Battle of Eckmühl

The Battle of Eckmühl took place from 21 to 22 April 1809. It was an important event in the War of the Fifth Coalition.

At this time, Napoleon I was not ready for the war, which began on 10 April 1809 when the Austrians, led by Archduke Charles of Austria, attacked. For the first time since becoming the ruler of France, Napoleon had to respond to his enemy’s actions.

Thanks to strong defense by the III Corps under Marshal Davout and the Bavarian VII Corps under Marshal Lefebvre, Napoleon was able to defeat the main Austrian army. This victory allowed Napoleon to take control of the war for the rest of the conflict. The battle showed Napoleon’s skill in overcoming early difficulties and changing the war in his favor.

Strategic situation

The Battle of Eckmühl took place over a large area of about fifty miles, from Regensburg to Pfaffenhofen. The land there was rough and full of woods, making it hard for either the French or the Austrians to know much about where the other army was.

On April 20, 1809, Napoleon sent most of his army to attack to the southwest, winning the Battle of Abensberg. He then sent his troops after what he thought were the remaining Austrian forces, except for Davout's III Corps and Lefebvre's (Bavarian) VII Corps.

However, the French attack only divided the Austrian Army. Archduke Charles of Austria pulled two Austrian corps to the north, creating a line nine miles long from Abbach on the Danube to Eckmühl on the Grosse Laber. The Austrians also captured French soldiers at Regensburg and took a key bridge over the Danube. This allowed Charles to reconnect with the rest of his army.

Plans

Archduke Charles wanted to surround and defeat Marshal Davout's army. He sent some troops to hold Davout and others to attack from a hidden path.

Napoleon wanted to trap the Austrian soldiers heading to Landshut. He sent some soldiers to block them and others to chase them. He also told Davout to attack the Austrians, with help if needed. Napoleon had about 100,000 soldiers, while the Austrians had about 75,000.

Battle

On April 21, a big fight happened between French and Austrian soldiers at Schierling near Eckmühl. The next day, Austrian soldiers met French cavalry led by Montbrun. The land was hilly and wooded, so the Austrians could not move forward easily.

General Vandamme’s German troops crossed a bridge at Eckmühl and captured a castle there after hard fighting. Davout’s soldiers attacked the Austrian center near Unterlaichling. With help from Bavarian troops, they took important places. As the battle went on, French cavalry fought Austrian horse soldiers and finally pushed them back. The Austrians tried to leave, but French forces followed them closely.

Aftermath

The French won the battle, but it was not the final victory. Napoleon wanted to trap the Austrian army, but he did not know the city of Ratisbon had already been taken. This allowed the Austrians to escape.

The French still caused more losses than they suffered. Napoleon’s quick actions helped his army turn and defeat the Austrians. Later battles let the French take back Ratisbon, push the Austrians out of Southern Germany, and capture Vienna.

After winning at Eckmühl, Napoleon’s advisors chose to fight the next battle at Ratisbon.