July-September 1804
- The Electorate of Wurttemberg has joined the War of the Third Coalition on the side of the French Empire.
- The Ottoman Empire eases trade restrictions with Western Nations in their capital, Constantinople.
- Ex-Prime Minister De Godoy of Spain has died of uncertain circumstances. José Moñino y Redondo, conde de Floridablanca, an old but highly respected reformist statesman of the Royal Court, has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Spain.
- French port cities on the coast of the English Channel suffer minor raids from the British Navy. The raids are repelled with minor damage.
- A British merchant ship and its crew has been taken hostage by Barbary pirates!
- Barbary pirates have been raiding an increased amount. Notable nations being harassed are:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Archduchy of Austria
- Russian Empire
- Kingdom of Twin Sicilies
- Hostile Action: The Ottoman Empire has invaded the Archduchy of Austria!
- Hostile Action: The Ottoman Empire has invaded the Archduchy of Austria!
- The Ottoman Empire declares War on the Archduchy of Austria.
- The Ottoman Empire raises taxes on British, Prussian, Russian, and Saxon shipping by 50%.
- The Ottoman Empire lowers taxes on French, Spanish, Batavian, Italian, Swiss, Etrurian, Swedish, Sardinian, Danish, and Norwegian trade by 20%.
- The Ottoman Empire has taken the fortified city of Agram (Zagreb).
- The Dockyards of Stockholm caught fire, causing moderate damage. Cause appears to have been accidental.
- A minor explosion occurred in the Armory of Stockholm. A few crates of powder spontaneously combusted. Cause appears to be accident. Negligible damages were sustained.
- Rumors of spies attempting to infiltrate the Grain Stores of Stockholm circulate through the city. No suspects have been caught.
- Rumors of spies attempting to infiltrate Christiania circulate through the city. No suspects have been caught.
- Rumors of spies attempting to infiltrate the Château de Malmaison circulate through France. No suspects have been caught.
- Rumors of spies attempting to infiltrate Vienna circulate through the city. No suspects have been caught.
- The Royal Navy has captured the Spanish island of Majorca (Mallorca).
- The Royal Navy has raided ports along the western coast of France. Damages were moderate and the raids were repelled.
- The Royal Navy has raided the city of Bourgogne. Damages were minimal and the raid was repelled.
- The Royal Navy has raided the city of Toulon. Damages were minimal & the raid was repelled.
- The Royal Navy begins blockading Toulon.
- The Royal Navy begins blockading trade to Spain through the Balearic Sea.
- The Royal Navy begins blockading trade to Spain through the Bay of Biscay.
- The Royal Navy has taken the Spanish town of Tarifa.
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has re-taken Gibraltar.
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has taken the city of Cuxhaven.
- The Royal Navy begins blockading the Oresund to all trade of nations hostile to the Third Coalition.
- The Imperial Russian Navy begins blockading the Oresund to all trade of nation hostile to the Third Coalition.
- Hostile Action: The French Empire has invaded the Electorate of Bavaria.
- Hostile Action: Forces of the French Empire and the Electorate of Bavaria have begun hostilities against each other in battle.
- The Electorate of Salzburg has been occupied by the Archduchy of Austria.
- Strange weather hits Continental Europe. Strong wind and rains occur in France and Middle Europe (Germany and North Italy).
Battle of Emden
Battle of Emden
Defender = French Army (None): 29 - 3 + 0 + 0 + 3 = 29
Attacker = British Army (Townsend Walker): 19 + 0 + 3 + 0 + 0 = 22
Major French Tactical Victory
The previous French victory in East Friesland hadn't discouraged the British as anticipated. In fact, one might say they were emboldened by their defeat, as evidenced by the recent audacious naval assault on the city of Emden in East Friesland.
