The Battle of Austerlitz (also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors) was a crucial battle in the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place on December 2, 1805, near the town of Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic), where the French army led by Emperor Napoleon defeated an outnumbered Russo-Austrian army led by the Tsar and the Holy Austro-Roman Emperor Franz II and Alexander I. The failure of the Russo-Austrian coalition at Austerlitz compelled Austria to negotiate the Treaty of Pressburg with France in late 1805, resulting in the fast collapse of the Third Coalition. The Battle of Austerlitz is often regarded as Napoleon's military masterpiece, standing alongside legendary battles such as Gaugamela, Cannae, and Leuthen.
The French army entered Vienna in November 1805 after defeating a huge Austrian force in the Battle of Ulm. The Austrians had to avoid clashes with the French while waiting for the Russian army to arrive. Napoleon pursued the Russian army north, but when the Russo-Austrian army was grouped, the French emperor planned to entice the Coalition forces into decisive combat in order to end the war quickly. He abruptly ordered the withdrawal of all forces from the important Pratzen Hill near Austerlitz, thinning off the French right flank. Tsar Alexander I was overjoyed and quickly directed his generals to focus their efforts on attacking the enemy's right flank.
On December 2, the Coalition forces attacked the French right flank in four vertical columns. The French army progressively retreated until Marshal Davout's III Corps arrived from Vienna to reinforce, and the French were able to halt the coalition's onslaught. By concentrating their efforts on defeating the French right wing, the Coalition damaged their own center on Pratzen Heights. French Marshal Soult led the IV Corps forward to Pratzen, splitting the opposing formation in half and destroying both flanks. The French took many more prisoners when the Coalition was defeated and fled in disorder.
This defeat made Emperor Franz lose faith in the Third Coalition. Austria signed the Pressburg peace deal with France on December 26, removing its name from the anti-French alliance and combining the preceding Campo Formio and Lunéville treaties. Austria also ceded some areas in Italy and Germany, as well as paying France 40 million francs in war reparations. Russian forces were permitted to return home.
The victory at Austerlitz also resulted in the formation of the Rhine Confederation, a grouping of Napoleon's German vassal nations that served as a buffer between France and Central Europe. The formation of the federation rendered the Roman Empire invalid; it had to dissolve in 1806 when Emperor Franz II abdicated, retaining only the Austrian throne (Franz I). The truce, however, did not endure long, as Prussia swiftly joined the Fourth Coalition in 1806.
Cause of the Battle of Austerlitz
Since the commencement of the French Revolutionary War in 1792, Europe has been in perpetual instability. After five years of fighting, the young French Republic overcame the First Coalition of Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, Spain, and several Italian countries in 1797. Soon after, Russia, England, and Austria joined a new Coalition, which was quickly followed by Turkey, Naples, and Portugal. The Second Coalition lost the fight in 1801. From this point forward, the British Empire was the sole opponent of the revolutionary French state.
A coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 elevated General Napoleon Bonaparte to the rank of First Consul. Under the Treaty of Amiens, France and Britain agreed to conclude the war in March 1802. For the first time in ten years, Europe was at peace. However, other issues have arisen between the two parties, making adherence to the pact increasingly difficult. The British government was furious with France for reclaiming several of the colonies that Britain had seized beginning in 1793. Napoleon was dissatisfied with the British army stationed on Malta. Tensions rose when Napoleon dispatched an invading force to put down the Haitian revolution. Britain declared war on France in May 1803.
Third Coalition
The Third Coalition was formed in December 1804 as a result of an Anglo-Swedish agreement. British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger spent 1804 and 1805 on a series of diplomatic actions aimed at building a new coalition against France, and Britain and Russia had formed coalitions by April 1805. Austria had been defeated twice by France, causing their power in Germany and Central Europe to crumble; therefore, Emperor Franz II agreed to join the alliance a few months later.
Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor of France (the emperor's name was Napoleon I) on May 28, 1804, and was enthroned on December 2, that year, establishing a bourgeois monarchy. This event made Russia and Austria fearful of forming an urgent coalition. Franz I became more concerned that Napoleon I might seize the German Emperor. Napoleon I was well aware that he would have to fight the feudal countries of Europe on an ongoing basis, and he gave another blow to Austria when he declared himself king of Italy. Only Prussia was unsure whether or not to participate among the main European nations. In any event, Napoleon I was genuinely alone.
The Grande Armée
Before the formation of the Third Coalition, Emperor Napoleon I assembled an army force known as the British Army, consisting of six barracks at Boulogne in northern France. He meant to deploy this conquering force against England, and he was so certain of his victory that he had prepared a medal to commemorate it. Although this army never set foot on British territory, it was meticulously trained and lavishly funded in preparation for future military engagements. Boredom did arise in the ranks at times, but Napoleon visited them frequently and conducted numerous parades to boost morale.
