War of the Third Coalition
Part of Napoleonic Wars
Date 1805 Location Central Europe, Italy, and Trafalgar Result French victory, Treaty of Pressburg
Combatants
Austria Russia United Kingdom Naples and Sicily Portugal Sweden	France Batavia Italy Etruria Spain Bavaria Württemberg
Commanders
Francis II Karl Mack von Leiberich Archduke Charles Alexander I Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov Horatio Nelson†	Napoleon I André Masséna Pierre-Charles Villeneuve

The War of the Third Coalition was a military conflict in 1805 between an alliance of primarily Austria, Russia, and Great Britain against France and its client states under Napoleon I. Major engagements between France, Austria, and Russia, the main participants on land, unfolded over much of Central Europe from August to December. Britain, not involved on the European continent due to fears of an impending French invasion, dealt a crushing blow to a combined Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar in October and secured mastery of the seas. The war, however, was decided on the continent, and the major land operations that sealed the swift French victory involved the Ulm Campaign, a large wheeling maneuver by the Grand Army lasting from late August to mid-October that captured an entire Austrian army, and the Battle of Austerlitz in early December, which led to a decisive French triumph over a combined Russo-Austrian force under Tsar Alexander I. The name First Coalition (1793–1797) designates the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Great Britain France The Battle of the Pyramids, Louis-François, Baron Lejeune, 1808. ... The name Second Coalition (1798 - 1800) designates the second major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. ... Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Russian Empire United Kingdom Sweden Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Sicily First French Empire: - Kingdom of Italy - Kingdom of Naples - Kingdom of Holland - Kingdom of Etruria - Confederation of the Rhine - Swiss Confederation - Polish insurgents Kingdom of Spain Commanders Duke of Brunswick Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Count... Battle between the frigate HMS Tartar and Norwegian gunboats near Bergen in 1808 The Gunboat War (1807-1814) was the naval conflict between Denmark-Norway against the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Combatants Kingdom of Spain, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Portugal French Empire The Peninsular War or Spanish War of Independence (Guerra de la Independencia Española) was a war in the Iberian Peninsula. ... The Fifth Coalition was an alliance between Austria and Great Britain formed in 1809 to fight Napoleon Bonapartes French Empire. ... Combatants First French Empire Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Naples Duchy of Warsaw Confederation of the Rhine Kingdom of Bavaria Kingdom of Saxony Kingdom of Westphalia Swiss Confederation Austrian Empire Kingdom of Prussia Russian Empire Commanders Napoleon Eugène de Beauharnais Jérôme Bonaparte Jaques MacDonald Prince Schwarzenberg Alexander... Combatants Prussia Russia Austria United Kingdom Sweden Sicily Sardinia French Empire Italy Naples Warsaw Confederation of the Rhine[1] Swiss Confederation Commanders Gebhard von Blücher Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Wittgenstein Prince Schwarzenberg Prince Charles John Napoleon I of France Michel Ney Jozef Antoni Poniatowski Europe... The Hundred Days (French Cent-Jours) or the Waterloo Campaign commonly refers to the period between 20 March 1815, the date on which Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Paris after his return from Elba, and 8 July 1815, the date of the restoration of King Louis XVIII. The phrase Cent jours... The battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle of the War of the Third Coalition in the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 22 July 1805 off Cape Finisterre in northwest Spain between a British fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Robert Calder and a French fleet commanded by Admiral Pierre Charles... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Joachim Murat, Jean Lannes Franz Xavier Auffenberg Strength 12,000 5,500 Casualties >200 killed or wounded 400 killed or wounded 3,000 captured The Battle of Wertingen, fought on October 8, 1805, was part of the War of the 3rd Coalition, which... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Pierre Dupont de lEtang Karl Mack von Lieberich Strength <6,000 25,000 Casualties 1,000 killed or wounded 400 killed, 1,100 wounded, 4,000 captured The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen, fought on October 11, 1805, was part of the War... The Battle of Elchingen was fought on October 14, 1805, between French forces and a small Austrian force. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Mack von Liebereich # Strength 150,000 72,000 Casualties 5,980 dead or wounded 12,000 dead or wounded, 30,000 captured The Ulm Campaign September-October 1805. ... Combatants United Kingdom First French Empire Kingdom of Spain Commanders Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson † Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve Strength 27 ships of the line and 6 others. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders André Masséna Archduke Charles of Austria Strength 37,000 50,000 Casualties about 4,000 killed or wounded about 3,000 killed or wounded, 8,000 captured The Battle of Caldiero took place on October 30, 1805. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Russian Empire Commanders Marshal Murat Jean Lannes Kienmayer Pyotr Bagration Strength Around 10,000 soldiers 6,700 soldiers Casualties Under 1,000 total Russian Empire: 300 K.I.A. or W.I.A. <700 P.O.W. Austrian Empire: 1,000 K.I.A... Combatants United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland First French Empire Commanders Sir Richard Strachan Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley Strength 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates 4 ships of the line The Battle of Cape Ortegal was fought on 3 November 1805 between a British squadron and a French... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Russian Empire Commanders Édouard Mortier Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov Strength about 8,000 about 24,000 The Battle of Dürenstein (also known as the Battle of Dürrenstein or Battle of Dürnstein) was an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire, Russian Empire Commanders Joachim Murat Petr Bagration Strength about 20,600 about 7,300 Casualties about 1,200 2,402 The Battle of Schöngrabern (also known as the Battle of Hollabrunn) was an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of the... Combatants French Empire Russian Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Alexander I Francis II Strength 65,000[1] 73,000[2] Casualties 1,305 dead, 6,940 wounded, 573 captured, 1 standard lost[3] 15,000 dead or wounded, 12,000 captured, 180 guns lost, 50 standards lost[3] War... During Napoleons invasions to Italy,many client (puppet) republics were established. ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Combatants United Kingdom First French Empire Kingdom of Spain Commanders Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson † Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve Strength 27 ships of the line and 6 others. ... Combatants First French Empire, Kingdom of Bavaria Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Mack von Liebereich # Strength 235,000 (including 25,000 Bavarians)[1] 72,000[2] Casualties 2,000[3] 60,000[2] The Ulm Campaign was a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles in 1805, during... La Grande Armée (French for the Great Army or the Grand Army) first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain and re-deployed it East... Combatants French Empire Russian Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Alexander I Francis II Strength 65,000[1] 73,000[2] Casualties 1,305 dead, 6,940 wounded, 573 captured, 1 standard lost[3] 15,000 dead or wounded, 12,000 captured, 180 guns lost, 50 standards lost[3] War... Aleksandr I Pavlovich (Russian: Александр I Павлович) (December 23, 1777–December 1, 1825?), was Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801-1 December 1825 and Ruler of Poland from 1815–1825, as well as the first Grand Duke of Finland. ...

Austerlitz effectively brought the Third Coalition to an end. On December 26, 1805, Austria and France signed the Treaty of Pressburg, which took the former out of the war, reinforced the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville, made Austria cede land to Napoleon's German allies, and imposed an indemnity of 40 million francs on the defeated Habsburgs. Russian troops were allowed to head back to home soil. Victory at Austerlitz also permitted the creation of the Confederation of the Rhine, a collection of German states intended as a buffer zone between France and the rest of Europe. In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist when Holy Roman Emperor Francis II kept Francis I of Austria as his only official title. These achievements, however, did not establish a lasting peace on the continent. Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806. is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Pressburg was signed on December 26, 1805 between France and Austria as a consequence of the Austrian defeats by France at Ulm (September 25 - October 20) and Austerlitz (December 2). ... The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire, Year VI of the French Republic) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig von Cobenzl as representatives of France and Austria. ... The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on February 9, 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Empire by Joseph Bonaparte and Louis, Count Cobentzel, respectively. ... Look up Indemnity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... The Confederation of the Rhine in 1812 Capital Frankfurt Political structure Confederation Protector Napoleon I Primate  - 1806-1813 Karl von Dalberg  - 1813 Eugène de Beauharnais Historical era Napoleonic Wars  - Formation 12 July, 1806  - Collapse 19 October, 1813 The Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation (German: ; French: ) lasted from... World map showing the location of Europe. ... The extent of the Holy Roman Empire around 1630, superimposed over modern European state borders Capital None Language(s) Latin, German, many others Religion Roman Catholicism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 962–967 Otto I  - 973–983 Otto II  - 996–1002 Otto III  - 1014– 1024 Henry II  - 1027–1039 Conrad II  - 1046... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... Francis I in Austrian coronation regalia, 1832 Austrian thaler of Francis II, dated 1821. ... Francis II Francis I Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, who may also be referred to as Francis von Habsburg or Emperor Franz I of Austria (February 12, 1768 - March 2, 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until August 6, 1806, when the Empire was disbanded. ... Anthem Preußenlied, Heil dir im Siegerkranz (both unofficial) The Kingdom of Prussia at its greatest extent, at the time of the formation of the German Empire, 1871 Capital Berlin Government Monarchy King  - 1701 — 1713 Frederick I (first)  - 1888 — 1918 William II (last) Prime minister  - 1848 Adolf Heinrich von Arnim... Central Europe The Alpine Countries and the Visegrád Group (Political map, 2004) Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Russian Empire United Kingdom Sweden Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Sicily First French Empire: - Kingdom of Italy - Kingdom of Naples - Kingdom of Holland - Kingdom of Etruria - Confederation of the Rhine - Swiss Confederation - Polish insurgents Kingdom of Spain Commanders Duke of Brunswick Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Count...