The garrison of Emden, having just fought Wellington a few miles north. retired to the city to recover its stocks of men and supplies. Due to bigger priorities in other campaigns, in particular Napoleon's campaign through Southern Germany, spare men and supplies were hard to come by, which made their position particularly untenable. These shortcomings were magnified once a fleet of British ships emerged on the horizon. The garrison of Emden prepared themselves for a naval raid, fortifying as much as they possibly could and bring any and all artillery they could find to bear on the city harbor. The ships stayed out of range, for the most part, for about a day. A few scattered cannon balls were shot back and forth both by ships probing for a weak point and anxious gunners scared of the British "Wooden Walls". The next morning the garrison of Emden awoke to a chilling site. Rowboats. Rowboats emerging from many of the fleet's ships, each carrying a handful of men. Scores of boats began assembling in the safety of the waters outside the range of the French cannon. All through the morning the British forces prepared for battle, with the French defenders watching anxiously. Finally at 9 in the morning, the British launched their assault. Scores of boats made their way towards the shores of Emden, the French defenders waiting eagerly for the moment they were within cannon range. Finally, fire erupted from both sides. French artillery wrecked havoc on the British, their slow boats being easy targets for musket and cannon alike. Boat after boat was either sunk or repelled with heavy casualties. Canister shot skipped the bay like pebbles upon water. The attack continued for half a day, each wave getting closer than the last one. At one point small numbers of British troops made it to shore, and began pushing the makeshift French fortifications by way of bayonet. Alas, the staunch defense of the French prevailed over the superior numbers and energy of the British. The naval assault was simply too difficult to continue, as the British had already taken many casualties with virtually no gains. Even with support from the guns of British ships, the defenders of Emden prevailed. The British were beaten.
After all was said and done, by the night of July 18th, the British retreated back to sea, having dealt major damage to the city but failing to capture it. The defenders, just barely, defended the city and kept it in French hands. The battle cost the British 4,350 men, with 4,000 being killed or wounded in battle and 350 being captured by the French. The French lost 1,430 men, 1,000 being killed or wounded while 430 were captured in battle.
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar
Battle of the Strait of Gibraltar
Defender = British Fleet (Eliab Harvey): 29 + 0 + 6 + 0 + 0 = 35
Attacker = Spanish Fleet (None): 10 - 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 7
Major British Tactical Victory; Major British Strategic Victory
It was a clear July night. A sizable fleet had congregated at the Atlantic side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Their cargo dropped off, the fleet was preparing to disperse off into smaller portions, each mini fleet with their own objective. Suddenly, on the horizon, a flag was spotted through the fog. A Spanish pennant, flapping in the wind, was soon joined by more pennants. A Spanish fleet had arrived.
Such was the situation the evening of July 20th. The day had passed by uneventful up until that point. As both fleets stirred into action, victory was weighed in on by both sides. Could this fleet be a decoy, or could it in fact be the entire Franco-Spanish Armada? Was this lone smattering of ships just another probing force of the British, or something much more significant? Soon the fog cleared, and the setting sun revealed the extent of what was to come. Both fleets, at least 25 ships strong, stared each other down in the waters near the Strait of Gibraltar. Such a point is extremely strategically important, and both sides knew it. Only one nation would be able to claim the waters as theirs this time, and the British made their first move to make it so. Assembling their fleet into 2 lines of battle, the British confidently set sail and readied themselves for battle. The Spanish, seeing themselves to be slightly outnumbered, assembled into a single line of battle, and steeled themselves for action. Solitary cannons fired test shots, all missing by a wide margin as both fleets closed in on each other. After what seemed like an eternity, both sides met in full on battle as the flagships of both fleets clashed. Soon the solitary duel turned into battle, as both fleets finally brought all of their ships to bear. The Spanish, putting faith in their standard single line formation, performed well in the first portion of the action. However, the battle quickly turned against the Spaniards, as the superior seamanship of the British proved to be too much. Cannons roared as grape and solid shot splintered through the hulls of ships. To make matters worse, the Spaniards soon found themselves fighting on both sides, as the double line formation by the British quickly divided and encircled their fleet. The battle soon turned into a rout as one by one the Spanish ships began to flee and withdraw from the field. The withdraw soon turned into chaos, though, as the ferocious British would not allow the Spaniards to leave Strait alive. Spain's crown jewel, the Santísima Trinidad, was sunk following a crippling explosion in the lower levels of the ship. The battle was over, leaving the Royal Navy the clear rulers of the sea.
The battle was a major victory for the British, who suffered the loss of only 3 sunk Ships of the Line. The Spanish meanwhile suffered the loss of a whopping 11 Ships of the Line, 8 being sunk, 2 being scuttled by either the British or the Spaniards themselves, and 1 being captured by the British. A crippling defeat.
