The spring of 1794 saw bitter fighting in the Austrian Netherlands as the numerically superior French armies mounted continual attacks against the forces of the First Coalition.

However, he did not appoint an overall commander for this force, resulting in a divided leadership driven by Charbonnier's incompetence, jealousy and refusal to cooperate with Desjardins.

Aware that the enemy had an entrenched camp at the tomb of Marcinelle under the command of Schröder, on the French side of the Sambre in front of Charleroi (today near the intersection of Rue Hoyas and Rue de la Tombe in the Charleroi district of Marcinelle),[2] Marceau's vanguard, Vézu's division and Lorge's brigade of Mayer's division were ordered to drive the allies out and across the Sambre to secure the right bank prior to the French crossing to the left bank .

After Schröder's second withdrawal, Fromentin advanced to a position facing north between the forest of Courcelles (south of modern Souvret and Wilbeau-Roux)[3] and the bridge across the Piéton (now part of the Brussels-Charleroi Canal) at Roux.

Duhesme's infantry of Marceau's vanguard, meanwhile, had driven the defenders of the bridge at Marchienne-au-Pont off, crossed over to the left bank, and taken station in the forest of Moncaux (now the Charleroi suburb of Le Bougnou).

Being conscious of his numerical inferiority, and aware of allied forces being despatched to reinforce him by Coburg, Kaunitz decided to defend his main positions at Rouveroy and Pieton (north of modern Anderlues), protect Nivelles and Brussels by holding Seneffe with Schröder's forces, and leave Charleroi to defend itself until he was reinforced and able to relieve the siege by giving battle.

[3] While the French were getting into position to begin their siege of Charleroi, Emperor Francis II of Austria had arrived at Rouveroy in person from the west with Coburg and reinforcements, to assemble and supervise a counterattack.

Unimpressed by Kaunitz, and for political reasons, Francis appointed the Prince of Orange over his head to lead the allied left wing, with General Alvinczi as chief of staff.

These were divided into 4 columns, whose initial march orders were issued this day: On the French side, the 30th was spent surveying Charleroi and assessing the best mode of attack.

At 3 am on 2 June, the four allied attack columns, now arrived and rested in their staging grounds, made their final approach marches to their jump-off points.

After capturing Lambusart, Quasdanovich's column was halted by the forces stationed at Soleilmont, although his cavalry bypassed the battle at Chatelineau and reached Charleroi to support and relieve the garrison.

In a search for scapegoats, Fromentin, who had fallen from his horse during the battle, was on that basis accused of having been drunk by the Representatives of the People Levasseur and Guyton, who were commissaries from the ruling Committee of Public Safety with supervisory powers over the army on the Sambre.

[1]: 210 and footnote However, the defeat gave the allies no strategic gain, as Jourdan had actually arrived in the operational area on 1–2 June with his four divisions from the Army of the Moselle, though they were too late, too far and in too bad a condition at the time to join the battle at Gosselies.