by Nijmwegen and Venloo to Utrecht.  The two forces would then unite and make themselves masters of Amsterdam.  The ambitious scheme miscarried.  At first success attended Dumouriez.  Breda fell after a feeble resistance, also De Klundert and Geertruidenberg.  Meanwhile the advance of an Austrian army under Coburg relieved Maestricht and inflicted a defeat upon the French at Aldenhoven on March 1, 1793.  Dumouriez, compelled to retreat, was himself beaten at Neerwinden on March 18, and withdrew to Antwerp.  For the moment danger was averted.  Revolutionary movements at Amsterdam and elsewhere failed to realise the hopes of the patriots, and the Dutch government was able to breathe again.

It indeed appeared that the French menace need no longer be feared.  Dumouriez changed sides and, failing to induce his troops to follow him, took refuge in the enemy’s camp.  A powerful coalition had now been formed by the energy of Pitt against revolutionary France; and, in April, 1794, a strong English army under the Duke of York had joined Coburg.  They were supported by 22,000 Dutch troops commanded by the two sons of the Prince of Orange.

New French armies, however, organised by the genius of Carnot, proved more than a match for the allied forces acting without any unity of place under slow-moving and incompetent leaders.  Coburg and the Austrians were heavily defeated at Fleurus by Jourdan on June 26.  York and Prince William thereupon retreated across the frontier, followed by the French under Pichegru, while another French general, Moreau, took Sluis and overran Dutch Flanders.  This gave fresh encouragement to the patriot party, who in Amsterdam formed a revolutionary committee, of which the leaders were Gogel, Van Dam and Kraijenhoff.  Nothing overt was done, but by means of a large number of so-called reading-societies (leesgezelschappen) secret preparations were made for a general uprising so soon as circumstances permitted, and communications were meanwhile kept up with the exiled patriots.  But Pichegru, though he captured Maestricht and other towns, was very cautious in his movements and distrustful of the promises of the Amsterdam Convention that a general revolt would follow upon his entry into Holland.

In this way the year 1794 drew to its end; and, as no further help from England or Prussia could be obtained, the States-General thought it might be possible to save the Republic from the fate of Belgium by opening negotiations for peace with the enemy.  Accordingly two envoys, Brantsen and Repelaer, were sent on December 16 to the French headquarters, whence they proceeded to Paris.  Fearing lest their plans for an uprising should be foiled, the Amsterdam committee also despatched two representatives, Blauw and Van Dam, to Paris to counteract the envoys of Van de Spiegel, and to urge upon the French commanders an immediate offensive against Holland.  The withdrawal of the remains of the English army under the Duke of York, and the setting in of a strong frost, lent force to their representations.  The army of Pichegru, accompanied by Daendels and his Batavian legion, were able to cross the rivers; and Holland lay open before them.  It was in vain that the two young Orange princes did their utmost to organise resistance.  In January, 1795 one town after another surrendered; and on the 19th Daendels without opposition entered Amsterdam.