Battle of Gibraltar
Battle of Gibraltar
Defender = Army of Granada (None): 9 - 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 6
Attacker = British Army (John Moore): 29 + 0 + 3 + 0 + 0 = 32
Major British Tactical Victory; Major British Strategic Victory
While the Battle for the Strait of Gibraltar was raging nearby, another conflict was brewing between the British and the Spaniards. Landing unopposed in the Spanish port town of Tarifa, a sizable British Army under the command of General John Moore marched east to take back Gibraltar from the Spanish. A day later, the Spanish Army of Granada awoke to a shocking site: British troops and artillery deployed in order of battle against them, occupying the northern side of the area. The Spanish were trapped! To make matters worse, the defeat of the Spanish Navy meant that no relief from the sea would come anytime soon. The Spanish would have to fight their way out.
The Spaniards, taken by surprise and completely unprepared to fight an enemy attacking them by land instead of by sea, hastily organized themselves to attempt to break the 2nd siege of Gibraltar. Making their way from Gibraltar proper and into the adjacent Spanish villages, the Spaniards crept forward. The British, having the superior positioning, held fast. The 1st Spanish attack erupted as Spanish guns blasted specific sections of the British front lines. A huge wave of infantry rushed onto the British right wing, shoulder to shoulder ready to give the British cold steel. The British remained vigilante, however, and answered the Spanish call with an intense volley at point blank range into the ranks of the Spanish. The attack faltered and, despite attempts to rally and continue the charge, British musket fire repelled the Spanish charge. Soon the lines were shifting and musket fire was exchanged all over the front line. Despite all of their courage and energy, the Spanish were outmatched, outgunned, outnumbered, and had no chance. Soon groups of Spaniards surrendered on the spot as the British began pushing back by way of bayonets. The Spanish Army of Granada was to exist no more.
The battle was a major victory for the British, who had only 900 men killed and wounded. For the Spanish, the battle was a total defeat. The Spaniards lost 3,680 killed and wounded, with the remaining 7,820 men being taken prisoner by the British. The 22nd of July will be known as a black day for Spain.
Battle of Stockholm Waters
Battle of Stockholm Waters
Defender = Russian Navy (Senyavin): 30 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 30
Attacler = Danish-Swedish Navy (Cronstedt): 30 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 33
Tactically Inconclusive; Strategic Russian Defeat
It was a sunny July afternoon. A huge armada of Russian ships, transports and Ships of the Line, was just off the coast of Stockholm. Awaiting preparations for a large amphibious invasion of Sweden. The Russian Fleet, lead by one Dmitri Senyavin, patrolled around the stationary fleet of transport ships, holding scores of men. Suddenly, a ship appeared on the horizon. Then 2. Then 3. Soon an entire armada appeared, sailing timidly in their direction. The Danes and the Swedes had arrived.
The Danish-Swedish Fleet had not come to fight originally. In fact, the Scandinavians were caught just as unaware as the Russians were. Nevertheless, the Danes and Swedes, under Admiral Cronstedt, arrayed themselves into 2 lines of battle. Seeing that the Russians were drastically inferior in numbers, Cronstedt confidently divided his forces to crush this Russian fleet. Admiral Senyavin knew how precarious his options were. He could leave now and save his few Ships of the Line, however he would in return leave an entire undefended Russian Army in transport open to capture or even total destruction. Attempting to make his fleet appear bigger, he arranged the transports as close together as possible in what would've been a perfect line of battle, had they been Ships of the Line, while also preparing them for a quick withdrawal. Cronstedt knew what was ahead of him, and could not let this prize slip through his grasp. Senyavin knew what was behind him, and knew what was at stake not just for himself, but for his countrymen. Both men steeled themselves for what needed to be done, and so commenced this heroic battle.
Both admirals lead their respective fleets from the very front of the formation. Cronstedt's parallel lines sailed almost diagonal to Senyavin's single line. Soon both flagships sailed to within firing range of each others' guns, and the firing began. For 2 hours straight, Russian guns answered Swedish and Danish guns. Despite superior numbers, Cronstedt couldn't attain the quick and easy victory as he so hoped for. Instead, the Russian Fleet fought with the strength of an armada 3 times its own size. 30 minutes into the battle, every single Russian ship was engaged in heated exchanges of fire with their Scandinavian counterparts. Grape and solid shot tore gaping holes in ships and men alike. The previously perfect formations of both side soon collapsed. Despite being outnumbered, and now after Cronstedt's second line wheeled around, outflanked, the Russians took the fight to the Swedes and Danes.
