Battle of Aspern-Essling

Battle of Aspern-Essling
Part of War of the Fifth Coalition
The Archduke Charles at Aspern by Johann Peter Krafft.
Date 21–22 May 1809 Location Lobau, Vienna 48°12′47″N 16°30′09″E Result Austrian victory
Belligerents
Austria	France
Commanders and leaders
Archduke Charles Johann von Hiller Heinrich von Bellegarde Friedrich von Hohenzollern-Hechingen Franz von Rosenberg Johann I of Liechtenstein	Napoleon I André Masséna Jean Lannes † Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Units involved
Hauptarmee	Army of Germany
Strength
98,260; 292 guns	80,130; 154 guns
Casualties and losses
22,285 to 22,900; 2 guns	19,980 to 24,001; 3 guns
class=notpageimage| Location within Europe

War of the Fifth Coalition

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125miles

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Aspern

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  current battle

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In the Battle of Aspern-Essling (21–22 May 1809), Napoleon crossed the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were attacked and forced back across the river by the Austrians under Archduke Charles. It was the first time Napoleon had been personally defeated in a major battle, as well as his first battle defeat in 10 years since the Siege of Acre, and his first battle defeat as head of state.

Archduke Charles drove out the French but fell short of destroying their army. The Austrian artillery dominated the battlefield, firing 53,000 rounds compared to 24,300 French. The French lost over 20,000 men including one of Napoleon's ablest field commanders and closest friends, Marshal Jean Lannes.

Background

After the victories of Eckmuhl and Abensberg and the way to Vienna for Napoleon was eventually open. By 13 May Napoleon had entered Vienna. The French wanted to cross the Danube. A first crossing attempt on the Schwarze Lackenau was repulsed with some 700 French losses. Lobau, one of the numerous islands that divided the river into minor channels, was selected as the next point of crossing. Careful preparations were made, and on the night of 19–20 May the French bridged all the channels on the right bank to Lobau and occupied the island. By the evening of the 20th many men had been collected there and the last arm of the Danube, between Lobau and the left bank, had been bridged. Masséna's corps at once crossed to the left bank and dislodged the Austrian outposts. Undeterred by the news of heavy attacks on his rear from Tyrol and from Bohemia, Napoleon ferried all available troops to the bridges, and by daybreak on the 21st, 25,000 men were collected on the Marchfeld, the broad plain of the left bank, which was also to be the scene of the Battle of Wagram.

The Archduke did not resist the passage. It was his intention, as soon as a large enough force had crossed, to attack it before the rest of the French army could come to its assistance. Napoleon had accepted the risk of such an attack, but he sought at the same time to minimize it by summoning every available battalion to the scene. His forces on the Marchfeld were drawn up in front of the bridges facing north, with their left in the village of Aspern (Gross-Aspern) and their right in Essling. Both places lay close to the Danube and could not therefore be turned; Aspern, indeed, is actually on the bank of one of the river channels. The French had to fill the gap between the villages, and also move forward to give room for the supporting units to form up.

The corps led by Johann von Hiller (VI), Heinrich Graf von Bellegarde (I) and Prince Friedrich of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (II) were to converge upon Aspern, while Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini (IV) was to attack Essling. Prince Johann of Liechtenstein's Austrian reserve cavalry was in the center, ready to move out against any French cavalry attacking the heads of the columns. During the 21st the bridges became more and more unsafe, owing to the violence of the current, but the French crossed without intermission all day and during the night.

Order of battle

The Battle of Aspern-Essling, May 1809
by Fernand Cormon

Kaiserlich-Königliche Hauptarmee, under the command of Charles of Austria:

• 1st Column (VI Corps), Hiller:
  • Vanguard: Nordmann
  • Div. Kottulinsky
  • Div. Vincent
• 2nd Column (I Corps), Bellegarde:
  • Div. Fresnel
  • Div. Vogelsang
  • Div. Ulm
  • Div. Notitz
• 3rd Column (II Corps), Hohenzollern-Hechingen:
  • Advance Guard
  • Div. Brady
  • Div. Weber
• 4th Column (IV Corps), Rosenberg/Dedovich:
  • Div. Klenau
  • Div. Dedovich
• 5th Column (a part of IV Corps), Rosenberg/Hohenlohe:
  • Vanguard: Rohan
  • Div. Hohenlohe
• Reserve Corps, Liechtenstein:
  • Div. Hessen-Homburg
  • Div. Kienmayer
  • Div. of grenadiers, Lindenau
  • Div. of grenadiers, d'Aspre

Total: 99,000 men; 84,000 infantry, 14,250 cavalry, 288 guns

Armée d'Allemagne, under the command of Napoleon I:

