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Battle of Austerlitz

The Battle of Austerlitz was the deciding engagement of the War of the Third Coalition
(1805) during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).
France

Napoleon

65,000-75,000 men

Russia & Austria

Tsar Alexander I

Emperor Francis II

73,000-85,000 men

Battle of Austerlitz - Date: The Three Emperors clashed on December 2, 1805.


With threats emerging from the Russia and Austria, Napoleon abandoned his
ambitions to invade England during the summer of 1805, and turned to deal with
these new adversaries. Moving with speed and efficiency, 200,000 French troops
departed their camps near Boulogne and began crossing the Rhine along a 160mile front on September 25. Responding to the threat, Austrian General Karl
Mack concentrated his army at the fortress of Ulm in Bavaria. Conducting a
brilliant campaign of manoeuvre, Napoleon swung north and descended on the
Austrian rear. After winning a series of battles, Napoleon captured Mack and
23,000 men at Ulm on October 20. Though the victory was dampened by Vice
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson's triumph at Trafalgar the next day, the Ulm
Campaign effectively opened the way to Vienna which fell to French forces in
November.

Aftermath : One of Napoleon's


greatest victories, Austerlitz
effectively ended the War of the
Third Coalition. Two days later, with
their territory overrun and their
armies destroyed, Austria made
peace through the Treaty of
Pressburg. In addition to territorial
concessions, the Austrians were
required to pay a war indemnity of
40 million francs. The remains of
the Russian army withdrew east,
while Napoleon's forces went into
camp in southern Germany. Having
taken much of Germany, Napoleon
abolished the Holy Roman Empire
and established the Confederation
of the Rhine as a buffer state
between France and Prussia. French
losses at Austerlitz numbered 1,305
killed, 6,940 wounded, and 573
captured. Allied casualties were
massive and included 15,000 killed
and wounded, as well as 12,000 captured.

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