Prelude

Europe had been embroiled in the French Revolutionary Wars since 1792. After five years of war, the French Republic subdued the First Coalition in 1797. A Second Coalition was formed in 1798, but this too was defeated by 1801, leaving Britain the only opponent of the new French Consulate. Combatants Great Britain Austria Prussia Spain[1] Russia Sardinia Ottoman Empire Portugal Dutch Republic[2] France The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states. ... The name First Coalition (1793–1797) designates the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. ... The name Second Coalition (1798 - 1800) designates the second major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

From Amiens to the Third Coalition

In March 1802, France and Britain agreed to end hostilities under the Treaty of Amiens. For the first time in ten years, all of Europe was at peace. However, many problems persisted between the two sides, making implementation of the treaty increasingly difficult. The British government resented having to turn over all colonial conquests since 1793. Napoleon was angry that British troops had not evacuated the island of Malta.^[1] The tense situation only worsened when Napoleon sent an expeditionary force to crush the Haitian Revolution.^[2] In May 1803, Britain declared war on France. The Treaty of Amiens was signed on March 25, 1802 (Germinal 4, year X in the French Revolutionary Calendar) by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquis Cornwallis as a Definitive Treaty of Peace between France and the United Kingdom. ... Combatants Haiti France Commanders Toussaint LOuverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines Charles Leclerc, vicomte de Rochambeau, Napoleon Bonaparte Strength Regular army: <55,000, Volunteers: <100,000 Regular army: 60,000, 86 warships and frigates Casualties Military deaths: unknown, Civilian deaths: <100,000 Military deaths: 57,000 (37,000 combat; 20,000...

In December 1804, an Anglo-Swedish agreement led to the creation of the Third Coalition. British Prime Minister William Pitt spent 1804 and 1805 in a flurry of diplomatic activity geared towards forming a new coalition against France. Mutual suspicion between the British and the Russians eased in the face of several French political mistakes, and by April of 1805 the two had signed a treaty of alliance.^[3] Having been defeated twice in recent memory by France and keen on revenge, Austria also joined the coalition a few months later.^[4] The First War against Napoleon or the Pomeranian War, was the first involvement by Sweden in the Napoleonic Wars. ... William Pitt the Younger (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British politician of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. ...

La Grande Armée at Boulogne

Prior to the formation of the Third Coalition, Napoleon had assembled the Army of England, an invasion force meant to strike at the British Isles, around six camps at Boulogne in Northern France. Although they never set foot on British soil, Napoleon's troops received careful and invaluable training for any possible military operation. Boredom among the troops occasionally set in, but Napoleon paid many visits and conducted lavish parades in order to boost morale.^[5] This article describes the archipelago in north-Western Europe. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ...

The men at Boulogne formed the core for what Napoleon would later call La Grande Armée (English: The Great Army). At the start, this French army had about 200,000 men organized into seven corps, which were large field units containing about 36 to 40 cannon each and capable of independent action until other corps could arrive to the rescue.^[6] On top of these forces, Napoleon created a cavalry reserve of 22,000 organized into two cuirassier divisions, four mounted dragoon divisions, and two divisions of dismounted dragoons and light cavalry, all supported by 24 artillery pieces.^[6] By 1805, the Grande Armée had grown to a force of 350,000,^[7] was well equipped, well trained, and possessed a competent officer class. La Grande Armée (French for the Great Army or the Grand Army) first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain and re-deployed it East... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A corps (plural same as singular; a word that migrated from the French language, pronounced IPA: (cor), but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body) is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery or... Not to be confused with Canon. ... French Republican Guard - May 8, 2005 celebrations Cavalry (from French cavalerie) were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat. ... French cuirassier armour, 1854 Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. ... Symbol of the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division in NATO code A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to twenty thousand soldiers. ... French dragoon, 1745. ... Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ...

Russian and Austrian armies

The Russian army in 1805 had many characteristics of ancien régime organization: there was no permanent formation above the regimental level, senior officers were largely recruited from aristocratic circles, and the Russian soldier, in line with 18th century practice, was regularly beaten and punished to instill discipline. Furthermore, many lower-level officers were poorly trained and had difficulty getting their men to perform the sometimes complex manoeuvres required in a battle. Nevertheless, the Russians did have a fine artillery arm manned by soldiers who regularly fought hard to prevent their pieces from falling into enemy hands.^[8] Ancien Régime, a French term meaning Former Regime, but rendered in English as Old Rule, Old Order, or simply Old Regime, refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ... British regiment A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - commanded by a colonel. ...

Archduke Charles, brother of the Austrian Emperor, had started to reform the Austrian army in 1801 by taking away power from the Hofkriegsrat, the military-political council responsible for decision-making in the Austrian armed forces.^[9] Charles was Austria's best field commander,^[10] but he was unpopular with the royal court and lost much influence when, against his advice, Austria decided to go to war with France. Karl Mack became the new main commander in Austria's army, instituting reforms on the infantry on the eve of war that called for a regiment to be composed of four battalions of four companies rather than the older three battalions of six companies. The sudden change came with no corresponding officer training, and as a result these new units were not led as well as they could have been.^[11] Austrian cavalry forces were regarded as the best in Europe, but the detachment of many cavalry units to various infantry formations precluded the hitting power of their massed French counterparts.^[11] Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen (de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen) (September 5, 1771–April 30, 1847) was a son of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (1747–1792) and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain (1745–1792). ... Karl Mack (1752—1828) was an Austrian general during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols A battalion is a military unit usually consisting of between two and six companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. ... Standard NATO code for a friendly infantry company. ...

Ulm Campaign

European strategic situation in 1805 before the start of the Ulm Campaign and the war.

In August 1805, Napoleon, Emperor of the French since May of the previous year, turned his army's sights from the English Channel to the Rhine in order to deal with the new Austrian and Russian threats. The War of the Third Coalition began with the Ulm Campaign, a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles designed to outflank an Austrian army under General Mack. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1260x970, 202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Napoleonic Wars Third Coalition Ulm Campaign ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1260x970, 202 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Napoleonic Wars Third Coalition Ulm Campaign ... It has been suggested that Regents: France and French States be merged into this article or section. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... The Rhine canyon (Ruinaulta) in Graubünden in Switzerland Length 1. ... Combatants First French Empire, Kingdom of Bavaria Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Mack von Liebereich # Strength 235,000 (including 25,000 Bavarians)[1] 72,000[2] Casualties 2,000[3] 60,000[2] The Ulm Campaign was a series of French and Bavarian military maneuvers and battles in 1805, during... The Free State of Bavaria (German: Bayern or Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ...

Austrian plans and preparations

General Mack thought that Austrian security relied on sealing off the gaps through the mountainous Black Forest area in Southern Germany that had witnessed much fighting during the campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars. Mack believed that there would be no action in Central Germany. Mack decided to make the city of Ulm the centerpiece of his defensive strategy, which called for a containment of the French until the Russians under Kutuzov could arrive and alter the odds against Napoleon. Ulm was protected by the heavily fortified Michelsberg heights, giving Mack the impression that the city was virtually impregnable from outside attack.^[12] A map of Germany, showing the Black Forest in red. ...

Fatally, the Aulic Council decided to make Northern Italy the main theater of operations for the Habsburgs. Archduke Charles was assigned 95,000 troops and directed to cross the Adige River with Mantua, Peschiera, and Milan as the initial objectives.^[13] Archduke John was given 23,000 troops and commanded to secure Tyrol while serving as a link between his brothers, Charles and Ferdinand; the latter's force of 72,000 was effectively controlled by Mack.^[13] The Austrians also detached individual corps to serve with the Swedish in Pomerania and the British in Naples, though these were designed to obfuscate the French and divert their resources. Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen (de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen) (September 5, 1771–April 30, 1847) was a son of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor (1747–1792) and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain (1745–1792). ... Adige (Italian; Etsch in German) is a river with its source in the region of South Tyrol / Alto Adige. ... Mantua (in Italian Mantova, in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo language Mantua) is an important city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province with the same name. ... There are communes that have the name Peschiera (from Italian pesce meaning fish) in Italy: Peschiera Borromeo, in the province of Milano Peschiera del Garda, in the province of Verona This is a disambiguation page &#8212; a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Milan (disambiguation). ... Archduke Johann (or John) of Austria (January 20, 1782 - May 11, 1859) was the 13th child of Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany, who later became Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. ... Coat of arms of Tyrol: *[1] The Tyrol is a historical region in Western Central Europe, which includes the Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East Tyrol) and the Italian regions known as the South Tyrol and Trentino. ... Archduke Ferdinand Karl Anton Joseph Johann Stanislaus of Austria-Este (1 June 1754-24 December 1806), was the fourth son and fourteenth child of Franz I and Maria Theresa, became heir to the Duchies of Modena and Reggio through his marriage on 15 October 1771 to Beatrice dEste, the... Swedish Pomerania (Swedish: Svenska Pommern) was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from the 17th to the 19th century, situated on the German Baltic Sea coast. ... For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ...

French plans and preparations

The French concentrated around the Rhine from early to mid-September. 210,000 troops of the Grande Armée prepared to cross into Germany and encircle the Austrians.