The battle devolved, and devolved, and devolved. Soon this set piece engagement on the high seas turned into an all out bare knuckle blood bath. Sailors were turned into paste by walls of canister and grape that tore through ships at point blank range. Ships broke formation and a massive cluster formed in the center of the battle. Swedish Ships collided with Russian Ships as both sides began boarding each other. Solid and Chain-Shot were switched for canister and grape. Men leaped from the decks of their ships or the rigging, clambering onto enemy ships with pistols and sabres hacking and slashing their way into the enemy. The battle turned into a massacre. Sails were unfurled as men from all walks of life and all backgrounds fought for their lives aboard their floating coffins. All sense of order disappeared. Men fought with anything and everything at their disposal. When the swords broke and the ammunition ran out, men used the butts of their muskets and their broken bayonets. Men battered and broke their enemies with anything they could get their hands on, from the broken boards of wood their very ships were made out of to ram rods and tools once used for sailing. Sailors wrestled and fell on the decks of their ships, slippery with blood and sea water. Eyes were gouged out and fingers broken, some men strangling their foes with the rigging of their ships or even their bare hands. Curses, deathly gasps, cries for help, home, and mothers were heard throughout the battle. Dane, Russian, Swede. It did not matter. Everyone was fighting for their lives. Enraged sailors, desperate to win the battle, even blew up their own ships, hoping to kill as many of the enemy as possible while also not letting their beloved boats fall into enemy hands. Even as ships sank violently into the sea, men continued the fighting. Like in the days of Cain and Abel, men beat and brutalized each other with the very hands their Creator had endowed them with. Even as some jumped from their ships to escape their watery death, the fight continued. Swede followed Russian, and Russian followed Swede. Many who did not even know how to swim jumped after their enemies anyway into the waters of the Baltic. Men wrangled with and fought their enemies up until their last moments as the salty water of the Baltic stole away their final breaths.
The story diverges here, with accounts changing depending on who you ask. Some say it was the result of a desperate volley of cannon by the Swedes to take down Senyavin's flagship. Others say it was the result of Russian sailors boldly setting Swedish powder alight on Cronstedt's flagship. Some of the more pious would say that it was neither, and that it was in fact God himself who intervened to end the spilling of blood of his most beloved creation. What is agreed upon is this: as Cronstedt and Senyavin continued in their deathly struggle against each other, an explosion ripped through one of the flagships. Soon another explosion was heard, and a great roar rippled through the battle as both ships exploded adjacent to each other right in the middle of the battle. Pieces of artillery, hull, and men alike rained down upon the battle. Hundreds more nearby were wounded by debris and the explosion.
As their brethren were embraced in a hellish struggle, a portion of Cronstedt's second line of battle rushed towards the undefended Russian transport fleet. Many had already swiftly withdrawn from the waters, however the unlucky few were caught by Danish ships. Despite being almost totally unarmed, a few bold transports, filled to the brim with soldiers, fought back with whatever weapons they had on board. One or two fruitless and inaccurate cannon shots were met by a wall of iron delivered by the Danish ships. The poor transports were battered and destroyed, their living cargo sinking with them. Many who could not get away surrendered to their Danish enemies, knowing that defeat was clear and death was certain should they try to fight. The fighting continued for another hour, but the battle was already over.
The battle was extremely bloody. The Russians lost all 8 of their Ships of their Line, 5 being sunk and 3 being captured, and Admiral Senyavin, along with 2,000 men being transported killed in action and another 8,000 being captured. However, the majority of their transports did manage to flee the battle and return to port safely, all thanks to the bravery and selflessness of Senyavin and his Lion Fleet. The Swedes suffered 7 Ships of the Line sunk, while the Danes lost 1 Ship of the Line also being sunk. The Swedes also lost Admiral Cronstedt. However, the Scandinavians did capture 3 Russian Ships of the Line and 8,000 Russian Soldiers. The Swedes and Danes also returned to Stockholm to repair and more than likely now to find a new admiral to lead them. This bloody and horrific battle on the Baltic Sea will never be forgotten. July 6th: the day the sea turned Red.
