 The opening of the Rhine Campaign of 1796 began with Kléber 's attack south out of his bridgehead at Düsseldorf . After Kléber won sufficient maneuver room on the east bank of the Rhine River , Jean Baptiste Jourdan was supposed to join him with the remainder of the Army of Sambre @-@ et @-@ Meuse . But this was only a distraction . When the Austrians under Archduke Charles , Duke of Teschen moved north to oppose Jourdan , Jean Victor Marie Moreau would cross the Rhine far to the south with the Army of Rhin @-@ et @-@ Moselle . Kléber carried out his part of the scheme to perfection , allowing Jourdan to cross the Rhine at Neuwied on 10 June . This was part of a plan to lure Archduke Charles to the north so that the Army of Rhin @-@ et @-@ Moselle under Jean Victor Marie Moreau could breach the Rhine defenses in the south . The strategy worked as designed . When Charles came north with heavy forces to drive back Jourdan , Moreau successfully mounted an assault crossing of the Rhine at Kehl near Strasbourg . 
