The Fifth Coalition consisted only of Great Britain and Austria against the French Empire and its allies: the Kingdom of Italy, Bavaria, Saxony, the Netherlands, Naples, the Confederation of the Rhine, and the Principality of Warsaw.
The war between the two factions took place in Central Europe, the Netherlands, and Italy and lasted only from April 14 to October 14, 1809.
Background
On May 2, 1808, the Spaniards rose against the French Empire's occupation with the help of the United Kingdom and Portugal. They continued to trade with the United Kingdom despite France's Continental System. From July 18 to 22, 1808, the French army led by General Pierre Dupont de l'Étang lost the Battle of Bailén (Spain), prompting Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to move his army to Spain. French troops easily defeat Spanish and British troops. However, Spanish resistance persisted until 1814, when a victory over the French army forced Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon Bonaparte's brother) back home, and Fernando VII became king.
After losing the battle of Austerlitz, Austria, which had not previously joined the Fourth Coalition, saw an opportunity to reclaim its authority and partnered with Britain to attack the French.
Progress of Battles
Austria initially won several engagements because the French army, led by Field Marshal Davout, was small and ineffective. Austria also assaulted the Principality of Warsaw but was defeated by the Poles on April 19, 1809, at the Battle of Raszyn (Poland).
Napoleon led the French army to counter-attack Austria and won a few small battles until the battle of Aspern-Essling (Austria) from May 20 to 22, 1809, where Napoleon lost tactically. However, Grand Duke Karl, commanding the Austrian army, made the mistake of not pursuing the French. Then Napoleon besieged Vienna from July 1809 to July 6, 1809, and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Wagram on July 5–6, forcing Austria to request an armistice and sign the Peace of Schönbrunn on October 14, 1809.
The British Empire fought against France and won several battles at sea. Britain only backed the war on the Iberian peninsula, sending an expeditionary force of 40,000 soldiers to Walcheren (Zeeland, Netherlands) from July 30 to December 10, 1809, to attack England's Antwerp naval base and split French forces to aid Austria (who had just lost the Battle of Wagram), but Britain was eventually forced to withdraw.
Consequences of the War
Austria suffered many disadvantages when signing the Treaty of Schönbrunn, having to cede Tyrol and Salzburg to the Kingdom of Bavaria, a portion of Poland to the Principality of Warsaw, Trieste (Italy), and Dalmatia (now part of Croatia) to France, and having to compensate France for a large number of war expenses.
In 1810, the French Empire expanded to its fullest extent. In addition to France, Napoleon was also the king of the Kingdom of Italy, the leader of the Swiss Confederation, the Confederation of the Rhine, and the ambassador of Napoleon, who unofficially ruled the Principality of Warsaw (now Poland). Napoleon's allies were the Kingdom of Spain (ruled by his brother Joseph Bonaparte), the Kingdom of Westphalen (ruled by his youngest brother Jérôme Bonaparte), the Kingdom of Naples (king by his brother-in-law, Field Marshal Joachim Murat), the Principality of Lucca and Piombio (Italy) (ruled by his brother-in-law Félix Baciocchi), and former enemies Prussia and Austria. In the same year, Napoleon married Austrian princess Marie-Louise for a lasting alliance with Austria and to have an heir, which his previous wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, did not have.
Battles between the French and the Fifth Coalition
11 - 12 April 1809: naval battle of the Basque Roads (île d'Aix, France), England defeats France
April 16, 1809: Sacile match (Italy), Austria won against France-Italy
April 19, 1809: Battle of Teugen-Hausen (Bayern), France won against Austria
April 19, 1809: Battle of Raszyn (Poland), Poland defeats Austria
April 19 - 23, 1809: Battle of Ratisbon (Germany), France beat Austria
April 20, 1809: Battle of Abensberg (Bayern), France wins Austria
April 21, 1809: Battle of Landshut (Bayern), France-Bayern-Württemberg defeats Austria
April 21 - 22, 1809: Battle of Eckmühl (Bayern), France wins Austria
3.5.1809: Battle of Ebersberg (Austria), France wins Austria
7 - 8, 1809: Battle of Piave (Italy), France-Italy beat Austria
21 - 22 May 1809: Battle of Aspern-Essling (Austria), Austria wins France
May 25 - November 11, 1809: Battle of Bergisel (Austria), France-Bayern defeats Tyrol (Austria)
June 14, 1809: Battle of Raab (Hungary), France-Italy beat Austria
5 - 6.7.1809: Battle of Wagram (Austria), France wins Austria
8.7.1809: Battle of Gefrees (Germany), Austria won against France-Wesphalen-Sachsen
10 - 11, 1809: Battle of Znaïm (Czech Republic), inconclusive (Austria proposes armistice)
30.7 - 10.12.1809: Operation Walcheren (Netherlands), France-Netherlands defeat Great Britain
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