the Austrian campaign

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

• Feb 1809 - Austrian chose to go to war with France again
  Why
• Inspired by resistance in Spain and Portugal
• Bitter about the treaty of pressburg (1805) which marked the collapse of the holy roman empire
• Leaving Spain in 1809 Napoleon hastened to fight the Austrian reaching he danube valley in early march
• Campaign lasted 2 months
• French victory but not an easy one
• April 1809 Austrian defeated at Eckmuhl after putting up a good resistance
• French losses are almost equal to that of Austria
• May 1809 napoleon occupies Vienna (the capital)
• May 1809 napoleon defeated at Aspen Essling
• Austrian take Vienna back
• France suffers a lot
• Archduke Charles had adopted napoleon methods taking the french army by surprise
• July 1809 Austrian defeated in a 2 day battle at wagram
• Decisive french victory
  But lost 32 thousand men

Question 2

The Austrian campaign - napoleon’s generalship

Answer 2

• July 1809 (called up his reverse) and was successful in a 2 day battle at wagram
• Last victory but at a cost - 32 thousand men killed
• Napoleon’s own army had been weakened by the division of his troops and needed to rely on more new recruits and foreigners from his satellite states
• Proved to be less disciplined and some had even deserted at Wagram

Question 3

The Australian campaign - napoleon’s enemies

Answer 3

• Despite the french victory the Austrian campaign not not been easily won
• Austrian had copied the french corps system
• Napoleon had underestimated the strength of the opposition at Aspen - essling and found himself outnumbered

Question 4

The Austrian campaign - significance

Answer 4

• Last of napoleon’s great victories
• October 1809 - Austrian signed the treaty of Schonbrunn
• Have to reduce its army to 150 thousand
• Give up the illyrian province on the Adriatic coast
• Pay an indemnities of 4 million francs
• 1810 napoleon married the Austrian princess Marie Louise
• 1811 napoleon son born
• Napoleon believed the future was bright
• But in hindsight a turning point had been reached
• His army had been weakened
• he was overstretched
• his enemies were strengthening at a time Napoleon seemed to be weakening.