Battle of Wagram

Battle of Wagram

The Battle of Wagram was a big battle. It happened from 5 to 6 July 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. The French army, led by Emperor Napoleon, fought the Austrian army, led by Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen. It was one of the largest battles in Europe at that time, with around 300,000 soldiers.

The battle happened because Austria tried to use a time when the French army was smaller in a place called the Confederation of the Rhine. Austria invaded a French friend, the Kingdom of Bavaria. But Napoleon’s army got stronger and took Vienna in May 1809. Even after losing some battles, Archduke Charles kept his army and kept fighting.

Napoleon got ready for his next move. He gathered over 150,000 soldiers near Vienna. The battle started when Napoleon crossed the Danube River and attacked the Austrian army, which had over 130,000 soldiers. After a hard fight, Napoleon’s army won, and Archduke Charles had to move back. Even though Napoleon won, the battle was very hard, and many Austrians were hurt or lost. This victory led to the Treaty of Schönbrunn, where Austria gave up some land and people. After the battle, Napoleon honored one of his important generals, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, by giving him the title of Prince of Wagram.

Prelude

Context

In 1809, the First French Empire was very strong in Europe. Napoleon had won many battles from 1805 to 1807, so other countries were careful about challenging him. However, he couldn’t get the United Kingdom to agree to peace. To fight back, he tried to stop Britain from trading with Europe by using the Continental System. He also tried to make Portugal follow this rule, and when they didn’t, he sent soldiers there. He even changed the leader of Spain to his own brother, which made many people in Spain unhappy and led to fighting there.

France’s main enemy was the Austrian Empire. Even though Austria had lost before, they had rebuilt their army. By 1809, they were ready to try and take back some power. They hoped people in Germany would join them, and they thought Prussia might help too. Austria got ready for war, planning to fight in places like Bavaria and Italy.

Opening campaign

By March 1809, war between Austria and France seemed very likely. Austria’s main army of about 200,000 soldiers was ready. On April 9, 1809, Austria started fighting without warning by moving into Bavaria, which was a friend of France. Napoleon was in Paris at the time and wasn’t ready. The French commander, Marshal Berthier, wasn’t prepared and made some mistakes. But on April 17, Napoleon arrived and started to organize his troops. There were several battles, and the Austrians were pushed back.

One big battle happened at Aspern-Essling in May. Napoleon tried to cross the Danube River but faced strong Austrian forces. The battle was very hard, and both sides lost many soldiers. Napoleon had to retreat, marking his first big defeat.

Towards another battle

After the battle, both sides were tired but ready for more fighting. Archduke Charles, Austria’s leader, wasn’t sure he could win but hoped Napoleon might agree to peace. Napoleon, however, wanted to fight again. He worked hard to fix his army and plan another crossing of the Danube. He built strong bridges and prepared his soldiers for the next battle. Both sides were getting ready for what would become the Battle of Wagram.

The first day

The Battle of Wagram was a big fight during the Napoleonic Wars. It happened on July 5th and 6th, 1809, between Napoleon's French army and the Austrian army led by Archduke Charles. This battle was important because it was the largest battle in Europe at that time and helped end the Fifth Coalition against France.

Before the battle, the Austrian leaders knew the French were getting ready on Lobau island. They thought the French would cross from the north, like they did before, so they built defenses there. But Napoleon had other plans. He moved his army through the south of the island, which surprised the Austrians. The Austrians had to change their plans and moved to higher ground, thinking this would be safer.

During the battle, the French crossed the Danube River under cover of a storm. They fought through many Austrian troops and took several important places. The Austrians tried to stop them but were pushed back. Both sides fought hard, and the battle was tough. Napoleon’s forces were able to push forward and set up for more fighting the next day.

The second day

Rosenberg's attack

On the left side of the Austrian army, near the village of Markgrafneusiedl, Prince Rosenberg-Orsini led many soldiers and cannons. His troops were split into three groups to attack. The first group aimed for Grosshofen. The second group, led by Radetzky, moved toward Glinzendorf. The third group tried to go around the French near Leopoldsdorf.

