Editing Battle of Fleurus (1794) (section)

=== Allied attack plans ===
[[File:FleurusAlliedPlan.png|thumb|Coburg's plan of attack on 26 June for the battle of Fleurus. He planned to mainly attack both French flanks, to get into their rear and cut off their retreat. ]]
Coburg, with his headquarters at Nivelles, planned two major attacks. Like at Lambusart, his main blow was to be at the French right flank, which he hoped to break to get behind the French centre and envelop them. This would be accompanied by an attack on the French left, divided from the rest of the army by the river Pieton, intended to capture the river crossings the French needed to retreat, making doubly sure they would be trapped on the left bank of the Sambre. They would be supported with attacks in the centre delivered by smaller columns.{{cn|date=March 2023}}

Coburg divided his attack force into five columns, positioned from east to west as follows:{{sfn|Dupuis|1907|pp=327–332}}

==== Archduke Charles' and Beaulieu's columns ====
{{Main|Fleurus 1794 order of battle#Austrian-Dutch army}}
Consisting of 20 battalions of infantry, 36 squadrons of cavalry, and 36 guns, these were to be the main attack force, and were placed under the overall command of [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen|Archduke Charles]], the brother of the Austrian emperor. Their mission was to crumple the French right. The combined force was to march at 2&nbsp;am on the 26th from the tavern of Point-du-Jour (at the modern intersection of the N29 and N93) to near Gros-Buisson (the plain north of Fleurus),<ref name=Gembloux/> where they would split into two columns:{{cn|date=March 2023}}

* General [[Johann Peter Beaulieu]]’s column, with 13 battalions, 20 squadrons and 18 guns, would turn south just before reaching Fleurus, and attack Lambusart, Baulet and Wanfersee, before turning parallel to the Sambre, outflanking the entire line, and getting into the rear of Jourdan's army
* Charles’ own column, with 7 battalions, 16 squadrons and 18 guns, would march through Fleurus and attack the tavern of Campinaire.

==== Prince Kaunitz's column ====
Consisting of 8 battalions of infantry, 18 squadrons of cavalry and 17 guns, the column under [[Franz Wenzel, Graf von Kaunitz-Rietberg]], was to march from the tree of Bruyere (which still stands today at the southern tip of the La Bruyere golf course), where he was encamped, to the village of Chassart<ref name="Gembloux"></ref> to spend the night of the 25th, then march towards Fleurus and attack Heppignies and Wagnee once Charles’ column had engaged at Campinaire.

==== Quosdanovich's column ====
Consisting of 7 battalions, 16 squadrons and 16 guns, [[Peter Vitus von Quosdanovich]]’s column was to move from Nivelles, where it was located, to Grand-Champ, the plain north of the village of Mellet, on the night of the 25th. It was then to wait for Kaunitz's column to reach the forest of Lombue (modern Domaine du Bois-Lombut)<ref name="Charleroi"/> at daybreak on the 26th before moving on Gosselies, via Pont-a-Migneloup (modern Pont-a-Mignetoux), Mellet and the forest of Lombue, attacking together with Kaunitz.

==== The Prince of Orange's column ====
Based at Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont at 2&nbsp;am on 26 June with 24 battalions, 32 squadrons and 22 guns, Orange's column was generally to capture Courcelles and Forchies-la-Marche, then capture the forest of Moncaux (the modern Charleroi suburb of Monceau-sur-Sambre),<ref name="Charleroi"/> the heights of l’Espinette, and the Sambre crossing at Landelies. 

Orange intended to split his column into three:

* One sub-column under Christian August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, would attack from Trazegnies and Forchies towards Marchienne-au-Pont
* Another sub-column, under his son Prince Frederic of Orange, was to capture Anderlues and Fontaine l’Eveque, the heights of l’Espinette, then cross the Sambre at Rus and converge on Marchienne-au-Pont
* The third sub-column under General Riese was to march between Waldeck and Frederic to keep them in communication and reinforce either column as needed