , offered Giving access to most of southwestern Germany ; from there , French armies could sweep north , south , or east , depending on their military goal .

On 18 September 1796 , the Austrians temporarily acquired Getting control Control of the `` tête-du-ponts '' ( bridgeheads ) joining Kehl and Strasbourg until a strong French counter-attack Attack forced Causation them to retreat Escaping , leaving the French in control Control of the bridges but the Austrians in control Control of the territory surrounding them .

Immediately after the Battle Hostile_encounter of Schliengen ( 24 October 1796 ) , while most of Moreau 's army retreated Escaping south to cross the Rhine at Hüningen , Count Baillet Latour moved Motion his Austrian force to Kehl to begin Process_start a 100-day siege Besieging .