200 years Ago SEPTEMBER 11, 1794: As a result of the French victory at the Battle of Fleurus (see EE&L #7), General Scherer enters Namur unopposed in the Austrian Empire's province of Belgium, and makes his junction with Jourdan at Huy. The defeated Austrians withdraw eastward and abandon Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen). OCTOBER 2, 1794: Battle of the Roer after which the Austrians continue their withdrawal and cross the Rhine at Muhlheim, below Cologne (Koln) on October 6. In spite of a set back at Kaiserslautern, the French advance in the Rheinland, force the Allies to retreat across the upper Rhine, and lay siege to Mainz. In addition, another French army under Pichegru invades Holland. 190 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1804: The training and gathering of Bonaparte's flotilla for the planned invasion of England continues from the coast of Normandy to the Rhine mouths (the center being at Boulogne). The Grande Armee continues its training at the Camp of Boulogne. OCTOBER 2, 1804: A British naval expedition under Sir Sidney Smith seriously mauls part of the French flotilla gathered at the Rhine mouths using fire and explosive ships. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1804, Bonaparte prepares for his coronation on December 2. He had been made First Consul for life by a plebiscite in 1802, and then Empereur des Francais (Emperor of the French People) by a simple vote of the Senate on May 18, 1804, ratified by a another ritual plebiscite. The Senate, by another Senatus Consulte dated 22 Fructidor Year XIII (September 9, 1804) re-establishes the Gregorian calendar in France as of 11 Nivose of the following year January 1, 1806). The Republican calendar had been established on December 15, 1793 (23 Frimaire Year I) following a proposal by Philippe Fabre d'Eglantine (the author of the French children's song Il pleut, il pleut bergere...). Fabre d'Eglantine divided the year into 12 months of 30 days each (plus five complementary days at the end of the Year), and each month into three decades of 10 days. He called the new days: Primedi, Duodi, Tridi, Quartidi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonidi and Decadi. The months reflected the main agricultural events of the seasons: Winter: Nivose, Pluviose (rain) and Ventose (wind); Spring: Germinal (germination), Floreal (flowering) and Prairial; Summer: Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor (fruits); Autumn: Vendemaire (vine harvest), Brumaire (fog), Frimaire (frigid). Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 8 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com