Davout’s army faced them. When the Austrians attacked, Davout’s troops fought back. Radetzky’s soldiers pushed French forces back from Grosshofen and attacked Glinzendorf. Davout quickly counterattacked, and French light cavalry helped stop the Austrian cavalry.

Crisis at Aderklaa

General Bellegarde led Austrian troops toward Aderklaa, a village with strong defenses. His soldiers entered the village but had to wait for more troops before attacking more.

Maréchal Bernadotte had to leave Aderklaa after losing many soldiers the day before. When Austrian artillery attacked, it damaged Saxon guns. Masséna arrived with more troops and ordered an attack to take back Aderklaa, which succeeded after hard fighting. However, some troops retreated in disorder.

Klenau's flank march

Klenau and Kollowrat moved their Austrian troops forward to go around the French left. Klenau’s troops attacked Aspern and captured French guns but were slowed by French artillery. Kollowrat’s troops moved carefully, focusing on keeping their position.

The French reaction

Napoleon looked at the situation and ordered Masséna to break contact and attack Klenau’s troops. Bessières’s cavalry charged the Austrian line but faced strong resistance. Nansouty’s cavalry captured an Austrian battery but were later pushed back. Napoleon then used a large artillery battery to attack the Austrians, forcing them to retreat.

Davout's flanking attack

Davout prepared to attack the Austrian left near the village of Markgrafneusiedl. After a hard battle, French forces captured key positions, and Davout used his cavalry to break through. Though the cavalry charge failed, the French gained ground.

MacDonald's column

MacDonald’s troops moved toward Süssenbrunn to keep Austrian forces busy. Despite losing many soldiers, the attack succeeded in drawing Austrian attention.

Masséna's "Infernal Column"

Masséna moved away from Aderklaa and marched against Klenau. His forces captured Essling and Aspern after intense fighting, continuing to pressure Klenau’s retreating troops.

Austrian retreat

Archduke Charles ordered a retreat as his troops were tired and facing many French soldiers. The Austrian army withdrew in an orderly way, and the French troops were too tired to chase them. The Battle of Wagram ended in a victory for the French.

Aftermath

By July 6, the Austrian army had stopped fighting and moved away. Napoleon worried they might fight again, but on July 7 he saw they had left. The tired French army started chasing the Austrians. They did not know where the Austrians were going—some reports said Brünn, others said Moravia or Znaim.

The Austrians were heading to Znaim in Bohemia. They had lost many soldiers in the battle. Archduke Charles gathered his troops at Korneuburg. He and his leaders decided to stop fighting to make peace. Between July 9 and 12, French soldiers met Archduke John’s troops in small fights and pushed them back toward Hungary. Masséna’s troops fought the Austrian rear guard, especially at Hollabrunn.

Marmont’s small group met the Austrian army at the Battle of Znaim. Even though they were outnumbered, Marmont attacked to slow the Austrians down. Napoleon soon arrived with more soldiers. The fighting continued the next day, and the Austrians lost many men. As more French troops arrived, Charles decided to ask for a pause in fighting, called an armistice. He did this without permission from Emperor Francis I. Napoleon agreed, even though some of his leaders wanted to keep fighting. The Armistice of Znaim ended the active part of the war between France and Austria in 1809.

The Battle of Wagram was a very large battle in Europe at that time, with many soldiers fighting. It was one of the deadliest battles of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

French records said they lost many soldiers, and the Austrian army also suffered heavy losses. This included losses from the Battle of Wagram and smaller fights afterward, as well as the Battle of Znaim.

Analysis

The Battle of Wagram was a tough battle for Napoleon. The French army lost many soldiers, and some important leaders were hurt or lost. These losses made it hard for the French to get better. One of Napoleon's key leaders, Bernadotte, was removed from his job and later led Sweden, which caused problems between Sweden and France.