The soldiers at Boulogne formed the foundation of Napoleon's La Grande Armée (roughly translated as "Great Army"). The army would go down in history as an instrument that helped Napoleon prepare to fight against all feudal coalitions. The Grande Armée began with 200,000 soldiers organized into seven legions. Each corps was a big battlefield combat unit with between 26 and 40 cannons that could fight independently until other corps arrived to help. A single legion can withstand at least a day without support if placed in a good defensive posture, giving the Grande Armée a wide range of tactical options in every campaign.
The French Emperor also appointed Marshals of the Empire (Maréchal d'Empire) to good generals such as Louis Nicolas Davout, Michel Ney, Jean Lannes, and others. In addition to the aforesaid forces, he gathered a cavalry reserve of 22,000 men, divided into two Cuirassier units, four Dragoon Cavalry units, one Infantry Cavalry unit, and one Light Cavalry unit that was supported by 24 canons. By 1805, the Great Army had 350,000 soldiers, all of whom were well-equipped and trained, and were led by great officers.
Russian-Austrian Forces
The Russian army in 1805 resembled the French army during the previous regime (Ancien Régime). They had no organization above the regimental level; top officers were frequently nobles; and titles were exchanged rather than earned. In the 18th century, Russian soldiers were frequently beaten and punished for failing to obey commands. Furthermore, the officers were the weakest link in the Russian Army, in contrast to the heroic military families, contradicting the masterpiece War and Peace that wrote by the famous writer Lev Tolstoy.
While generals like Bagration, Miloradovitch, and Dokhturov were all experienced and well-trained, many lower-ranking Russian officers were not and struggled to manage their soldiers to execute intricate tactics. In return, Russian warriors are highly brave combatants, and the Russian army also has a formidable artillery team with an abundance of cannons and is controlled by soldiers who frequently battle tenaciously to prevent their cannons from falling into enemy hands.
The Russian military's logistical system is significantly reliant on its locations and its Austrian allies, with Austria supplying 70% of Russia's supplies. The Russian army struggled to sustain health and concentration in combat due to logistics being too dispersed without a solid and well-organized logistics infrastructure. However, before the Battle of Austerlitz, Russia was certain that its army was unbeatable.
Grand Duke Karl, brother of Austrian Emperor Franz II (also Holy Roman Emperor), initiated the reform of the Austrian Army in 1801 by removing the power of the Hofkriegsrat Council in the army. Karl, Duke of Teschen, was Austria's most accomplished general, but he fell into disrepute by refusing to declare war on France. His opponents began to act after British Prime Minister Pitt bribed the Vien Court because he was dissatisfied with his counsel. Karl Mack took over as Austrian commander shortly before the war and made reforms to the infantry organization.
A regiment currently consists of four battalions, each with four platoons, as opposed to the previous system of three battalions and six platoons per regiment. This transition occurred without any training for the officers to adapt, resulting in difficulties in command. In the early engagements of the French Revolutionary War, the Austrian Cavalry gained the upper hand over the French Cavalry, and they regarded themselves as the strongest cavalry in Europe until 1801. However, because they were detached from infantry groups, they were less effective against the bigger French cavalry. Despite the poor coordination, the warriors of the Iron Cavalry, Dragoon Cavalry, and Spear Cavalry fought valiantly.
Napoleon's Strategy
Napoleon dispatched troops from the English Channel to the Rhine to invade Austria in August 1805. On September 25, 200,000 elite French troops crossed the Rhine in a 260-kilometer-long (160-mile-long) operation. This is regarded as one of the most massive military maneuvers in human history. In September 1805, eight French Legions advanced all the way from Hannover to the Black Forest in southern Germany. Austrian General Mack was now stationed in Ulm, Schwaben (today's southern Germany). On October 20 of that year, Napoleon marched his army north, surrounded the Austrian army, and captured General Mack with 23,000 Austrian troops, increasing the total number of Austrian prisoners in the campaign to 60,000 soldiers.
The majesty of this triumph, however, was significantly tainted by the terrible failure of the French-Spanish navy at the naval battle of Trafalgar - by the British Royal Navy, which made the countries against France become ecstatic. However, in this naval battle, British Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was also killed. With the decisive victory in the naval battle of Trafalgar, the British Empire regained complete control of the sea.