In both the campaigns of 1796 and 1800, Napoleon had envisaged the Danube theater as the central focus of French efforts, but in both instances the Italian theater became the most important. The Aulic Council thought Napoleon would strike in Italy again. Napoleon had other intentions: 210,000 French troops would be launched eastwards from the camps of Boulogne and would envelop General Mack's exposed Austrian army if it kept marching towards the Black Forest.^[14] Meanwhile, Marshal Murat would conduct cavalry screens across the Black Forest to fool the Austrians into thinking that the French were advancing on a direct west-east axis. The main attack in Germany would be supported by French assaults in other theaters: Masséna would confront Charles in Italy with 50,000 men, St. Cyr would march to Naples with 20,000 men, and Brune would patrol Boulogne with 30,000 troops against a possible British invasion.^[15] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 236 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 236 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... It has been suggested that River Rhine Pollution: November 1986 be merged into this article or section. ... La Grande Armée (in English, the Big or Grand Army) is the French military term for the main force in a military campaign. ... Joachim Murat, King of Naples, Marshal of France. ... André Masséna, duc de Rivoli, prince dEssling, maréchal dEmpire. ... Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Marshal of France Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr (April 13, 1764 – March 17, 1830) was a French marshal. ... Lithograph of Guillaume Marie Anne Brune by Delpech Guillaume Marie Anne Brune (March 13, 1763 – August 2, 1815) was a marshal of France. ...

Murat and Bertrand conducted reconnaissance between the area bordering the Tyrol and the Main as Savary, chief of the planning staff, drew up detailed road surveys of the areas between the Rhine and the Danube.^[15] The left wing of the Grande Armée would move from Hanover and Utrecht to fall on Württemberg; the right and center, troops from the Channel coast, would concentrate along the Middle Rhine around cities like Mannheim and Strasbourg.^[15] While Murat was making demonstrations across the Black Forest, other French forces would then invade the German heartland and swing towards the southeast by capturing Augsburg, a move that was supposed to isolate Mack and interrupt the Austrian lines of communication.^[15] Henri Gratien, Comte Bertrand (March 28, 1773 - January 31, 1844), French general, was born at Châteauroux as a member of a well to do bourgeois family. ... Map showing the position of the Main in Germany The Main (pronounced in German like the English word mine) is a river in Germany, 524 km long (including White Main 574 km), and one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine river. ... Anne Jean Marie René Savary, duke of Rovigo (April 26, 1774 - June, 1833), French general and diplomatist, was born at Marcq in the Ardennes. ... , Hanover(i) (German: , IPA: ), on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany. ... Utrecht ( (help· info)) is a municipality and the capital city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. ... Arms of the Kingdom of Württemberg The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Wuerttemberg. ... St. ... Mannheim is a city in Germany. ... City flag City coat of arms Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Alsace Department Bas-Rhin (67) Intercommunality Urban Community of Strasbourg Mayor Fabienne Keller  (UMP) City Statistics Land area¹ 78. ... Augsburg is a city in south-central Germany. ...

The French invasion

The French invasion in late September and early October caught the Austrians unprepared and severed their lines of communication.

On September 22, Mack decided to hold the Iller line anchored on Ulm. In the last three days of September, the French began the furious marches that would find them at the Austrian rear. Mack believed that the French would not violate Prussian territory, but when he heard that Bernadotte's I Corps had marched through Prussian Ansbach, he made the critical decision to stay and defend Ulm rather than retreat to the south, which would have offered a reasonable opportunity at saving the bulk of his forces.^[16] Napoleon had little accurate information about Mack's intentions or maneuvers; he knew that Kienmayer's Corps was sent to Ingolstadt east of the French positions, but his agents greatly exaggerated its size.^[17] On October 5, Napoleon ordered Ney to join Lannes, Soult, and Murat in concentrating and crossing the Danube at Donauwörth.^[18] The French encirclement, however, was not deep enough to prevent Kienmayer's escape: the French corps did not all arrive at the same place – they instead deployed on a long west-east axis – and the early arrival of Soult and Davout at Donauwörth incited Kienmayer to exercise caution and evasion.^[18] Napoleon gradually became more convinced that the Austrians were massed at Ulm and ordered sizeable portions of the French army to concentrate around Donauwörth; on October 6, three French infantry and cavalry corps headed to Donauwörth to seal off Mack's escape route.^[19] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... The Iller (ancient name Hilaria) is a river in Bavaria, Germany. ... Charles XIV John (Swedish: Carl XIV Johan), born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (January 26, 1763 – March 8, 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Karl III Johan) from 1818 until his death. ... Ansbach, or Anspach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. ... Ingolstadt (Austro-Bavarian: InglstÃ¥dt) is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, Germany. ... Michel Ney, Marshal of France. ... Marshal of France Jean Lannes by Jean Charles Nicaise Perrin Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello (April 11, 1769 – May 31, 1809), Marshal of France, was born at Lectoure, Gers. ... Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1769 – November 26, 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of France in 1804. ... Known as Nordschwabens freundliche Mitte (North Swabias Friendly Center), Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria (Bayern), in the region of Swabia (Schwabenland). ...

Battles of Ulm

October 7–10, 1805

The strategic situation from October 7 to October 9. With Kutuzov too far away to offer significant aid, the Austrians found themselves in a precarious position.

For more details on this topic, see Battle of Wertingen.

Realizing the danger of his position, Mack decided to go on the offensive. On October 8, he commanded the army to concentrate around Günzburg and hoped to strike at Napoleon's lines of communication. Mack instructed Kienmayer to draw Napoleon further east towards Munich and Augsburg. Napoleon did not seriously consider the possibility that Mack would cross the Danube and move away from his central base, but he did realize that seizing the bridges at Günzburg would yield a large strategic advantage.^[20] To accomplish this objective, Napoleon sent Ney's Corps to Günzburg, completely unaware that the bulk of the Austrian army was heading to the same destination. On October 8, however, the campaign witnessed its first serious battle at Wertingen between Auffenburg's troops and those of Murat and Lannes. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: The Department of History, United States Military Academy File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev... Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (Russian: ) (September 16, 1745 – April 28, 1813 (n. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Joachim Murat, Jean Lannes Franz Xavier Auffenberg Strength 12,000 5,500 Casualties >200 killed or wounded 400 killed or wounded 3,000 captured The Battle of Wertingen, fought on October 8, 1805, was part of the War of the 3rd Coalition, which... For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Wertingen is a town in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria, Germany. ...

For reasons not entirely clear, Mack ordered Auffenburg on October 7 to take his division of 5,000 infantry and 400 cavalry from Günzburg to Wertingen in preparation for the main Austrian advance out of Ulm.^[20] Uncertain of what to do and having little hope for reinforcements, Auffenburg was in a dangerous position. The first French forces to arrive were Murat's cavalry divisions – Klein's 1st Dragoons, Beaumont 3rd Dragoons, and Nansouty's cuirassiers. They began to assault the Austrian positions and were soon joined by Oudinot's grenadiers, who were hoping to outflank the Austrians from the north and west. Auffenburg attempted a retreat to the southwest, but he was not quick enough: the Austrians were decimated, losing nearly their entire force, 1,000 to 2,000 of which were prisoners.^[21] The Battle of Wertingen had been an easy French victory. French cuirassier armour, 1854 Cuirassiers were mounted cavalry soldiers equipped with armour and firearms, first appearing in late 15th-century Europe. ... Nicolas Charles Oudinot (April 25, 1767 - September 13, 1847), duke of Reggio, was a marshal of France. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Joachim Murat, Jean Lannes Franz Xavier Auffenberg Strength 12,000 5,500 Casualties >200 killed or wounded 400 killed or wounded 3,000 captured The Battle of Wertingen, fought on October 8, 1805, was part of the War of the 3rd Coalition, which...

The actions at Wertingen convinced Mack to operate on the left bank of the Danube instead of making a direct eastwards retreat on the right bank. This would require the Austrian army to cross at Günzburg. On October 8, Ney was operating under Berthier's directions that called for a direct attack on Ulm the following day. Ney sent in Mahler's 3rd Division to capture the Günzburg bridges over the Danube. A column of this division ran into some Tyrolean jaegers and captured 200 of them, including their commander General d'Apsré, along with two cannons.^[22] The Austrians noticed these developments and reinforced their positions around Günzburg with three infantry battalions and 20 cannons.^[22] Malher's division conducted several heroic attacks against the Austrian positions, but all failed. Mack then sent in Gyulai with seven infantry battalions and fourteen cavalry squadrons to repair the destroyed bridges, but this force was charged and swept away by the delayed French 59th Infantry Regiment.^[23] Fierce fighting ensued and the French finally managed to establish a foothold on the right bank of the Danube. While the Battle of Günzburg was being fought, Ney sent General Loison's 2nd Division to capture the Danube bridges at Elchingen, which were lightly defended by the Austrians. Having lost most of the Danube bridges, Mack marched his army back to Ulm. By October 10, Ney's corps had made significant progress: Malher's division had crossed to the right bank, Loison's division held Elchingen, and Dupont's division was heading towards Ulm. Louis Alexandre Berthier, Marshal of France Louis Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel (February 20, 1753 – June 1, 1815), marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and chief of staff under Napoleon, was born at Versailles. ... Elchingen is a municipality about 7 km east of Ulm/Neu-Ulm in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria, Germany Municipality parts: Thalfingen: 4. ... Pierre-Antoine, comte Dupont de lÉtang (1765-1840) was a French general of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as well as a political figure of the Bourbon Restoration. ...

October 11–14, 1805

The strategic situation from October 11 to October 14. The French hurl themselves westwards to capture the Austrian army.

