Editing Lazare Hoche (section)

===Later career===
On his return, Hoche was at once transferred to the Rhine frontier as commander of the [[Army of Sambre and Meuse]],<ref name=Charavay/> where he defeated the Austrians at the [[Battle of Neuwied]] on 18 April 1797, though operations were soon afterwards brought to an end by the [[Preliminaries of Leoben]].<ref name=EB1911/>

In July 1797, Hoche was appointed [[Minister of War (France)|Minister of War]] by the Directory.<ref name=Charavay/> In this position he was surrounded by obscure political intrigues, and, finding himself the dupe of [[Paul Barras]] and technically guilty of violating the constitution, he resigned after less than month in office, and returned to his command on the Rhine frontier.<ref name=Charavay/><ref name=EB1911/> It was his denunciation during that time that had led to [[Jean-Baptiste Kléber|Kléber]]'s removal from command. The compromising letter was found by [[Jean Baptiste Alexandre Strolz]] in Hoche's papers.<ref>Librairie R. Roger et F. Chernoviz, Feuilles d'Histoire du XVII au XX Siècle, Tome 6, Paris 1911, p. 332.</ref><ref>Lubert d' Héricourt: La Vie du Général Kléber, Paris 1801, p.122.</ref>