• Imperial Guard:
  • Div. 1 (Young Guard): Curial
  • Div. 2 (Old Guard): Dorsenne
  • Div. 3 (cavalry): Arrighi
• II Corps, Lannes † :
  • Div. Tharreau
  • Div. Claparède
  • Div. Saint-Hilaire †
  • Div. of reserve, Demont (unengaged)
• IV Corps, Masséna:
  • Div. Legrand
  • Div. Carra Saint-Cyr
  • Div. Molitor
  • Div. Boudet
  • Brig. Marulaz (cavalry)
  • Div. Lasalle (cavalry)
• Cavalry Reserve Corps, Bessières:
  • Div. Nansouty
  • Div. Saint-Sulpice
  • Div. d'Espagne †

Total: 77,000 men; 67,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, 152 guns

Battle

First day

Napoleon had not anticipated a significant engagement on the northern bank. The significant deployment of light cavalry at the head of the crossing schedule suggests that he still anticipated the necessity to locate Charles' army. At 04:00 on the 21st, the Emperor convened a meeting with his senior military officers to review the latest intelligence and plan the next steps. Despite the expectation that Bessières' advanced cavalry patrols would have discovered the presence of the main Austrian army so close to the bridgehead, they sent back no such information. This suggests that the French reconnoitering cavalry proved ineffective on this occasion. As there were no reports of the enemy, Lannes stated that he believed the army would encounter no more than 8,000 Austrians on the 21st, at the very outside. Only the cautious Duc de Rivoli made an estimation that the enemy might already be nearby in force, but this was not agreed with by the others. At approximately 01:00 p.m., the leading units of the Austrian Ist Corps successfully repelled Molitor's outposts and drove them back into Aspern. The French were caught off-guard by the unexpected attack, which was disguised by the combination of a low ridge and a convenient dust storm until the last moment. Fortunately, Molitor was able to respond effectively to the challenge. By exerting considerable effort, he was able to repel the initial Austrian attack and gain sufficient time to bring all four of his regiments into the town. Despite repeated Austrian attacks throughout the afternoon, the French defence held firm. However, by 5:00 p.m. the Austrian forces had formed a half-circle around Aspern, and Archduke Charles ordered a general assault. General Molitor was now facing significant challenges in maintaining his position, with the enemy launching simultaneous attacks from three directions and overwhelming his forces. In the hours that followed, Aspern changed hands no less than six times. However, Molitor was determined not to concede defeat and continued to hold his position until he could be reinforced by General Legrand and subsequently Carra St. Cyr. This enabled the vital bridge to be opened to traffic once more.

Meanwhile, in a strategic centerpiece, the 7,000 sabers of Bessières engaged in a prolonged battle against Austrian cavalry and neighboring corps. One notable casualty was the brave cuirassier commander, General d'Espagne, who was killed by an Austrian saber stroke. This was a significant loss for the French cavalry. The garrison at Essling was holding its own on the extreme right. Here, the French forces were only effectively attacked by Rosenberg's 4th Corps from 6:00 p.m. onwards. Due to Lannes' strategic deployment of Boudet's troops positioned within the town, the French successfully repulsed three successive Austrian attacks, maintaining control of their position and preventing any losses. Just before 7pm, the last new personnel arrived on the scene. St. Germain's brigade from Nansouty's division and St. Sulpice's cuirassiers were present for Bessiéres' final assault on the enemy centre, but there were no significant outcomes. With the onset of darkness, the majority of combat ceased, and the two armies settled into a state of relative calm, with the exception of the ongoing engagement at Aspern, where a narrow distance separated the French and Austrian forces. At his new headquarters in Breitenlee, Archduke Charles was engaged in planning the next day's operations. Meanwhile, on the nearby island of Lobau, Napoleon was sending urgent messages to Davout in Vienna and mobilising all available troops in the bridgehead.

Second day

In ferocious fighting, Austrian grenadiers attempt to storm the fortified granary in the village of Essling.

At early dawn of the 22nd the battle was resumed. Masséna swiftly cleared Aspern of the Austrians, but at the same time Rosenberg stormed Essling. Lannes, however, resisted desperately, and reinforced by St Hilaire's division, drove Rosenberg out. In Aspern, Masséna was driven out by a counter-attack of Hiller and Bellegarde.

Meanwhile, Napoleon had launched an attack on the Austrian center. The whole of the French center, with Lannes on the left and the cavalry in reserve, moved forward. The Austrian line was broken through, between Rosenberg's right and Hohenzollern's left, and the French squadrons poured into the gap. Victory was almost won when the Archduke brought up his last reserve, leading his soldiers with a colour in his hand. Lannes was checked, and with his repulse the impetus of the attack died out all along the line. Aspern had been lost, and graver news reached Napoleon at the critical moment. The Danube bridges, which had broken down once already, had been cut by heavy barges, which had been sent drifting down stream by the Austrians.