Battle of Viipuri (Author: DoctorWarband)
Battle of Viipuri (Russian province of Finland)
Defender = Danish Army of Norway (Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel): 19 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 19
Attacker = Russian Army (Bagration): 3 + 3 + 3 + 0 + 0 = 9
Russian Tactical Victory; Danish Strategic Victory
The 12th of July was a nice summer day in Viipuri. You don't see many of these, considering it IS the great north. Birds were chirping, the summer wind was blowing. It seemed like a great day for battle! Not too cold, not too warm. A small Danish force decided to take a stroll through the land, to feel it with their bare (or not so bare) feet. They marched for some time it seems, but the troops seemed content and happy. They were singing Danish folks songs, talking about recent lays they had in their local tavern with the blonde lass from around the block. It felt a bit too good to be true. They did not know that there was a Russia surprise waiting for them, though...
It wasn't an ambush, not at all, but it did seem like the Russian force knew where the Danish were coming from. Bagration, the commander of the Russian army, led his forces to chase the seemingly unprepared Danish army. The battle itself did not occur until a few days of chase, where they stopped and went, stopped and went. On the day of battle, Bagration prepared his vanguard to attack the Danish force, mistakenly thinking it was much small than it really was. The Russian vanguard, eager and ready for battle, all pumped up from the days of the cat and mouse game these two forces played. Without thinking, Bagration orders his vanguard to attack. The Russian lines advanced hastily towards the line of the Danish vanguard. The Danish quickly opened fire. That was devastating result. You could see a line of 100 Russian troops dropping to the floor all together, almost synchronized. It was in that moment where it all went to hell for the Russian force. "CHAAAAAARGE" called Bagration. The Russian vanguard charged the steady Danish forces, which after about 12 hour of continuous face to face fighting were able to repel the Russian forces back slightly! At that point, the Danish lost only 900 men where the Russians lost about 9,000 (dead/wounded) and 500 more were captured. Even after repelling the vanguard of the Russians, there were still quite a lot of troops for the Danish to handle, and they knew that. So they retreated to the nearby forest, there they were safe once again, all shocked from the victory they were able to achieve against the Russians. Slowly, the realization started to creep on them, and throughout the day you could hear loud noises of celebration.
Battle of Tornio (Lapland)
Battle of Lapland
Defender = Russian Army (Bennigsen): 28 + 0 - 3 + 0 + 0 = 25
Attacker = Swedish Army (Adlercreutz): 12 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 12
Minor Swedish Tactical Victory; Extreme Russian Strategic Victory
Bennigsen's Army lay in waiting in the province of Lapland. The rich city of Tornio was his base. Covering the main road, Bennigsen both snapped the Swedish supply lines by way of land and was in a position to be able to delay or even halt a reinforcing army coming from Sweden or hold a retreating Swedish Army.
That "retreating" Swedish Army soon came, and on July 18th Bennigsen deployed himself a few miles south of Tornio. The Swedish Army, under command of one Adlercreutz, deployed itself against Bennigsen's position. Seeing that they had the advantage, the Swedes pressed the attack, creeping forward with weight of numbers on their side. However, they were not prepared for such a feisty Russian defense. Despite numerical inferiority, the Russian defenders held firm, giving the Swedes every foot of land for a precious cost. Slowly but surely, the Russians were pushed back, not without inflicting massive casualties on the advancing Swedes and even routing some portions of the Swedish Right Flank. Weight of numbers was a grave danger however, and the Russians were forced to retire. Their withdrawal was superbly executed, with every unit leaving the field in an orderly fashion and managing to retreat to safety with the army still intact.
The battle might be considered a Swedish victory, however the conflict did not end there. Even after being pushed out of Tornio, Bennigsen continued his harassment of the much larger Swedish Army travelling west through Lapland. Despite their best efforts, the Swedish Rearguard failed many times in keeping the Russians at bay. Stragglers were captured by the Russian Army, and the Swedes were forced to leave the province without being able to replenish or even retake control of their own land. So, despite "losing" the battle, the Russians might be considered the victors in this endeavor. The Russians lost 2,000 men killed and wounded, with another 400 taken as captives. The Swedes lost 13,000 killed/wounded, with another 2,000 captured.