For more details on this topic, see Battle of Haslach-Jungingen.

For more details on this topic, see Battle of Elchingen.

The demoralized Austrian army arrived at Ulm in the early hours of October 10. Mack was deliberating about a course of action to pursue and the Austrian army remained inactive at Ulm until the 11th. Meanwhile, Napoleon was operating under flawed assumptions: he believed the Austrians were moving to the east or southeast and that Ulm was lightly guarded. Ney sensed this misapprehension and wrote to Berthier that Ulm was, in fact, more heavily defended than the French originally thought.^[24] During this time, the Russian threat to the east began to preoccupy Napoleon so much that Murat was given command of the right wing of the army, consisting of Ney's and Lannes's corps.^[25] The French were separated in two massive rings at this point: the forces of Ney, Lannes, and Murat to the west were containing Mack while those of Soult, Davout, Bernadotte, and Marmont to the east were charged with guarding against any possible Russian and Austrian incursions. On October 11, Ney made a renewed push on Ulm; the 2nd and 3rd divisions were to march to the city along the right bank of the Danube while Dupont's division, supported by one dragoons division, was to march directly for Ulm and seize the entire city. The orders were hopeless because Ney still did not know that the entire Austrian army was stationed at Ulm. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 249 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: [http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 779 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1260 × 970 pixel, file size: 249 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author and Source: [http://www. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Pierre Dupont de lEtang Karl Mack von Lieberich Strength <6,000 25,000 Casualties 1,000 killed or wounded 400 killed, 1,100 wounded, 4,000 captured The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen, fought on October 11, 1805, was part of the War... The Battle of Elchingen was fought on October 14, 1805, between French forces and a small Austrian force. ... Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, Marshal of France. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The 32nd Infantry Regiment in Dupont's division marched from Haslach towards Ulm and ran into four Austrian regiments holding Bolfingen. The 32nd carried out several ferocious attacks, but the Austrians held firm and repulsed every single one of them. The Austrians flooded the battle with more cavalry and infantry regiments to Jungingen hoping to score a knockout blow against Ney's corps by enveloping Dupont's force. Dupont sensed what was happening and preempted the Austrians by launching a surprise attack on Jungingen that captured at least 1,000 prisoners.^[24] Renewed Austrian attacks drove these forces back to Haslach, which the French managed to hold. Dupont was eventually forced to fall back on Albeck, where he joined d'Hilliers's troops. The effects of the Battle of Haslach-Jungingen on Napoleon's plans are not fully clear, but the Emperor may have finally ascertained that the majority of the Austrian army was concentrated at Ulm.^[26] Accordingly, Napoleon sent the corps of Soult and Marmont towards the Iller, meaning he now had four infantry and one cavalry corps to deal with Mack; Davout, Bernadotte, and the Bavarians were still guarding the region around Munich.^[26] Napoleon did not intend to fight a battle across rivers and ordered his marshals to capture the important bridges around Ulm. He also began shifting his forces to the north of Ulm because he expected a battle in that region rather than an encirclement of the city itself.^[27] These dispositions and actions would lead to a confrontation at Elchingen on the 14th as Ney's forces advanced on Albeck. Haslach is a small city in south-west Germany, in the district Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. ... Jungingen is a ditrict of Ulm in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg with a population around 3,200. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Pierre Dupont de lEtang Karl Mack von Lieberich Strength <6,000 25,000 Casualties 1,000 killed or wounded 400 killed, 1,100 wounded, 4,000 captured The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen, fought on October 11, 1805, was part of the War...

At this point in the campaign, the Austrian command staff was in full confusion. Ferdinand began to openly oppose Mack's command style and decisions, charging that the latter spent his days writing contradictory orders that left the Austrian army marching back and forth.^[28] On October 13, Mack sent two columns out of Ulm in preparation for a breakout to the north: one under General Reisch headed towards Elchingen to secure the bridge there and the other under Werneck went north with most of the heavy artillery.^[29] Ney hurried his corps forward to reestablish contact with Dupont. Ney led his troops to the south of Elchingen on the right bank of the Danube and began the attack. The field to the side was a partially wooded flood plain, rising steeply to the hill town of Elchingen, which had a wide field of view.^[30] The French cleared the Austrian pickets and a regiment boldly attacked and captured the abbey at the top of the hill at bayonet point. The Austrian cavalry was also defeated and Riesch's infantry fled; Ney was given the title "Duke of Elchingen" for his impressive victory.^[30]

Endgame

Marshal Murat proved instrumental during the Ulm Campaign.

For more details on this topic, see Battle of Ulm.

Other actions took place on the 14th. Murat's forces joined Dupont at Albeck just in time to drive off an Austrian attack from Werneck; together Murat and Dupont beat the Austrians to the north in the direction of Heidenheim. By night on the 14th, two French corps were stationed in the vicinity of the Austrian encampments at Michelsberg, right outside of Ulm.^[31] Mack was now in a dangerous situation: there was no longer any hope of escaping along the north bank, Marmont and the Imperial Guard were hovering at the outskirts of Ulm to the south of the river, and Soult was moving from Memmingen to prevent the Austrians escaping south to the Tyrol.^[31] Troubles continued with the Austrian command as Ferdinand overrode the objections of Mack and ordered the evacuation of all cavalry from Ulm, a total of 6,000 troopers.^[32] Murat's pursuit was so effective, however, that only eleven squadrons joined Werneck at Heidenheim.^[32] Murat continued his harassment of Werneck and forced him to surrender with 8,000 men at Trochtelfingten on October 19; Murat also took an entire Austrian field park of 500 vehicles, then swept on towards Neustadt and captured 12,000 Austrians.^[32] Joachim Murat This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Joachim Murat This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Joachim Murat, King of Naples, Marshal of France. ... Combatants First French Empire Austrian Empire Commanders Napoleon I Mack von Liebereich # Strength 150,000 72,000 Casualties 5,980 dead or wounded 12,000 dead or wounded, 30,000 captured The Ulm Campaign September-October 1805. ... The Imperial Guard (French:Garde impériale) was originally a small group of elite soldiers of the French Army under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. ... Memmingen is a town in the Bavarian administrative region Swabia in Germany. ... Titisee-Neustadt is a city in southwest Baden-Württemberg, in the Freiburg administrative region. ...

Events at Ulm were now reaching a conclusion. On October 15, Ney's troops successfully charged the Michelsberg encampments and on the 16th the French began to bombard Ulm itself. Austrian morale was at a low point and Mack began to realize that there was little hope of rescue. On October 17, Napoleon's emissary, Ségur, signed a convention with Mack in which the Austrians agreed to surrender on October 25 if no aid came by that date.^[32] Gradually, however, Mack heard of the capitulations at Heidenheim and Neresheim and agreed to surrender five days before schedule on October 20. 10,000 troops from the Austrian garrison managed to escape, but the vast majority of the Austrian force marched out on the 21st and laid down their arms without incident, all with the Grande Armée drawn up in a vast semicircle observing the capitulation.^[32] Philippe-Paul, comte de Ségur (November 4, 1780 - February 25, 1873), French general and historian, son of Louis Philippe, comte de Ségur, was born in Paris. ... Neresheim is a town in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ...

Trafalgar

When the Third Coalition declared war on France after the short-lived Peace of Amiens, Napoleon Bonaparte was determined to invade Britain. To do so, he had to ensure that the Royal Navy would be unable to disrupt the invasion flotilla, which would require control of the English Channel. In the Napoleonic Wars, the Third Coalition against Napoléon emerged in 1805, and consisted of an alliance of the United Kingdom, Austria, Russia, Naples, and Sweden against France. ... The Treaty of Amiens was signed on March 25, 1802 (Germinal 4, year X in the French Revolutionary Calendar) by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquis Cornwallis as a Definitive Treaty of Peace between France and Britain. ... A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ...

The main French fleets were at Brest in Brittany and at Toulon on the Mediterranean coast. Other ports on the French Atlantic coast contained smaller squadrons. In addition, France and Spain were allied, so the Spanish fleet based in Cádiz and Ferrol was also available. A rare occurance of a 5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... Panorama of Toulon area. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... A squadron, or naval squadron, is a small formation of large warships that may be part of a larger fleet. ... Location Location of Cádiz Coordinates : Time Zone : General information Native name Cádiz (Spanish) Spanish name Cádiz Postal code – Website http://www. ... Ferrol can refer to: EUROPE Ferrol, Spain City and Naval Station in North Western Spain, European Union Note: Place of birth of both Francisco Franco (1892) the Spanish dictator and Pablo Iglesias (1850) founder of PSOE and UGT. ASIA Ferrol, Romblon Small Town in the Philippines Note: The Philippines got...

The British possessed an experienced and well-trained corps of naval officers. By contrast, most of the best officers in the French navy had either been executed or dismissed from the service during the early part of the French Revolution. As a result, Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve was the most competent senior officer available to command Napoleon's Mediterranean fleet. However, Villeneuve had shown a distinct lack of enthusiasm to face Nelson and the Royal Navy after his defeat at the Battle of the Nile. The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve (31 December 1763 – 22 April 1806) was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Combatants Britain France Commanders Horatio Nelson François-Paul Brueys DAigalliers† Strength 14 ships of the line: * 13 x 74-gun, * 1 x 50-gun, 1 sloop 13 ships of the line: * 1 x 120-gun, * 3 x 80-gun, * 9 x 74gun, 4 frigates, some smaller Casualties 218...