However, when the capital Vienna fell in November, the French continued to succeed on land. The French possessed another 100,000 firearms and 500 cannons, and the Danube bridges remained intact. The enormous French triumph on the ground prevented King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia from keeping his commitment made in early November to send 140,000 troops to join Austrian and Russian forces against the French army within four weeks.
At the same time, the Russian army, led by General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, had just arrived in Hungary when they learned of Mack's surrender to Napoleon, and they were unable to save the remaining Austrian forces in time. Kutuzov, a cautious commander, abandoned rescuing Vienna at any cost, instead urging a retreat to entice the French farther in and then destroy the enemy in the rear, where the allied troops were. The Russo-Austrian army had a logistical edge over the French, which caused the Russian army to retreat to the northeast to await reinforcements and merge with Austrian soldiers that had not yet been annihilated.
At this juncture, Emperor Napoleon realized he was in a difficult situation: while the Russian Army was still intact, neighboring Prussia had not yet participated but might fight the French, as Prussia was progressively growing dissatisfied with French dominion. Napoleon attacked lands controlled by the Prussian Dynasty on his way to fight Vienna. Furthermore, the Russian-Austrian alliance was now complete. Another issue was that the French supply lines were becoming increasingly extensive, causing Napoleon to distribute his men in order to retain his position. Grand Duke Karl's Austrian army, which had been battling the French in Italy, was returning from Venice.
Emperor Napoleon realized that there was only one way to avoid wasting the Ulm victory: push the Coalition to fight and beat them. He was resolved to act first and achieve another major victory like the Battle of Ulm. As a result, the French Emperor desired to destroy the Russian army as soon as possible in order to terminate the conflict before winter arrived, and he directed General Joachim Murat to command 40,000 troops in pursuit of Kutuzov's army.
Recognizing this, Kutuzov directed General Pytro Ivanovich Bagration to command 600 troops to keep the French in Vienna and instruct the army to accept Murat's offer of an armistice to purchase time, allowing the entire army to continue to withdraw. Murat's mistake was recognized by Emperor Napoleon, who directed the French to continue the pursuit of the Russian army.
During the discussion on countermeasures against the French, Kutuzov denounced the Austrian generals' attempts to blame the Russians for the entire war and encouraged the Austrian emperor to deliver supplies, armaments, and ammunition as soon as possible. The Austrian court vowed to be more active in burden-sharing at the request of Kutuzov. Another point of contention was the battle plan, Kutuzov regards the "Austrian plan as very dogmatic," ignoring other French endeavors. The Carpathians were the next stop on Kutuzov's itinerary, and he declared, "In Galicia, I will bury the bones of the French."
In addition, Bagration achieved a major victory in a plan to hold Murat and the French army in the fierce battle at Schöngrabern. Tsar Alexander I, on the other hand, was enraged by Kutuzov's plan: "So where are you asking to fight, Kutuzov?" General Kutuzov even wanted to wait until the Coalition had drawn the Prussians into the war to secure a certain victory: "We'll be able to join forces with the Prussians anyway, the more we add."
He also submitted his plan, which centered on "close defense, decisive counterattack," but all of Kutuzov's ideas were rejected.
Because the 27-year-old tsar desired a triumphant victory on the battlefield, and Franz I, who was residing at Olmütz, desired to drive the invaders away and return to Vienna, Kutuzov well realized that the coalition commanders' aggressive approach, along with their egotism since the advent of the Imperial Guards of Russia, would allow Dolgoruki to prevail. Napoleon, for his part, could not let it go; he chose to construct a trap to entice the Coalition, purposely showing the Russian-Austrian Union that his army was in peril and offering peace.
Only about 53,000 French troops, including the Legions of Soult, Lannes, and Murat, would occupy Austerlitz and the Olmütz road, to diversion. As a result, the Russian-Austrian coalition would most certainly attack the French with a significantly larger force (about 89,000 soldiers). However, the coalition was unaware that reinforcements from Bernadotte, Mortier, and Davout were already on their way, and they easily assembled with the large French army via rapid marches from Iglau and Vienna, so the French army will have up to 75,000 men, significantly reducing France's numerical weakness.
Napoleon did not make the first move in defeating the Coalition by building a massive and strong army to divert attention. Meanwhile, it appears that the coalition was doubtful of these unexpected signs of "luck," so he decided to continue the trap. On November 25, 1805, Napoleon dispatched General Savary to the Union headquarters in the Olmütz region to surreptitiously assess the coalition's situation, and he also delivered a message from Napoleon to the coalition leaders, which the Emperor refused to combat.