Battle of Augsburg
Battle of Augsburg
Defender = Austrian Army (Archduke Charles): 22 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 25
Attacker = French Grand Armee (Napoleon Bonaparte): 15 + 9 + 0 + 0 + 3 = 27
Minor French Tactical Victory; Austrian Strategic Victory
Following a peculiar bout of strange weather, Napoleon finally managed to set out against the Austrians in Southern Germany. A month of weird weather delayed communications, supplies, men, roads were blocked, a whole manner of strange events. Finally, on August 1st, all of the consequences of these series of unfortunate events ceased and the war in Germany continued.
Napoleon and his Grand Armee made their way east, following after the Army of Archduke Charles, their opponent in the previous battle. Weird weather had delayed them too, and so both sides found themselves desperate for time. The day of battle soon arrived. The Austrians, knowing that the French were hot on their heels, halted and began entrenching a few miles shy of the small city of Augsburg. The French arrived soon enough. Both sides were ready for yet another pitched battle.
The French began with a ferocious greeting from their massive Grand Battery. Gun after gun fired cannonballs at the entrenched Austrians. The damage was terrible. However, the Austrians were not about to be defeated by a few measly balls of iron. The Austrians stood firm, and so the French attack began. The French line advanced, steadily closing in on the significantly outnumbered Austrians. As the Frenchmen began to close in on the Austrian redoubts, the firing began. Scores of men fell within the first volleys on the French side. The French infantry deployed into lines and began to respond in turn. The Austrians however had the advantage, and soon the first infantry attack was repelled. The battle did not end however, as more infantry attacks were launched by the French. On the Austrian left, an audacious and cunning bayonet charge launched against the Austrian flank began a chain reaction causing the Austrians to begin to give up their fortified positions. Although the bayonet charge was repelled, the Austrian Army had already begun to fall back. Archduke Charles, seeing that weight of numbers was not on his side, fought a stellar fighting retreat against Napoleon's Army. Napoleon gave chase, swiftly harassing any units he could. However, the battle, by then, was already over. The French had taken the field, but at a cost.
The battle, though a minor French tactical victory, was really a major Austrian victory. Future circumstances would make this apparent. From this battle the Austrians lost 10,000 killed and wounded and 7,280 captured, however the army had remained intact and organized, allowing them to retreat further east to link up with reinforcements. The French meanwhile lost 17,000 men killed and wounded with another 5,000 captured. Though this battle was over, another battle would be just beginning a day's march away, in Munich.
Battle of Munich
Battle of Munich
Defender = Austro-Bavarian Army (Archduke Charles): 20 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 24
Attacker = French Grand Armee (Napoleon Bonaparte): 26 + 9 + 0 + 0 + 3 = 38
French Tactical Victory; Austrian Strategic Victory
Following the battle of Augsburg, the Army of Archduke Charles retreated east to link up with reinforcements. Napoleon gave chase, hoping to crush the army before it could be reinforced by a sizable force. Napoleon, however, was not fast enough as he soon encountered Archduke Charles's army once again, with a large Bavarian Army backing him! Both armies, the Austrians now reinforced, met a few miles north of Munich. Another battle, this time now with the aid of the Bavarians, a nation that had not declared their hostilities against France, was about to begin.
The Austrians had, once again, fortified their position. Now, with Bavarian reinforcements, they also begain to take the offensive against Napoleon. The Bavarian Army, some 30 something thousand strong, began the battle with a surprise: a Grand Battery! The Bavarian Grand Battery challenged the French Grand Battery, and the French soon responded. An artillery duel began as both sides began their attacks. Austrian infantry, blooded by the previous battle, stood firm against the French attacks. However French Elan and energy proved too much to handle, and despite adequate musket fire the Austrians were pushed back by French bayonets. The Austrians continued their attacks elsewhere, however, and on the Austrian right flank the Bavarians proved to be a match for the French. A fierce French charge was driven back by a Bavarian regiment, charging into the smoke after delivering an impressive volley.
The battle, however, began to turn in Napoleon's favor. The Austrians and Bavarians soon found themselves divided between Napoleon's Grand Army as the Austrian center began to curl. Archduke Charles, fearing total defeat and the reinforcement of possibly another French Army, ordered a tactical withdrawal. The Austrians and Bavarians, in adequate order, disengaged themselves from the battle. This time the outnumbered French prevailed over the larger Austro-Bavarian Army.