Napoleon's naval plan in 1805 was for the French and Spanish fleets in the Mediterranean and Cádiz to break through the blockade and combine in the West Indies. They would then return, assist the fleet in Brest to emerge from blockade, and in combination clear the English Channel of Royal Navy ships, ensuring a safe passage for the invasion barges. The plan seemed good on paper but as the war wore on, Napoleon's unfamiliarity with naval strategy and ill-advised naval commanders continued to haunt the French. Location Location of Cádiz Coordinates : Time Zone : General information Native name Cádiz (Spanish) Spanish name Cádiz Postal code – Website http://www. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ...

West Indies

Early in 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson commanded the British fleet blockading Toulon. Unlike William Cornwallis, who maintained a tight blockade of Brest with the Channel Fleet, Nelson adopted a loose blockade in hopes of luring the French out for a major battle. However, Villeneuve's fleet successfully evaded Nelson's when his forces were blown off station by storms. While Nelson was searching the Mediterranean for him, Villeneuve passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, rendezvoused with the Spanish fleet, and sailed as planned to the West Indies. Once Nelson realized that the French had crossed the Atlantic Ocean, he set off in pursuit. Admirals of the time, due to the slowness of communications, were given considerable autonomy to make strategic as well as tactical decisions. This article needs to be wikified. ... The Strait of Gibraltar as seen from space. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Naval strategy is the planning and conduct of warfare at sea, the naval equivalent of military strategy on land. ... Naval tactics is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemyship or fleet in battle at sea, the naval equivalent of military tactics on land. ...

Cádiz

Villeneuve returned from the West Indies to Europe, intending to break the blockade at Brest, but after two of his Spanish ships were captured during the Battle of Cape Finisterre by a squadron under Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder, Villeneuve abandoned this plan and sailed back to Ferrol. The battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle of the War of the Third Coalition in the Napoleonic Wars, fought on 22 July 1805 off Cape Finisterre in northwest Spain between a British fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Robert Calder and a French fleet commanded by Admiral Pierre Charles... Portrait of Robert Calder by Lemuel Francis Abbott, painted 1797 Admiral Robert Calder ( 1745&#8211; 1 September 1818) was a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years War, the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. ...

Napoleon's invasion plans for England depended entirely on having a sufficiently large number of ships of the line before Boulogne, France. This would require Villeneuve's force of 32 ships to join Vice-Admiral Ganteaume's force of 21 ships at Brest, along with a squadron of five ships under Captain Allemand, which would have given him a combined force of 58 ships of the line. Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Count Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume(La Ciotat, 13 April 1755 - Aubagne, 28 July 1818) was a French admiral. ...

When Villeneuve set sail from Ferrol on 10 August, he was under strict orders from Napoleon to sail northward toward Brest. Instead, he worried that the British were observing his manoeuvres, so on 11 August he sailed southward towards Cádiz on the southwestern coast of Spain. With no sign of Villeneuve's fleet by 26 August, the three French army corps invasion force near Boulogne broke camp and marched to Germany, where it would become fully engaged. Location Location of Cádiz Coordinates : Time Zone : General information Native name Cádiz (Spanish) Spanish name Cádiz Postal code – Website http://www. ... Boulogne-sur-Mer is a city and commune in northern France, in the Pas-de-Calais département of which it is a sous-préfecture. ...

The same month, Nelson returned home to England after two years of duty at sea, for some well-earned rest. He remained ashore for 25 busy days, and was warmly received by his countrymen, who were understandably nervous about a possible French invasion. Word reached England on 2 September about the combined French and Spanish fleet in the harbour of Cádiz. Nelson had to wait until 15 September before his ship HMS Victory was ready to sail. HMS Victory is a 104-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built between 1759 and 1765. ...

On 15 August, Cornwallis made the fateful decision to detach 20 ships of the line from the fleet guarding the channel and to have them sail southward to engage the enemy forces in Spain. This left the channel somewhat denuded of ships, with only eleven ships of the line present. However this detached force formed the nucleus of the British fleet that would fight at Trafalgar. Initially this fleet was placed under the command of Vice-Admiral Calder, reaching Cádiz on 15 September. Nelson joined the fleet on 29 September to take command.

The British fleet used frigates to keep a constant watch on the harbour, while the main force remained out of sight 50 miles (80 km) west of the shore. Nelson's hope was to lure the combined Franco-Spanish force out and engage them in a "pell-mell battle". The force watching the harbour was led by Captain Blackwood, commanding HMS Euryalus. He was brought up to a strength of seven ships (five frigates and two schooners) on 8 October. For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... HMS Euryalus, launched 1803, was a frigate of the Royal Navy. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Supply situation

At this point, Nelson's fleet badly needed provisioning. On 2 October, five ships of the line, Queen, Canopus, Spencer, Zealous, Tigre, and the frigate Endymion were dispatched to Gibraltar under Rear-Admiral Louis for supplies. These ships were later diverted for convoy duty in the Mediterranean, whereas Nelson had expected them to return. Other British ships continued to arrive, and by 15 October the fleet was up to full strength for the battle. Although it was a significant loss; once the first-rate Royal Sovereign had arrived, Nelson allowed Calder to sail for home in his flagship, the 98-gun Prince of Wales. Calder's apparent lack of aggression during the engagement off Cape Finisterre on July 22, had caused the Admiralty to recall him for a court martial and he would normally have been sent back to Britain in a smaller ship. HMS Queen was a 98-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. ... The Franklin was a French ship of the line designed by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané. She was captured by the fleet of counter-Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Canopus. ... For other ships with the same name, see HMS Zealous. ... This article is about the british frigate Endymion, launched in 1797. ... For other ships with the same name, see HMS Prince of Wales. ...

Meanwhile, Villeneuve's fleet in Cádiz was also suffering from a serious supply shortage that could not be readily rectified by the cash-strapped French. The blockades maintained by the British fleet had made it difficult for the allies to obtain stores and their ships were ill fitted. Villeneuve's ships were also more than two thousand men short of the force needed to sail. These were not the only problems faced by the Franco-Spanish fleet. The main French ships of the line had been kept in harbour for years by the British blockades with only brief sorties. The hasty voyage across the Atlantic and back used up vital supplies and was no match for the British fleet's years of experience at sea and training. The French crews contained few experienced sailors, and as most of the crew had to be taught the elements of seamanship on the few occasions when they got to sea, gunnery was neglected. Villeneuve's supply situation began to improve in October, but news of Nelson's arrival made Villeneuve reluctant to leave port. Indeed his captains had held a vote on the matter and decided to stay in the harbour.

On the 14th of September, Napoleon gave orders for the French and Spanish ships at Cadiz to put to sea at the first favourable opportunity, join seven Spanish ships of the line then at Cartagena, go to Naples, and land the soldiers they carried to reinforce his troops there, and fight a decisive action if they met a British fleet of inferior numbers. For other places of the same name, see Cartagena. ... For other uses see, Naples (disambiguation) and Napoli (disambiguation) Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ...

On 18 October, Villeneuve received a letter informing him that Vice-Admiral François Rosily had arrived in Madrid with orders to take command. At the same time, he received intelligence that a detachment of six British ships had docked at Gibraltar (this was Admiral Louis's squadron). Stung by the prospect of being disgraced before the fleet, Villeneuve resolved to go to sea before his successor could reach Cadiz. Following a gale on 18 October, the fleet began a rapid scramble to set sail. is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve (31 December 1763 – 22 April 1806) was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Motto: (Spanish for From Madrid to Heaven) Location Coordinates: , Country Spain Autonomous Community Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid Province Madrid Administrative Divisions 21 Neighborhoods 127 Founded 9th century Government  - Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Jimémez (PP) Area  - Land 607 km² (234. ...

Departure

The weather, however, suddenly turned calm following a week of gales. This slowed the progress of the fleet departing the harbour, giving the British plenty of warning. Villeneuve had drawn up plans to form a force of four squadrons, each containing both French and Spanish ships. Following their earlier vote to stay put, the captains were reluctant to leave Cádiz and as a result they failed to follow closely Villeneuve's orders (Villeneuve had reportedly become despised by many of the fleet's officers and crew). As a result, the fleet straggled out of the harbour in no particular formation.

It took most of 20 October for Villeneuve to get his fleet organised, and it set sail in three columns for the Straits of Gibraltar to the south-east. That same evening, the ship Achille spotted a force of 18 British ships of the line in pursuit. The fleet began to prepare for battle and during the night they were ordered into a single line. The following day Nelson's fleet of 27 ships of the line and four frigates was spotted in pursuit from the north-west with the wind behind it. Villeneuve again ordered his fleet into three columns, but soon changed his mind and ordered a single line. The result was a sprawling, uneven formation. The Achille was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort in 1803 by Jacques-Noël Sané. She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, where she exploded. ...

The British fleet was sailing, as they would fight, under signal 72 hoisted on Nelson's flagship. At 5:40 a.m., the British were about 21 miles (34 km) to the north-west of Cape Trafalgar, with the Franco-Spanish fleet between the British and the Cape. At 6 a.m. that morning, Nelson gave the order to prepare for battle.