As expected, the Coalition saw this as a sign of the French army's weakness. On November 27, 1805, when Emperor Franz II supported a cease-fire, Napoleon joyfully accepted the armistice. That same day, the Emperor of France ordered Soult to give up both Austerlitz and the Pratzen Heights and, at the same time, pretended to be confused about the position of the chaotic French army, allowing the Allies to take over the height. The first fight between the two sides is supposed to have occurred that day, with the defeat of the French midfield squad, making the Coalition army even more subjective. Napoleon also offered to arrange an audience with Tsar Alexander I and a visit from Count Dolgorouki the following day (November 28).
This meeting was the next step in Napoleon's plan: on the one hand, he purposefully went outside the barracks to greet Dolgorouki (so that he would not have a chance to examine the French army's situation), and on the other hand, the Emperor of France skillfully displayed all signs of an anxious, insecure mood when speaking to his enemies. Dolgorouki even acted aggressively when he met the Emperor of France, and the two had a private chat so that no one could hear Dolgorouki's "insolent" remarks.
When he returned, Dolgorouki presented all of his feelings to the Tsar as yet another indication of the French army's inadequacy. The French plot worked, and the Russian-Austrian coalition bit the bait. Many Coalition officers, especially favorites of Tsar Alexander I and Austrian Army Chief of Staff Franz von Weyrother, strongly advocated the attack on the French, and Alexander I accepted their advice. Kutuzov's plan was turned down. The coalition fell into Emperor Napoleon's trap as a result of Alexander I's hasty attitude.
Battle of Austerlitz Summary
According to historical accounts, Napoleon mobilized 72,000 men and 157 guns for the engagement; however, 7,000 reinforcements under Davout stayed to the south. Other publications state that, despite the fact that the French Emperor began the campaign in 1805 with 210,000 soldiers, only 73,000 soldiers engaged in the Battle of Austerlitz, and not all of them were actively fighting.
The coalition possessed 85,000 men, 70% of whom were Russian, as well as 318 artillery pieces. According to the authors Robert Cowley, and Stephen E. Ambrose, the number of cannons of Napoleon I was only half that of the Russian-Austrian coalition. Thus, Napoleon was outnumbered. He was eager, in his words, to win a "normal battle," but in truth, he planned to thoroughly annihilate the Coalition army. However, the French Emperor did not initially proclaim his confidence in defeating the Russian army.
In fact, Napoleon was not afraid to upset Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais by explaining his defeat to her. The Coalition Emperors, for their part, could not wait for Grand Duke Karl to reinforce or for the Prussians to enter the war. Tsar Alexander I was determined to go to war this time. Peter the Great beat the Swedish army in the Battle of Poltava (1709), won the Great Nordic War, and encouraged the heroic development of the Russian Empire in the past. Thus, Alexander I intended to emulate Peter the Great's dazzling deeds while going above and beyond those of his legendary forefathers.
The battle took place six miles southeast of the city of Brno. Today, it is a site located between Brno and Austerlitz, in the Czech Republic. To the north of the battlefield were the hills of Santon (210 m) and Zuran (260 m), overlooking the road connecting Olmutz and Brno, which lay on the east-west axis. To the west of the two hills is the village of Bosenitz, and between them is the Bosenitz River, which joins the Goldbach River and flows south through the villages of Kobelnitz, Sokolnitz, and Telnitz.
Pratzen Peak, a gently sloping peak with a height of around 11–12 m (35–40 feet), stood in the center of the battlefield. According to an adjutant's record, Emperor Napoleon often reminded the generals of the importance of thoroughly scouting the topography of this area because it would become a battlefield.
On the afternoon of December 1, a council was called in the village of Krzenowitz to discuss the war. The debate was really heated. When the Tsar saw that Napoleon only had 57,000 troops, he was overjoyed. Many coalition strategists proposed two key ideas: negotiating contact with the enemy and conquering the southern flank leading to Vienna. Although the Tsar and his entourage were anxious to battle, Emperor Franz of Austria was hesitant due to the Austrian Army's terrible setbacks against Napoleon, and the Russian general M. I. Kutuzov also agreed with this warning.
Kutuzov noted that the longer the war persisted, the deeper the French advanced, the weaker they were owing to being so far from a supply source, and the greater the likelihood of Prussians joining the battle against the French. Kutuzov urged enticing the French deeper into the Carpathians, declaring that "in Galicia, I will bury the bones of the French." Kutuzov also emphasized the significance of Pratzen's peak at Austerlitz; in fact, at the outset of the fight, he attempted to hold his forces here in case Napoleon arrived, but it appears that the other generals were unaware of this.
