A Detailed Account of the Battle of Austerlitz

by Karl von Stutterheim

We have heretofore often seen 150,000 men in the field, and 30,000 slain. But it is the consequences of the action of the 2d of December, 1805; it is the epoch when it decided the fate of war; it is the moment in which it was fought, which makes it worthy of attention, and which will assign it a marked place in history.

It was the wish to gain personal information that induced the author to collect materials, which may become useful to a better pen: and he avails himself of a leisure moment to offer them to such as have the talent to make use of them.

In order that the past may serve to elucidate the future, it becomes requisite to recur to the circumstances that led to this decisive day; which proved how scrupulously accurate it is necessary to be, in making the calculations and combinations, to which the existing circumstances and the knowledge of human nature give rise.

The battles of Crems, and of Hollabrunn, are already well known. This is not intended as a history of the late campaign, but merely of a part of it, into which the account of those two affairs does not enter. It was after they had taken place, that M. de Koutousoff directed his retreat upon Brunn, and effected it from that moment, without much annoyance from the enemy. This first Russian army had orders carefully to avoid a serious engagement, and to hasten its retreat, for the purpose of forming a junction with that under M. de Buxhoevden, who was advancing rapidly to its support. M. de Koutousoff executed a difficult retreat from the river Inn, upon Moravia, which commenced on the 14th October, and lasted till the 18th November; and, although very inferior to the enemy in point of numbers, this Russian army effected its junction without much loss. The farther the grand French army advanced, the more its combinations became multiplied, and the more it was obliged to detach its force. The Russian general had the advantage of being enabled to concentrate during his retreat, which he also effected in good order: for this he was principally indebted to Prince Bagration, who conducted the rear-guard with much courage. The two Russian armies formed their junction at Wischau, on the 18th of November; from which time they became one, under the command of the General in Chief, Koutousoff. Its strength consisted of 104 Battalions, 20 of which were Austrians; and 159 squadrons, 54 of which were Austrians, and 40 Cosacks. The Austrian corps was commanded by Lieutenant General Prince John de Liechtenstein: his infantry was composed of the 6th Battalion, recruited, armed, and organized about a month before; M. de Kienmayer, with the remains of his corps, (very much weakened by the movement of M. de Merveldt on Styria,) formed a part of the corps under Prince John de Liechtenstein. The Archduke Ferdinand, with the wreck of the army from Ulm, and some Battalions, also newly raised, was in Bohemia, and thereby covered the right of the combined army; which might at this time be computed at about 72,000 men. The corps under the Archduke Ferdinand was composed of from 18 to 20,000 men.

The grand French army, after passing the Danube, had advanced into Moravia, being composed of the corps under Prince Murat, Marshals Soult, Lannes, and Bernadotte. The last of these was then opposed to the Archduke Ferdinand, and was advancing upon Iglau. Marshal Davoust, after having followed M. de Merveldt into Styria, moved from Vienna upon Presbourgh. The corps of Marmont marched upon Carinthia, and then upon Styria; in the first instance, to open the communication between the grand army and that of Italy; and afterwards, to oppose the junction of the Archduke Charles with the army under M. de Koutousoff; but the movements of this prince were so well calculated, and his force so well concentrated, that he did not allow time for the French to establish themselves at Gratz. Marshal Ney, after the passage of the Inn, took his direction on the Tyrol, by Scharnitz.

At the time of the junction of the two Russian armies near Wischau, they had only opposed to them, the corps of Prince Murat, part of which formed the advanced guard, those of Marshals Soult and Lannes, the imperial guards, under Marshal Bessiéres, and a corps of grenadiers, drawn from these different troops, forming a reserve of 15,000 men, under General Duroc. This army, when near Brunn, was composed of eight divisions, each of which was about 7000 strong. The Russian army was so much fatigued with the continual marches it had been making, whether to fall back on the support, or the support to get forward in time, that it was decided at Wischau to take up the position of Olmutz, to give some days rest to the troops.

Opinions were at that time much divided. The Russian advanced posts had no sort of information as to the position and force of the enemy; at one time, even Prince Bagration was ignorant of the situation occupied by the French advanced guard. The Austrians also, notwithstanding the facility they ought to have possessed of procuring intelligence in the country, had only very vague data to act upon.

By this information, however, it appeared, that the French forces were collected only in small numbers near Brunn; and some generals of the combined army gave their opinion at Wischau, for immediately resuming the offensive. It is possible, this moment might have been more fortunate than that which was afterwards chosen. The strength of the coalesced army was, from the 19th of November, superior to that of the enemy, who was yet uninformed that the junction of the two Russian armies was effected, and therefore could not expect an offensive movement,[1] such as a manœuvre on either of his flanks would have been. The army was then too near him to admit of his receiving reinforcements near Brunn. But this very diversity of opinion, perhaps rendered the movement on Olmutz necessary, because those in command did not possess that decision, which can only be the result of a military eye.

The Austrian general Weyrother, had been sent into Galicia, for the purpose of conducting the army of Buxhoevden through the hereditary states. He was an officer of reputation, who did not want for talent, and who had inspired the Russians with confidence. As soon as the two armies became united, he filled the situation of Quarter-master general. The court of Vienna had previously selected General Schmidt for this important trust; but that officer, a man of superior merit, and who, with a talent for the profoundest calculation, possessed that tranquil wisdom, which gives reason and deliberation in counsel; after having shewn himself, at Crems, to be worthy of the confidence that was placed in him, lost his life there, and was thus snatched from the hopes of his sovereign, and of his brother soldiers. His loss was the more sensibly felt, and the more regretted, because his successor, neither possessed his calmness, his prudence, or his firmness. The army marched, the 21st of November, from Wischau, and arrived the next day but one, in the position in front of Olmutz, whither we will follow it, for the purpose of detailing the operations.

March of the Combined Army into the Position of Olmutz.