Battle of Turnhout (1789)

Battle of Turnhout
Part of the Brabant Revolution
The battle of Turnhout
Date 27 October 1789 Location Turnhout, Austrian Netherlands Result Belgian victory Austrian withdrawal from Belgium Creation of the United States of Belgium
Belligerents
Habsburg Austria Austrian Netherlands	Belgian rebels
Commanders and leaders
Gottfried von Schröder	Jean-André van der Mersch
Strength
2,500	2,000
Casualties and losses
108 killed 60 wounded 23 missing 3 cannons lost	87 killed or wounded

Belgian victory

Habsburg Austria

The Battle of Turnhout (27 October 1789) was a battle which took place in the town of Turnhout (today in Belgium) between Habsburg Austria and a Belgian émigré (Patriot) army commanded by Jean-André van der Mersch which had recently invaded from the nearby Dutch Republic. The battle was one of the pivotal moments of the Brabant Revolution and the Patriots' unlikely victory led to the expulsion of Austrian forces to Luxembourg from the Southern Netherlands for nearly a year.

The Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, was an important figure of European Enlightenment and a believer in reforming institutions he believed to be outdated. As the head of Habsburg Austria and ruler of the Austrian Netherlands, he decreed a wide-reaching programme of reforms. He imposed his own policies in the internal affairs of the Church. Furthermore, he published a number of edicts reforming the law and administration of the territory with the aim of re-enforcing the power of the state.

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