Kutuzov's opinion was not strongly suggested, while all of the tsar's favorites, Dolgorouki, Lieven, Volkovski, and Stroganov, were belligerent. The idea of war finally prevailed, and the Coalition decided to adopt the battle plan of the Austrian general Franz von Weyrother - the new logistics general of the Third Coalition. Weyrother, known as the "senior of the Viennese officers," had previously observed the French situation and devised his strategy.
As a result, the Coalition would have to divert their strength away from the French left flank and concentrate it on their weaker right flank. The Coalition attacked the French right flank with three to five charges from hilltops in a "flanking" strategy (Shiefe Schlachtordnung), with each attack lined up in a vertical line. A formidable Russian infantry force (approximately 13560 soldiers) led by Lieutenant General Dmitry Sergeyevich Dokhturov formed the first vertical formation. He was assigned to traverse the Goldbach Swamp near Tellnitz, so he would change to the right and align with the second formation.
The second vertical formation was made up of 11,700 Russian infantrymen led by Lieutenant General Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langéron, a former French settler in Russia, crossing the Golbach lagoon between Tellnitz and Sokolnitz. Lieutenant General Prebyshevsky's father (with 7700 Russian men) would easily capture Sokolnitz castle and take control of the surrounding region.
The Russian general Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhowden commanded all three formations. Kollowrath and Miloradovich, two Russian generals, led the Austro-Russian coalition's fourth vertical line of 23,900 troops, which would cross the Golbach lagoon to the north of Lake Kobelnitz.
The Russian Imperial Guards were maintained in reserve (including 850 special troops led by Grand Duke Konstantin stationed north of Krzenowitz), while Russian forces led by General Pyotr I. Bagration would defend the alliance's right side. The fourth formation would attack the French center, while the fifth formation (5375 soldiers led by the Prince of Liechstenstein) would form a pincer to destroy the French left flank with Bagration. In principle, the coalition intended to destroy Napoleon's right flank with approximately 40,000 troops before attacking the French army and cutting off their supply links to Vienna.
Kutuzov remained de facto commander when the Tsar handed over command of Weyrother, but he commanded just the Allied Fourth Army. Meanwhile, the other generals of the Russian-Austrian coalition were certain of success, believing that their midfield team would be enough to defeat the French army.
French Army Deploy
In order to force the Coalition army to strike, which Napoleon actually wanted to do, he purposefully made his right flank vulnerable. Napoleon had a discussion with the generals on November 28. The generals agreed to withdraw and even expressed their concern, but Napoleon rejected this. Napoleon's strategy aimed to attract the Allied troops to concentrate their efforts on destroying the French right wing in order to cut off their access to Vienna, this made the Coalition army open the flank and center where the French army could attack.
Napoleon even abandoned his strategic vantage point atop Pratzen Hill and claimed to be concerned about the frailty of his army in order to make the adversary appear subjective. According to the plan, the French would capture Pratzen and, from this point, launch a powerful assault to smash the center of the Allied forces and then advance to cover them. According to military historian Christopher Duffy, this approach is a bit like the "flanking" strategy of Prussia.
The 16,000 soldiers of the IV Corps under Marshal Soult's command were the ones who carried out this assault. Early on in the conflict, Soult's soldiers were lurking in a heavy fog, which determined whether the attack was successful or unsuccessful. The IV Corps' position would be exposed to the enemy if the fog rose too fast, but if it lingered too long, Napoleon would not be able to see the Russian-Austrian position on the Pratzen Heights and would be unable to launch the attack at the appropriate moment.
Napoleon simultaneously gave the order for Marshal Davout's III Corps to move swiftly from Vienna to support General Legrand's right flank, which was south of the battlefield and under great pressure from the Coalition army. Davout must march 110 miles in 48 hours. Whether or not they arrive in time will determine whether or not the French army is successful. Napoleon's right flank position was actually highly precarious because the French were only given a minimal army to defend it and were instructed to fight to the very last soldier.
Napoleon was brave enough to make such a risky choice because he trusted Marshal Davout's abilities, the French army's right flank was shielded by a network of rivers and lakes, and the French had established a backup communication line that went through Brünn, Iglau, and Passau instead of the Vienna line. Field Marshal Lannes' V Corps would protect the left flank of the French army (i.e., the northern section of the battlefield), where the new French supply line was situated. Field Marshal Bessières' French Guard Corps and Field Marshal Bernadotte's I Corps were retained. General Rapp later acknowledged Napoleon's military planning for the Austerlitz battle as skillful.
Start the Battle of Austerlitz
The French soldiers were aware that December 2, the date of a crucial battle, was also the anniversary of the emperor's coronation. He not only attentively examined the surroundings, but he also meticulously planned for the treatment of the injured.