At 8 a.m., Villeneuve ordered the fleet to wear together and turn back for Cádiz. This reversed the order of the Allied line, placing the rear division under Rear-Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley in the vanguard, or "van." The wind became contrary at this point, often shifting direction. The very light wind rendered manoeuvering all but impossible for the most expert crews. The inexperienced crews had difficulty with the changing conditions, and it took nearly an hour and a half for Villeneuve's order to be completed. The French and Spanish fleet now formed an uneven, angular crescent, with the slower ships generally leeward and closer to the shore. Vice-Amiral count Pierre-Etienne-René-Marie Dumanoir Le Pelley (1770-1829) was a French Navy officer, best known for commanding the vanguard of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. ...

Nelson's pre-battle prayer, inscribed on oak timber from HMS Victory

Villeneuve was painfully aware that the British fleet would not be content to attack him in the old-fashioned way, coming down in a parallel line and engaging from van to rear. He knew that they would endeavour to concentrate on a part of his line. But he was too conscious of the inexperience of his officers and men to consider making counter movements. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (854x1343, 497 KB) Summary Photographer: User:Ballista Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (854x1343, 497 KB) Summary Photographer: User:Ballista Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... HMS Victory is a 104-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built between 1759 and 1765. ...

By 11 a.m. Nelson's entire fleet was visible to Villeneuve, drawn up in two parallel columns. The two fleets would be within range of each other within an hour. Villeneuve was concerned at this point about forming up a line, as his ships were unevenly spaced and in an irregular formation. The French-Spanish fleet was drawn out nearly five miles (8 km) long as Nelson's fleet approached.

As the British drew closer, they could see that the enemy was not sailing in a tight order, but rather in irregular groups. Nelson could not immediately make out the French flagship as the French and Spanish were not flying command pennants.

The six British ships dispatched earlier to Gibraltar had not returned, so Nelson would have to fight without them. He was outnumbered and outgunned, nearly 30,000 men and 2,568 guns to his 17,000 men and 2,148 guns. The Franco-Spanish fleet also had six more ships of the line, and so could more readily combine their fire. There was no way for some of Nelson's ships to avoid being "doubled on" or even "trebled on".

Engagement

Nelson's famous signal.

The battle progressed largely according to Nelson's plan. At 11:45, Nelson sent the famous flag signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty" He had instructed his signal officer, Lieutenant John Pasco, to signal to the fleet the message "England confides [i.e. is confident] that every man will do his duty." Pasco suggested to Nelson that expects be substituted for confides, since the former word was in the signal book, whereas confides would have to be spelt out letter-by-letter. Nelson agreed to the change^[33]. Image File history File links Nelsons signal at Trafalgar. ... Image File history File links Nelsons signal at Trafalgar. ... It has been suggested that the section intro from the article Civil flag be merged into this article or section. ... The Battle of Trafalgar by J. M. W. Turner (oil on canvas, 1822–1824) shows the last three letters of this famous signal flying from the Victory. ... John Pasco (1774-1853) served in the Royal Navy between 1784 and 1853, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. ...

The term England was widely used at the time to refer to the United Kingdom, though the British fleet included significant contingents from Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as England. Unlike the photographic depiction, this signal would have been shown on the mizzen mast only and would have required 12 'lifts'. The fleet was approaching the French line in two columns. Leading the windward column in Victory was Nelson, while Collingwood in Royal Sovereign led the second, leeward, column. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the anthem of the United Kingdom is God Save the Queen. See also Proposed English National Anthems. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the country. ... HMS Victory is a 104-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built between 1759 and 1765. ... Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1750 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Horatio Nelson in several of the great victories of the Napoleonic Wars. ... HMS Royal Sovereign (1786) a 100-gun 1st rate ship of the line which served as the flagship of Admiral Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar. ...

As the battle opened, the French and Spanish were in a ragged line headed north as the two British columns approached from the west at almost a right angle. The northern, windward column of the British fleet was headed up by Nelson's 100-gun flagship Victory. The leeward column was led by the 100-gun Royal Sovereign, the flagship of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Nelson led his line into a feint toward the van of the Franco-Spanish fleet and then turned toward the actual point of attack. Collingwood altered the course of his column slightly so that the two lines converged at the line of attack. Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1750 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Horatio Nelson in several of the great victories of the Napoleonic Wars. ...

Just before his column engaged the allied forces, Collingwood said to his officers, "Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter". Because the winds were very light during the battle, all the ships were moving extremely slowly, and the lead British ships were under fire from several of the enemy for almost an hour before their own guns could bear.

Situation at 1200 hours as the Royal Sovereign was breaking into the Franco-Spanish line

At noon, Villeneuve sent the signal "engage the enemy", and Fougueux fired her first trial shot at Royal Sovereign. Royal Sovereign had all sails out and, having recently had her bottom cleaned, outran the rest of the British fleet. As she approached the allied line, she came under fire from Fougueux, Indomptable, San Justo and San Leandro, before breaking the line just astern of Admiral Alava's flagship Santa Ana, into which she fired a devastating double-shotted raking broadside. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x850, 30 KB) Description: This map of the Battle of Trafalgar shows the approximate position of the two fleets at 1200 hours during the battle as the Royal Sovereign was breaking into the Franco-Spanish line. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x850, 30 KB) Description: This map of the Battle of Trafalgar shows the approximate position of the two fleets at 1200 hours during the battle as the Royal Sovereign was breaking into the Franco-Spanish line. ... The Fougueux was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Lorient from 1784 to 1785 by engineer Segondat. ... Indomptable (Indomitable) was an 80-gun ship of the line in the French Navy. ... French frigate Poursuivante firing raking fire on a British ship of line In naval warfare, raking fire is fire along the long axis of an enemy ship. ... USS Iowa Broadside (1984) A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous (or near simultaneous) fire in naval warfare. ...

The second ship in the British lee column, Belleisle, was engaged by Aigle, Achille, Neptune and Fougeux; she was soon completely dismasted, unable to manoeuvre and largely unable to fight, as her sails blinded her batteries, but kept flying her flag for 45 minutes until the following British ships came to her rescue. HMS Belleisle was a Royal Navy third rate ship of the line. ... The Aigle was a 74-gun French ship of the line which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. ... The Achille was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort in 1803 by Jacques-Noël Sané. She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, where she exploded. ... The Neptune was a 3rd rate 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Jacques-Noël Sané in Toulon from 1801 to 1803. ...

For 40 minutes, Victory was under fire from Héros, Santísima Trinidad, Redoutable and Neptune; although many shots went astray others killed and wounded a number of her crew and shot away her wheel, so that she had to be steered from her tiller belowdecks. Victory could not yet respond. At 12:45, Victory cut the enemy line between Villeneuve's flagship Bucentaure and Redoutable. Victory came close to the Bucentaure, firing a devastating raking broadside through her stern which killed and wounded many on her gundecks. Villeneuve thought that boarding would take place, and with the Eagle of his ship in hand, told his men: "I will throw it onto the enemy ship and we will take it back there!" However Admiral Nelson of Victory engaged the 74 gun Redoutable. Bucentaure was left to be dealt with by the next three ships of the British windward column Temeraire, Conqueror and Neptune. The Héros was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort from 1795 to 1801 by engineer Roland. ... The Spanish ship Santísima Trinidad (officially named Santisima Trinidad y Nuestra Señora del Buen Fin) was a first-rate ship of the line of 120 guns (when first built). ... Built after plans by engineer Jacques-Noël Sané, the Redoutable was launched as Suffren on May 31, 1791. ... The Neptune was a 3rd rate 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Jacques-Noël Sané in Toulon from 1801 to 1803. ... The French sail battleship Bucentaure was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804. ... French frigate Poursuivante firing raking fire on a British ship of line In naval warfare, raking fire is fire along the long axis of an enemy ship. ... The fighting Téméraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up by J. M. W. Turner, 1838. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... HMS Neptune (1797 at Deptford) was a 98-gun 2nd rate ship of the line which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar. ...

Trafalgar Battle, situation at 13h

A general mêlée ensued and, during that fight, Victory locked masts with the French Redoutable. The crew of the Redoutable, which included a strong infantry corps (with 3 captains and 4 lieutenants), gathered for an attempt to board and seize the Victory. A musket bullet fired from the mizzentop of the Redoutable struck Nelson in the left shoulder and passed through his body lodging in his spine. Nelson exclaimed, "They finally succeeded, I am dead." He was carried below decks and died at about 16:30, as the battle that would make him a legend was ending in favour of the British. Download high resolution version (1200x645, 119 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1200x645, 119 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk. ...

Victory ceased fire, the gunners having been called on the deck to fight the capture but were repelled to the below decks by French grenades. As the French were preparing to board Victory, the Temeraire, the second ship in the British windward column, approached from the starboard bow of the Redoutable and fired on the exposed French crew with a carronade, causing many casualties.

At 13:55, Captain Lucas, of the Redoutable, with 99 fit men out of 643 and severely wounded himself, was forced to surrender. The French Bucentaure was isolated by the Victory and Temeraire, and then engaged by Neptune, Leviathan and Conqueror; similarly, the Santísima Trinidad was isolated and overwhelmed without being rescued, surrendering after three hours. Jean Jacques Etienne Lucas was an French Navy officer, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar. ... HMS Leviathan was a third-rate ship of the line of 1707 tons and 74 guns launched on 9 October 1790. ...

