The Battle of Austerlitz 200 Years on
Just a few weeks ago near Brno in the Czech Republic, thousands of history fans gathered together from all over the world to commemorate one of the most renowned events of European history: The Battle of Austerlitz. “The Battle of Austerlitz was the finest battle I ever fought,” once remarked Napoleon. And it was undoubtedly the peak of glory and heroism for the great French Grande ArmÃ?©e, as well as being the crowning victory among the numerous other military successes Napoleon had celebrated up until then. It was the battle that established his reputation.
The Battle of the Three Emperors, as The Battle of Austerlitz is also referred to, took place on December 2nd 1805 on the fields between Austerlitz and Brno. The outnumbered forces of French Emperor Napoleon I stood to face the combined military might of Russian Tsar Alexander I and the Austrian Emperor Francis II. The troupe strengths stood at roughly 68,000 to 90,000.
Essentially, Bonaparte outwitted his opponents and had them fight the battle on his terms. Napoleon first fooled the Russian forces by feigning a retreat. This was done in order to provoke them into attacking the French right flank, which is precisely what they did. While this was happening, the Austrians, as expected, tried to attack the French left. But being that both of these flank attacks were anticipated, and the French being a much faster and more motivated fighting force, they were beaten back and turned very quickly. These turning movements allowed the actual French attack up the weakened allied center. After fierce fighting, this center collapsed, complete confusion ensued, and the allied armies put to flight.
The number of victims was enormous on the coalition’s side; some 15,000 dead and wounded. The French lost some 1,500 troupes with approximately 7,000 wounded. More than 30,000 allied forces were taken prisoner.
This battle between France and the Austrian-Russian or third coalition against Napoleon (instigated by England), was more than a “mere” military confrontation. It was also an ideological clash between two political concepts: Newly-won democracy on the one side vs. the old regimes of the leading European monarchies on the other. But the third coalition was now no more and Napoleon effectively ruled continental Europe. Ironically though, just a few weeks prior to his greatest victory, the road to his eventual final defeat at Waterloo had been paved by Nelson’s resounding defeat of the French fleet at Trafalgar.
And irony always abounds whenever one delves into Napoleon’s story, pardon me, history. The caricature of the saber-rattling warmonger is a common perception of Napoleon Bonaparte up to this very day – and highly-inaccurate. He had no motivation for war at the time of this, his most famous battle. France was consolidating itself under its new Emperor and Napoleon was in the process of finishing a massive restructuring of his country. One easily forgets that he is the architect of modern France and countless Napoleonic institutions live on today.
But, to use a popular phrase of the moment, “Old Europe” feared the contagious example of democracy in 1805 and, manipulated by a weakened and isolated England, forced Napoleon to defend his “New Europe” on the battlefield. And defend it he did.
The Battle of Austerlitz behind him, the Emperor now returned to Paris to resume his ambitious plans for France. He had a mere ten months of peace to do so before the next battles would begin raging again and would lead him, step by step, to Waterloo.