Napoleon awoke at five in the morning and rapidly ate his meal before the sun had even come up. 3,000 Davout reinforcements had come following the march from Raisgern, and Davout's troops were all sleepy and chilly when they came during the Emperor and his soldiers' breakfast. They had Soult's Cavalry support. (Some Davout forces arrive between 10:00 and 11:00.) One factor that was overlooked is how much Major General Louis Friant's division's quick marching helped Davout's quick advance.
Napoleon's staff and his marshals gathered on Zulton Hill at about six in the morning as the first sun rays appeared in the eastern sky. But when the morning dawn was near, the fog appeared densely throughout the village. The French Emperor was impatiently waiting for daybreak while he mounted his horse. He peered through the pre-dawn darkness at Louis Alexandre Berthier, Lannes, Soult, Bernadotte, Jean-Baptiste Bessières, Murat, Mortier, and Anne Jean Marie René Savary, among other officers of the division. He turned to the east again, wishing to see the sunrise, but saw nothing.
This battle began at 8 a.m. with the first coalition attack on the village of Telnitz, defended by the 3rd regiment. Since then, this battlefield has witnessed many fierce battles. The French were first driven from the village by coalition assaults, which also forced them to flee across the Goldbach River. Davout's army now drove the coalition out of Telnitz, but in their turn, they were attacked by the cavalrymen and had to abandon the village again. French cannons kept the coalition from launching attacks from the village.
Coalition armies began to pour into the French right flank but did not advance as quickly as expected, so the French almost all repelled the attacks. In fact, the coalition's layout was confused and miscalculated: the cavalry of Prince Johann I Joseph of Liechtenstein on the left flank of the coalition had to shift to the right, and in the process, they ran. mixed in with and slowed the advance of the second attack on the French right flank. At the time, the strategists thought it was a disaster, but later it turned out to be in favor of the coalition.
The 26th Regiment and the French Tirailleur (guerrilla-style shooters) were defending Sokolnitz village as the second coalition attack took place there. General Langeron authorized an artillery bombardment of the village after the coalition attack was unsuccessful. As a result, the French were forced to flee, and the Third Coalition attack simultaneously captured Sokolnitz's village.
The French launched a counterattack to retake this location but were repelled. When the French 3rd Corps force under General Friant temporarily retook the settlement, the combat in this area momentarily died down. The violent struggle claimed the lives of General Friant's four steeds, but he was still alive to tell the tale. The location of the most confrontations, Sokolnitz, changed control numerous more times as the combat went on. Heavy losses were sustained by Friant's corps. The French army, however, remained determined to engage the Russian-Austrian army.
The Coalition 4th Army, under the command of the recently deposed Commander M. I. Kutuzov, stopped at Pratzen Peak while the coalition was keen to attack the French right flank. One by one, the Russian legions passed him, but the 4th Army remained motionless. Kutuzov recognized the significance of this position.
However, the Tsar ordered the 4th Army to be taken out of Pratzen, and with it, the entire Russian army moved to its death. Alexander I had claimed that Kutuzov was not the actual Commander-in-Chief from the moment Weyrother revealed his strategy, despite the fact that he was the official Commander-in-Chief. Instead of Kutuzov, the tsar always trusted Weyrother. As a result, Kutuzov did not have to exert extra effort to counter Alexander I's actions, which resulted in a surprising loss.
One Fatal Blow and the Battle Was Over
The French right wing gained the upper hand because the Coalition commander was suffering from heatstroke and could not issue orders. But the Russian army put up a valiant fight as well, so the French were unable to assure victory. Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult's army was obscured by the fog, but Pratzen Peak was vulnerable to attack, as it was possible that the Union troops were advancing down from the south at this time. This was as expected of Napoleon I, as reflected in his words, "Watching them attack, once they consider themselves attackers, they will have to look up and see that they have been somewhat defeated." Therefore, Soult was impatient, and he wanted to attack. For that, he needed to have time to mobilize the soldiers.
At 8:45 a.m., sensing sufficient weakness in the enemy's center, Napoleon I asked Soult how long it would take his troops to reach Pratzen Peak, to which the Field Marshal replied, "Under 20 minutes, dear Lord, because the power of the lower god has been concealed at the foot of the valley, obscured by the fog and fire in the camp." The Emperor then decided: "Then we will take another 15 minutes". Thus, about 15 minutes later, Emperor Napoleon ordered an attack: "Now, this is the moment". And he added: "O three troops! The enemy is not careful enough to make you deal the decisive blow! One fatal blow, and the battle was over.