Trafalgar Battle, situation at 17h

As more and more British ships entered the battle, the ships of the allied centre and rear were gradually overwhelmed. The allied van, after long remaining quiescent, made a futile demonstration and then sailed away. The British took 22 vessels of the Franco-Spanish fleet and lost none. Among the taken French ships were the Aigle, Algésiras, Berwick, Bucentaure, Fougueux, Intrépide, Redoutable, and Swiftsure. The Spanish ships taken were Argonauta, Bahama, Monarca, Neptuno, San Agustín, San Ildefonso, San Juan Nepomuceno, Santísima Trinidad, and Santa Ana. Of these, Redoutable sank, Santísima Trinidad and Argonauta were scuttled by the British and later sank, Achille exploded, Intrépide and San Augustín burned, and Aigle, Berwick, Fougueux, and Monarca were wrecked in a gale following the battle. Download high resolution version (1200x664, 135 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1200x664, 135 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Aigle was a 74-gun French ship of the line which took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. ... The Algésiras was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Lorient in 1804. ... The Berwick was a 3rd rate 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, originally built at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1775. ... Intrépide was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the French navy. ... The Swiftsure was a 74-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built in Deptford from 1787 to 1787 under plans by engineer Wells. ... The San Agustín was a 74-gun ship of the line built at the royal shipyard in Guarnizo (Santander) and launched in 1768. ... The San Juan Nepomuceno, 2700 tons, was constructed in the royal shipyard in Guarnizo (Santander) and launched in 1765. ... The Spanish ship Santísima Trinidad (officially named Santisima Trinidad y Nuestra Señora del Buen Fin) was a first-rate ship of the line of 120 guns (when first built). ... The Achille was a 74-gun French ship of the line built at Rochefort in 1803 by Jacques-Noël Sané. She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, where she exploded. ...

As Nelson lay dying, he ordered the fleet to anchor as a storm was predicted. However, when the storm blew up many of the severely damaged ships sank or ran aground on the shoals. A few of them were recaptured by the French and Spanish prisoners overcoming the small prize crews or by ships sallying from Cádiz. A shoal is a sandbank or bar creating a shallow. ...

Finale at Austerlitz

Napoleon with his troops on the eve of battle. Painting by Lejeune.

See also: Order of Battle at the Austerlitz campaign

Napoleon could muster some 75,000 men and 157 guns for the impending battle, but about 7,000 troops under Davout were still far to the south in the direction of Vienna.^[35] The Allies had about 73,000 soldiers, seventy percent of them Russian, and 318 guns.^[35] On December 1, both sides occupied the main positions. Image File history File links La bataille dAusterlitz, par Lejeune File links The following pages link to this file: Battle of Austerlitz ... Image File history File links La bataille dAusterlitz, par Lejeune File links The following pages link to this file: Battle of Austerlitz ... The Battle of the Pyramids, 1808. ... This is the complete order of battle for the French and Third Coalition armies during the Battle of Austerlitz. ... Davout, Marshal of France Louis Nicolas dAvout (May 10, 1770 – June 1, 1823), better known as Davout, duc dAuerstädt, prince dEckmühl, and a marshal of France. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Battlefield

The northern part of the battlefield was dominated by the 700-foot (210-meter) Santon hill and the 850-foot (260-meter) Zuran hill, both overlooking the vital Olmutz-Brno road that ran across a west-east axis. To the west of these two hills was the village of Bellowitz, and between them the Bosenitz Stream went south to link up with the Goldbach Stream, the latter flowing astride the villages of Kobelnitz, Sokolnitz, and Telnitz. The centerpiece of the entire area were the Pratzen Heights, a gently sloped hill about 35 to 40 feet (11–12 m) in height. An aide noted that the Emperor repeatedly told his Marshals, "Gentlemen, examine this ground carefully, it is going to be a battlefield; you will have a part to play upon it".^[36] A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... ‹ The template below (Unit of length) is being considered for deletion. ... town hall with astronomical clock Olomouc (German Olmütz, Polish OÅ‚omuniec, Latin Eburum or Olomucium) is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. ...

Allied plans and dispositions

Allied (red) and French (blue) deployments at 1800 hours on December 1, 1805.

An Allied council met on December 1 to discuss proposals for the battle. Most of the Allied strategists had two fundamental ideas in mind: making contact with the enemy and securing the southern flank that led to Vienna. Although the Tsar and his immediate entourage pushed hard for a battle, Emperor Francis of Austria was in a more cautious mood, and he was seconded by Kutuzov, the main Russian commander.^[37] The pressure to fight from the Russian nobles and the Austrian commanders, however, was too strong, and the Allies adopted Austrian Chief of Staff Weyrother's plan.^[37] This called for a main drive against the French right flank, which the Allies noticed was lightly guarded, and diversionary attacks against the French left. The Allies deployed most of their troops into four columns that would attack the French right. The Russian Imperial Guard was held in reserve while Russian troops under Bagration guarded the Allied right. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 118 KB) Summary Description  Battle of Austerlitz, Situation at 1800, 1 December 1805 Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 118 KB) Summary Description  Battle of Austerlitz, Situation at 1800, 1 December 1805 Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The term Leib Guard (Russian: , from German leib, meaning body) collectively distinguished military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Russia. ... Prince Pyotr Bagration (Пётр Иванович Багратион) (1765 - September 12, 1812), a descendant of the Georgian Royal family of the Bagrations, served as a Russian general. ...

French plans and dispositions

Days before any actual fighting, Napoleon had given an impression to the Allies that his army was in a weak state and that he desired a negotiated peace.^[38] In reality, he was hoping that they would attack, and to encourage them on this mission he deliberately weakened his right flank.^[39] On November 28, Napoleon met with his marshals at Imperial Headquarters and they informed him of their qualms and fears about the upcoming battle, even suggesting a retreat, but he shrugged off their complaints and went to work.^[40] Napoleon's plan envisioned that the Allies would throw so many troops to envelop his right flank that their center would be severely weakened. He then counted on a massive French thrust, to be conducted by 16,000 troops of Soult's IV Corps, through the center to cripple the Allied army. Meanwhile, to support his weak right flank, Napoleon ordered Davout's III Corps to force march all the way from Vienna and join General Legrand's men, who held the extreme southern flank that would bear the heavy part of the Allied attack. Davout's soldiers had 48 hours to march 110 km (70 miles). Their arrival would be extremely crucial in determining the success or failure of the French plan. The Imperial Guard and Bernadotte's I Corps were held in reserve while the V Corps under Lannes guarded the northern sector of the battle. is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie (March 29, 1769 – November 26, 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of France in 1804. ... The III Corps of the Grande Armée was a military unit during the Napoleonic Wars, it became legendary under the command of Louis Nicolas Davout, a Marshal of the French Empire. ... Alternate uses at Imperial guard The Imperial Guard was originally a small group of elite soldiers under the direct command of Napoleon I, but grew considerably over time. ... Charles XIV John (Swedish: Carl XIV Johan), born Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte (January 26, 1763 – March 8, 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway (where he was known as Karl III Johan) from 1818 until his death. ... Marshal of France Jean Lannes by Jean Charles Nicaise Perrin Jean Lannes, Duke of Montebello (April 11, 1769 – May 31, 1809), Marshal of France, was born at Lectoure, Gers. ...

Battle is joined

The battle began around 8 a.m. with the first allied column attacking the village of Telnitz, which was defended by the 3rd Line Regiment. This sector of the battlefield witnessed heavy action in the following moments as several ferocious Allied charges evicted the French from the town and forced them on the other side of the Goldbach. The first men of Davout’s corps arrived at this time and threw the Allies out of Telnitz before they too were attacked by hussars and re-abandoned the town. Additional Allied attacks out of Telnitz were checked by French artillery.^[41] A British Hussar from the Crimean War Hussar (original Hungarian spelling: huszár, plural huszárok, Polish: Husaria) refers to a number of types of cavalry used throughout Europe since the 15th century. ...

Allied columns started pouring against the French right, but not at the desired speed, so the French were mostly successful in curbing the attacks. In actuality, the Allied deployments were mistaken and poorly timed: cavalry detachments under Liechtenstein on the Allied left flank had to be placed in the right flank and in the process they ran into and slowed down part of the second column of infantry that was advancing towards the French right.^[40] At the time, the planners thought this was a disaster, but later on it helped the Allies. Meanwhile, the lead elements of the second column were attacking the village of Sokolnitz, which was defended by the 26th Light Regiment and the Tirailleurs, French skirmishers. Initial Allied assaults proved unsuccessful and General Langeron ordered the bombardment of the village. This deadly barrage forced the French out, and around the same time, the third column attacked the castle of Sokolnitz. The French, however, counterattacked and regained the village, only to be thrown out again. Conflict in this area ended momentarily when Friant's division (part of III Corps) retook the village. Sokolnitz was perhaps the most fought over area in the battlefield and would change hands several times as the day progressed.^[42] Count Alexander Fyodorovich Langeron, portrait from the War Gallery of Winter Palace. ... Louis Friant (18 September 1758 – 24 June 1829), Comte de lEmpire, was a Général de division of the French army who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. ...

"One sharp blow and the war is over"

The decisive attacks on the Allied center by St. Hilaire and Vandamme split the Allied army in two and left the French in a golden strategic position to win the battle.

Around 8:45 a.m., finally satisfied at the weakness in the enemy center, Napoleon asked Soult how long it would take for his men to reach the Pratzen Heights, to which the Marshal replied, “Less than twenty minutes sire.” About 15 minutes later, Napoleon ordered the attack, adding, “One sharp blow and the war is over.”^[43] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 116 KB) Summary Description  Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or military [1] Licensing File links The following pages link... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 116 KB) Summary Description  Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or military [1] Licensing File links The following pages link... General Dominique José Vandamme (1770–1830) was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. ...

