Austerlitz: Napoleon and the Eagles of Europe (44 page)

Maréchal Michel Ney, French commander of VI Corps. Ney’s corps undertook much of the fighting around Ulm and was successful in the battles at Günzburg and Elchingen before demanding the surrender of Mack’s Austrian army in Ulm.

Maréchal Nicholas Soult, French commander of IV Corps. Born in 1769 Soult considered a career as a baker before joining the army in 1785. His corps played a crucial role in the Battle of Austerlitz.

Prince Peter Bagration, descended from a dynasty of Georgian kings, was an excellent rearguard commander and through his resolute defence at the Battle of Schöngrabern earned promotion to General Leitenant.

FML Michael Kienmayer, an experienced fifty-year-old cavalryman, led an active and prominent part throughout the 1805 campaign. He was one of the first Allied commanders to encounter the French army in 1805, and also one of the last, as Austrian rearguard commander on the retreat from Austerlitz.

Napoleon harangues Marmont’s II Corps at Augsburg on the Lech river. The Emperor arrived in the town on 10 October and left two days later.

At the battle of Elchingen on 14 October Maréchal Ney threw his corps over the damaged Danube bridge and attacked Riesch’s Austrian corps. The Austrians formed on the high ground close to the Abbey but were overwhelmed and retreated back to Ulm.

After Mack’s disastrous campaign, he agreed to surrender his army on 20 October. Over 20,000 Austrian soldiers marched out of the city to lay down their arms.

(All Sammlung Alfred und Roland Umhey)

A view of the Dürnstein battlefield looking south to the Danube, which runs along the foot of the hills in the background. Between the villages of Unterloiben on the left and Oberloiben to the right Miloradovich locked in combat with the isolated French general, Honoré Gazan.

A distant view of the Pratzen Plateau from the outskirts of Kobelnitz. The high ground on the right horizon shows the Pratzeberg, the scene of the fierce fighting between St. Hilaire’s division of IV Corps, Kamenski’s Russian brigade and Jurczik’s Austrians
(Martin Worel)

The Santon, the important isolated hill lying close to the Brünn-Olmütz road on which Napoleon anchored the left of the army.

Napoleon and his staff on the morning of Austerlitz observing the progress of Soult’s attack on the Pratzen Plateau from Zuran Hill.
(Sammlung Alfred und Roland Umhey)

One of the solid stone buildings in the village of Sokolnitz. The fighting here was both fierce and prolonged, buildings such as this creating stout strongpoints for defence.