The thick fog helped shield the advance of St. Hilaire, but as they headed back uphill, the legendary "Sun of Austerlitz" melted the mist and encouraged them to move forward. The Russians on the peak were astounded to discover a large French force moving toward them. The coalition commanders dispatched several delayed units of the fourth thrust into this difficult engagement. These battalions were largely destroyed after nearly an hour of combat, but the French were still unable to readily take Pratzen Peak.
Several troops, mainly inexperienced Austrian soldiers, joined the battle and used large numbers against one of France's most skilled units. Even they drove the French to retreat. The situation descended into chaos for more than 20 minutes, with Kutuzov in charge of the Coalition Fourth Formation. He and his entourage rode to the soldiers and urged them to fight together during the pivotal battle, along with the General Staff led by Weyrother. The emperors of both sides saw the two forces' intense combat. Tsar Alexander I said, "I am with you; I share danger with you; stop now," as the Union forces began to show signs of chaos.
But the Coalition army continued to fight valiantly. Kutuzov was mortally wounded during the combat and was nearly captured alive. His son-in-law, the adjutant Ferdinand von Tiesenhausen, was determined to reorganize the ranks of the troops but was killed as he rose with the flag.
On the French side, St. Hilaire had to run to Morand and Thiébault to ask if they should withdraw from Pratzen Heights. "It appears impossible to hold; therefore, we should take up a position in the back where it will be simple to defend" he replied. But as things got tough, the army of St. Hilaire charged once more, knocking the coalition off its peak. General Vandamme's division invaded the Staré Vinohrady region to the north of this area of combat and killed numerous enemy units.
Although the fight had shifted to France's advantage, it was still far from done. As Vandamme's left flank was being supported, Napoleon gave the order for Bernadotte's I Corps to shift its command to the recently conquered Pratzen ridge. By taking the mountain, the French have severed the Allied Russia-Austria lines. The Russian Imperial Guard had to be used because the coalition was now in a bad situation.
The final Coalition unit to be sent into combat were the Russian Imperial Guards. This force opposed Vandamme's army under the command of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the Tsar's brother. This engagement was the only one in which the French pennant was lost. Vandamme's division lost to the opposition. Field Marshal Bessières' Guards Cavalry was sent into war by Napoleon after he sensed a threat. Another leader who attacked the Russians was Brigadier General Jean Rapp.
The French volunteered to wipe out the Russian cannons. The two guards fought fiercely, but neither side was victorious. The Russians had the upper hand in numbers, but then Drouet's division of I Corps came to assist, stationing troops on the flanks of the battleground and helping the French cavalry regroup behind them. The French horse-drawn cannons also contributed to heavy casualties among Russian cavalrymen and shooters. In the battle, the French officer Morland died, but then the Russian army lost big and broke, and many soldiers died when the French cavalry, now restored to the formation, pursued them for a quarter of a mile.
Despite his bravery, Konstantin Pavlovich failed and lost more troops. With the help of the cavalry, artillery, and Soult's army, the Russians were ultimately defeated. The Mamluk warriors of Napoleon also made a crucial contribution to the French army's overwhelming victory over the Russian Guards Cavalry. Mamluk troops demonstrated remarkable combat skills. According to Rapp's report, the Russian army was completely defeated right in front of the Austrian and Russian emperors. The two Emperors had already set up camp at a vantage point above the battleground to observe it. They had witnessed their warriors put up a valiant fight but fall short. The Russian-Austrian coalition's numerous divisions were forced to abandon their guns and flee in a panic.
Endgame
The Austrian cavalry forces of Prince Johann I Joseph of Liechtenstein attacked Kellerman's light cavalry on the French side of the northern front after moving to the front's right position. Kellerman withdrew his soldiers in support of Caffarelli's infantry division after realizing that the Russians were too many. The Russian assaults were stopped by Caffarelli's forces, who then requested that Murat send in two additional cavalry divisions (one under d'Hautpoul's command and the other under Nansouty's) to finish the Russian calvary off as soon as possible. Although the battle lasted a long time and was violent, the French ultimately won.
The Russian army of General Bagration had an edge in artillery, but Marshal Lannes directed his V Corps to attack it anyhow because a bombardment of Russian artillery shells had inspired his soldiers to fight to the bitter end. The Russian army was forced off the battlefield after a bloody battle. The division commander under Marshal Lannes, Louis-Gabriel Suchet, also contributed to the destruction of the Russian army. Murat, the French commander on this front, opposed Lannes' desire to pursue. Murat believes it would be difficult to pursue the Russian army.
