 The War of the First Coalition combat was fought near the city of Kaiserslautern in the modern-day state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, which is located about west of Mannheim.In the First Battle of Wissembourg, the Coalition army of Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser broke through the frontier defenses and drove the French "Army of the Rhine" south to Strasbourg.In response to this crisis, the French government appointed Hoche to command the "Army of the Moselle" and Jean-Charles Pichegru to lead the "Army of the Rhine", while urging then to relieve the Siege of Landau.