The battle was a French tactical victory once again. The French lost 12,000 men killed and wounded, with another 3840 men captured. However, the Wurttembergers who were a part of the Bavarian Army, having not engaged in the battle, defected over to the French side seeing that their countrymen were in French service! A total of 8,000 Wurttembergers had joined the French Grand Armee. Meanwhile, the Austro-Bavarian Army lost 13,000 Austrians killed and wounded, with another 4,754 Austrians being captured. The Bavarians lost 6,000 killed and wounded, with another 5,172 being captured. The Austro-Bavarian Army, due to Archduke Charles's diligence, had managed to retreat towards Vienna mostly intact. Napoleon's Grand Armee once again began to give chase, however the presence of more hostile armies soon changed his plans.
Battle of Starnberg "Battle of the Two Empires"
Battle of Starnberg
Defender = French Grand Armee (Napoleon Bonaparte): 29 + 9 + 0 + 0 + 3 = 41 (+2)-> 43
Attacker = Austro-Prussian Army (Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow & Emperor Francis II): 1 - 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = -2 (Minimum of 1, 2 added to opponent's roll)
Major French Tactical Victory; Major French Strategic Victory
Napoleon's plans of chasing after Archduke Charles were soon given up. A sizable Prussian Army under Von Bulow caused him to be on alert. Napoleon would have gone after the Prussians, had he not heard of another army coming after him from the south: a monstrous army, reportedly 100,000 men strong, lead by Holy Roman Emperor Emperor Francis II, was barreling down on Napoleon. Napoleon had to act and act fast. Instead of chasing Archduke Charles, Napoleon fled west. He laid his trap near the small town of Starnberg.
Napoleon found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Feigning panic, he sent a messenger to the Emperor calling for an armistice and perhaps a meeting to discuss terms. The Emperor, seeing this as a sign of weakness, accepted the armistice and prepared his own plans of crushing Napoleon. The Prussians soon joined the Emperor at the town of Starnberg. Confident that Napoleon would not attack them, they rested their armies in the town of Starnberg waiting for more news from Napoleon and the possibility of favorable peace terms. A day passed and the Emperor received word back. Correspondence continued and the Germans found themselves at ease. Napoleon had surely given up!
September 3rd was a chilly day. As night fell, the moon was out of sight. The night was pitch black, with not even the stars out to give light. The Austro-Prussian camp was silent. At 2 in the morning, almost every man, save for the sleep deprived sentries, were asleep. Suddenly a loud roar shook the ground of the Austro-Prussian camp. Cannonballs rained down on the camp, breaking many fragile tents and buildings. Men died in their sleep, and the unlucky ones awoke to darkness as the screams of men grew louder and louder. Suddenly horses crashed into the camp, cutting down any man who dared stand against them. The camp was in total disarray. The army was in shambles. Many men had not even the time to put on their uniform or pick up a weapon! Suddenly mobs of Frenchmen stormed into the camp, killing any and all that they could find. Napoleon had launched a night attack!
The "battle" that ensued was a complete and total disaster. Many men were cut down where they stood, without even the slightest chance of surviving. Those who were lucky ran and continued running until this hellish scene was out of their sight. Those that managed to become somewhat organized fled into the city where another portion of the army was staying. The Emperor himself and the Von Bulow barely escaped with their lives, themselves dressed in night attire as they rode off into the night. As morning came, those that made it into the city found themselves besieged. With leadership crumbling and no reinforcements in sight, the siege was short lived. Napoleon had just smashed an army over double his size. The Austrian Army crumbled. The battle was totally lost.
The French took this stellar victory with almost negligible losses. 582 men were killed or wounded on the French side. The Austro-Prussian Army, meanwhile, took a total of 53,750 casualties! 12,900 of those were Prussians, as they lost 4,900 men killed or wounded and 8,000 captured. The Austrians lost a total of 40,850 men, 20,000 of those being killed/wounded while another 20,840 were captured. Many of those following the resulting siege of Starnberg and from the hussars pursuing stragglers. Overall, this was perhaps the worst military disaster Austria has had. Whatever remained of the army had fled towards Vienna. Napoleon now appears to have the upper hand in Europe alone. Could this be the end of Austria's war?