In the south, where the French and Coalition were still fighting at Telnitz and Sokolnitz, Napoleon now focused his attention. At Sokolnitz, St. Hilaire and a portion of Davout's III Corps launched a two-pronged assault that routed the opposition and compelled Kienmayer and Langeron, the two generals in charge of the coalition's first two attacks, to flee. The head of the coalition's left flank, Buxhöwden, withdrew as well, followed by Kienmayer and O'Reil's light cavalry force. Before being forced to flee, O'Reil's light cavalry beat five of the six French cavalry units.
The Coalition broke up into three parts at this point, utterly losing control and running away. It started snowing in the middle of the day. During this time, a notorious and horrifying incident occurred when numerous Russian forces routed by the French right-wing attempted to flee south across the icy Satschan Lake. The ice shattered when the French artillery fired at them. Numerous pieces of Russian artillery sank along with the Russians, who perished in the frozen lake. According to the source, the French may have seized anywhere between 38 and more than 100 cannons during this incident. It's also unknown how many Russian soldiers perished in the lake; estimates range from 200 to 2,000.
According to one source, 22,000 Russian soldiers perished after Napoleon defeated the Austro-Russian army. Napoleon probably inflated this figure (through his infamous "30th Communiqué") for propaganda purposes, and Tsar Alexander I had the motive to accept this inflated figure as well. Low values appear to be more reliable. When the lake was drained a few days later (around December 6, when the locals were instructed to remove all the horse corpses), only the bodies of two or three people and between 130 and 150 horses were found, according to many sources, whereas the numbers recorded by the French side were made up on their own.
Only a few Russian men actually fell into the lake, according to the narrative of General Kutuzov's casualties following this battle. The situation was actually being observed by Count Comeau, who was quite trustworthy, who reported that the Russian soldiers were clinging to the lake's banks and that "even if a few platoons were to sink into the water, it would not be deep enough to make them drown." Importantly, this bombardment led numerous Coalition soldiers to stumble into a French trap, and the Russians ultimately lost the majority of their forces and artillery.
The Russian army's remnants fled in such a tangle that the French were unsure of where to pursue them. Only the Russian cavalry of General Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, along with General Dokhturov and Grand Duke Konstantin, fled in a well-organized way and with minimal casualties from the entire coalition. Bagration had made a 60-kilometer withdrawal in under forty hours because the French were too worn out to chase him.
After forcing the Russo-Austrian Union army into Austerlitz's inner city, Napoleon took control of all access points to the Olmütz region. After his impressive triumph, a snowfall descended, rendering the French pursuit difficult. By the time it got dark at 4 p.m., the gunshots had completely stopped. Napoleon observed the Coalition's last survivors in their bad status. The triumphant Emperor, along with Berthier and Soult, surveyed the entirety of Augezd. He then drove his horse down to Pratzen Heights' base and headed toward the frozen Lake of Satschan, the roar of cannon, and the ranks of his victors.
Under the Emperor's orders, no French soldier dared to leave the ranks to avoid taking care of the wounded. Napoleon never retreated to rest until it was obvious to the men that he was still in good health. The injured could hear the cries of the dying French troops and the cheers of the vast French army surrounding Napoleon as a chilly wind blew forcefully against the snow-covered reeds of the Golbach marsh. Soldiers from Russia, Austria, and Germany were fleeing.
What Was the Outcome of the Battle of Austerlitz
The majority of historians view this as Napoleon's most magnificent triumph. Napoleon's navy was wiped out in the naval battle of Trafalgar, but he valued ground success more because of his two battles with the First and Second Coalitions, which gave him undisputed dominance. for him on the continent, prevail. Napoleon's plan to invade England was thwarted, but his victory against Austria in the battles of Ulm and Austerlitz restored it, giving him complete dominance on the continent.
He defeated Austria for the third time with this win; his first two successes were in the conflict with the First Coalition of feudal Europe in 1796. The political climate in Europe was significantly altered by the Battle of Austerlitz and the conflicts that came before it. In under three months, the French had seized Vienna, routed the two Russo-Austrian armies, expelled the Russians from Central Europe, damaged the reputation of the Austrian Empire, and altered the serious balance of power in the area. The eighteenth century in Europe. French dominance over continental Europe began with the Battle of Austerlitz, but one of its immediate ramifications was the Kingdom of Prussia's entry into war with France in 1806.
The victory, which had significant geopolitical implications, set the framework for Napoleon to realize his vision of reshaping Europe. After celebrating its triumph at Trafalgar, England was distraught to learn that the Coalition had been defeated. Following Austria's defeat by Napoleon, silence descended for the following three years. Although the Germans referred to the conflict as the "Battle of the Three Emperors," only Napoleon I and Alexander I engaged in direct combat. Emperor Franz I lived in Hungary during the fight, far from the battlefield and Austria.
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