A dense fog helped to cloud the advance of St. Hilaire’s division, but as they went up the slope the legendary ‘Sun of Austerlitz’ ripped the mist apart and encouraged them forward.^[42] Russian soldiers and commanders on top of the heights were stunned to see so many French troops coming towards them.^[44] Allied commanders were now able to feed some of the delayed detachments of the fourth column into this bitter struggle. Over an hour of horrendous fighting left much of this unit decimated beyond recognition. The other men from the second column, mostly inexperienced Austrians, also participated in the struggle and swung the numbers game against one of the best fighting forces in the French army, finally forcing them to withdraw down the slopes. However, gripped by desperation, St. Hilaire's men struck hard once more and bayoneted the Allies out of the heights. To the north, General Vandamme’s division attacked an area called Staré Vinohrady and through talented skirmishing and deadly volleys broke several Allied battalions.^[45] General Dominique José Vandamme (1770–1830) was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. ...

The battle had firmly turned to France’s favor, but there was still much fighting ahead. Napoleon ordered Bernadotte’s I Corps to support Vandamme’s left and moved his own command center from Zuran Hill to St. Anthony’s Chapel on the Pratzen Heights. The difficult position of the Allies was confirmed by the decision to send in the Russian Imperial Guard; Grand Duke Constantine, Tsar Alexander’s brother, commanded the Guard and counterattacked in Vandamme’s section of the field, forcing a bloody effort and the loss of the only French standard in the battle (the unfortunate victim was a battalion of the 4th Line Regiment). Sensing trouble, Napoleon ordered his own heavy Guard cavalry forward. These men pulverized their Russian counterparts, but with both sides pouring in large masses of cavalry no victor was clear yet. The Russians had a numerical advantage here but fairly soon the tide swung as Drouet’s Division, the 2nd of Bernadotte’s I Corps, deployed on the flank of the action and allowed French cavalry to seek refuge behind their lines. The horse artillery of the Guard also unlimbered a deadly toll on the Russian cavalry and fusiliers. The Russians broke and many died as they were pursued by the reinvigorated French cavalry for about a quarter of a mile.^[46] The term Leib Guard (Russian: , from German leib, meaning body) collectively distinguished military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Russia. ... Constantine was known for his repugnant physical features which resembled those of his father, Emperor Paul. ... A lifesize model of a Swedish 1850s horse artillery team towing a light artillery piece in full gallop. ...

Endgame

By 1400 hours, the Allied army had been dangerously separated. Napoleon now had the option to strike at one of the wings, and he chose the Allied left since other enemy sectors had already been cleared or were conducting fighting retreats.

Meanwhile, the northernmost part of the battlefield was also witnessing heavy fighting. Prince Liechtenstein’s heavy cavalry began to assault Kellerman’s lighter cavalry forces after finally arriving at the correct position in the field. The fighting originally went well for the French, but Kellerman’s forces took cover behind General Caffarelli’s infantry division once it became clear Russian numbers were too great. Caffarelli’s men halted the Russian assaults and permitted Murat to send two cuirassier divisions into the fray to finish off the Russian cavalry for good. The ensuing melee was bitter and long, but the French ultimately prevailed. Lannes then led his V Corps against Bagration’s men and after hard fighting managed to drive the skilled Russian commander off the field. He wanted to pursue, but Murat, who was in control of this sector in the battlefield, was against the idea.^[47] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 110 KB) Summary Description  Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or military [1] Licensing File links The following pages link... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (872x668, 110 KB) Summary Description  Author/Source  The Department of History, United States Military Academy Licensing  In the public domain as an original work of the United States federal government and/or military [1] Licensing File links The following pages link... Francois Etienne de Kellermann, Duc de Valmy (1770 - June 2, 1835) was a French cavalry general noted for his daring and skillful exploits during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Joachim Murat, King of Naples, Marshal of France. ...

Napoleon’s focus now shifted towards the southern end of the battlefield where the French and the Allies were still fighting over Sokolnitz and Telnitz. In an effective double-pronged assault, St. Hilaire’s division and part of Davout’s III Corps smashed through the enemy at Sokolnitz and persuaded the commanders of the first two columns, generals Kienmayer and Langeron, to flee as fast as they could. Buxhowden, the commander of the Allied left and the man responsible for leading the attack, was completely drunk and fled as well. Kienmayer covered his withdrawal with the O’Reilly light cavalry, who gallantly managed to defeat five of six French cavalry regiments before they too had to retreat.^[47] Michael von Kienmayer (January 17, 1755 - October 18, 1828) was an Austrian general who was active during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Count von Buxhoevden, (Russian: , Fyodor Fyodorovich Booksgevden; other spellings: Feodor Buxhoeveden, BuxhÅ“wden) (September 14, 1750 - August 23, 1811) was a Russian Infantry General and government official who commanded the Russian armies during the Finnish War. ...

General panic now seized the Allied army and it abandoned the field in any and all possible directions. A famous yet frightful episode transpired during this retreat: Russian forces that had been defeated by the French right withdrew south towards Vienna via the Satschan frozen ponds. French artillery pounded towards the men, but Napoleon redirected his gunners to fire at the ice. The men drowned in the viciously cold ponds, dozens of artillery pieces going down along with them. Estimates on how many guns were captured differ; there may have been as low as 38 and as high as over 100. Sources also differ on casualties, with figures ranging from as low as 200 to as high as 2,000 dead. Because Napoleon exaggerated this incident in his report of the battle, the low numbers may be more accurate, although doubt remains as to whether they are fully correct. Many regard this incident as one of Napoleon's cruelest acts in war.^[48]

Results

Austerlitz and the preceding campaign profoundly altered the nature of European politics. In three months, the French had occupied Vienna, decimated two armies, and humbled the Austrian Empire. These events sharply contrast with the rigid power structures of the 18th century, when no major European capital was ever held by an enemy army. Austerlitz set the stage for a near-decade of French domination on the European continent, but one of its more immediate impacts was to goad Prussia into war in 1806. Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Russian Empire United Kingdom Sweden Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Sicily First French Empire: - Kingdom of Italy - Kingdom of Naples - Kingdom of Holland - Kingdom of Etruria - Confederation of the Rhine - Swiss Confederation - Polish insurgents Kingdom of Spain Commanders Duke of Brunswick Prince of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Count...

France and Austria signed a truce on December 4 and the Treaty of Pressburg 22 days later took the latter out of the war. Austria agreed to recognize French territory captured by the treaties of Campo Formio (1797) and Lunéville (1801), cede land to Bavaria, Wurttemberg, and Baden, which were Napoleon's German allies, and pay 40 million francs in war indemnities. Venice was also given to the Kingdom of Italy. It was a harsh end for Austria, but certainly not a catastrophic peace. The Russian army was allowed to withdraw to home territory and the French encamped themselves in Southern Germany. The Holy Roman Empire was also effectively wiped out, 1806 being seen as its final year. Napoleon created the Confederation of the Rhine, a string of German states meant to serve as a buffer between France and Prussia. Prussia saw these and other moves as an affront to its status as the main power of Central Europe and it went to war with France in 1806. is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Treaty of Pressburg was signed on December 26, 1805 between France and Austria as a consequence of the Austrian defeats by France at Ulm (September 25 - October 20) and Austerlitz (December 2). ... History of Württemberg // The origin of the name Württemberg remains obscure: scholars having universally rejected the once popular derivation from Wirth am Berg. Some authorities derive it from a proper name: Wiruto or Wirtino; others from a Celtic place-name, Virolunum or Verdunum. ... The History of Baden begins in the 12th century and continues until the mid-1900s. ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... The flag of the Kingdom of Italy was a rectangular version of the flag of the Italian Republic, with Napoleons emblem on the green field. ... The extent of the Holy Roman Empire around 1630, superimposed over modern European state borders Capital None Language(s) Latin, German, many others Religion Roman Catholicism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 962–967 Otto I  - 973–983 Otto II  - 996–1002 Otto III  - 1014– 1024 Henry II  - 1027–1039 Conrad II  - 1046... The Confederation of the Rhine in 1812 Capital Frankfurt Political structure Confederation Protector Napoleon I Primate  - 1806-1813 Karl von Dalberg  - 1813 Eugène de Beauharnais Historical era Napoleonic Wars  - Formation 12 July, 1806  - Collapse 19 October, 1813 The Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation (German: ; French: ) lasted from...

Notes

The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... For other uses, see Ottoman (disambiguation). ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Po (Latin: Padus, Italian: Po) is a river that flows 652 kilometers (405 miles) eastward across northern Italy, from Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr declared Prince of Wales by his followers. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Brooks, Richard (editor). Atlas of World Military History. London: HarperCollins, 2000. ISBN 0-7607-2025-8
• Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. ISBN 0-02-523660-1
• Dupuy, Trevor N., Harper Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-270056-1
• Fisher, Todd & Fremont-Barnes, Gregory. The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2004. ISBN 1-84176-831-6
• Kagan, Frederick W. The End of the Old Order. Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2006. ISBN 0-306-81137-5
• McLynn, Frank. Napoleon: A Biography. New York: Arcade Publishing Inc., 1997. ISBN 1-55970-631-7
• Uffindell, Andrew. Great Generals of the Napoleonic Wars. Kent: Spellmount Ltd., 2003. ISBN 1-86227-177-1