Napoleon at once suspended the attack. Essling now fell to another assault of Rosenberg, and the French drove him out again. Rosenberg then directed his efforts on the flank of the French center, slowly retiring on the bridges. The retirement was terribly costly, but Lannes stopped the French from being driven into the Danube. Complete exhaustion of both sides ended the fighting.

Aftermath

Marshal Lannes was mortally wounded at Essling. Painting by Paul-Émile Boutigny, 1894

The French lost over 20,000 men including one of Napoleon's ablest field commanders and closest friends, Marshal Jean Lannes, who died after being mortally wounded by an Austrian cannonball in an attack on Johann von Klenau's force at Aspern, which was backed up by 60 well-placed guns. French general Louis-Vincent-Joseph Le Blond de Saint-Hilaire also died as a result of injuries from the battle; his leg was torn off by a cannonball. Additionally, French general Jean-Louis-Brigitte Espagne had died in battle; he got directly hit, and died minutes later. The Austrians had also suffered similar casualties but had secured the first major victory against the French for over a decade. The victory demonstrated both the progress the Austrian army had made since the string of catastrophic defeats in 1800 and 1805, and the fact that Napoleon's army was in decline and could now be defeated in battle. This was Napoleon's first battle loss since losing at Acre, which coincidentally had occurred precisely ten years and one day before. The loss of Marshal Lannes was an especially severe blow to Napoleon, as he lost one of the few marshals who was capable of independent command, something that would haunt him dearly in the future.

The French forces were withdrawn to the island. On the night of the 22nd the last bridge was repaired, and the army awaited the arrival of reinforcements in Lobau. The Austrians, surprised by their victory, failed to capitalize on the situation, allowing the French to regroup. One month later, the French made a second attempt to cross the Danube where Napoleon gained a costly and decisive victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram.

The Löwe von Aspern (Lion of Aspern), a large stone sculpture in front of St. Martin's Church, is a monument commemorating the battle.

Accounts

Patrick Rambaud, a French author, wrote a fictionalized account of the conflict entitled "The Battle" using many first-hand sources. Just looking from the French perspective, the novel provides a rather realistic description of combat in the Napoleonic era, as well as detailed depictions of famous commanders such as Napoleon, Massena, and Lannes. The concept and notes for the book originally came from noted French author Honoré de Balzac. Marcellin Marbot, one of Marshal Lannes aide-de-camps, wrote in his memoirs of the battle, in which he had to observe the last moments of his close friends, and describes the amount of bloodshed and sadness which came to the Grande Armée after the crossing of the Danube.

The army surgeon Dominique-Jean Larrey also described the battle in his memoirs and mentions how he fed the wounded at Lobau with a bouillon of horse meat seasoned with gunpowder. Larrey is quoted in French by Dr Béraud

Sources

• Chandler, David G. (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-02-523660-1.
• Mikaberidze, Alexander (2020). The Napoleonic Wars A Global History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-995106-2.
• Criste, Oskar (1912). Krieg 1809. Nach den Feldakten und anderen authentischen Quellen bearbeitet in der Kriegsgeschichtlichen Abteilung des K. und K. Kriegsarchivs. Kriege unter der Regierung des Kaisers Franz (in ger). Vol. III. vienna: Wilhelm Braumüller. OCLC 310047327.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Rothenberg, Gunther (1995). Napoleon's Great Adversary : Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792-1814. New York: Sarpedon. ISBN 1-885119-21-6.
• Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618–1905). Retrieved 14 June 2021.
• Castle, Ian (1990). Aspern Wagram (1809). Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 9781855323667.
• Gill, John H. (2009). The Fall of Vienna and the Battle of Aspern. 1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs. Vol. II. London: Frontline Books. ISBN 9781848325104.
• Gill, John H. (2016). Leggiere, M. (ed.). Napoleon and the Operational Art of War. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-27034-3.
• Chisholm, Hugh (1911). "Aspern-Essling, Battle of" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 767–768.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Parker, Harold T. (1983). Three Napoleonic Battles (2nd ed.). Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822305477.
• Béraud, Dr. (1841). Études Hygiéniques de la chair de cheval comme aliment (in French).
• Novitsky, Vasily F.; Schwartz, Aleksey V. von; Apushkin, Vladimir A.; Schoultz, Gustav K. von (1911). Военная энциклопедия Сытина [Sytin Military Encyclopedia] (in Russian). Vol. III: Аральская флотилия – Афонское сражение. Moscow: Типография Т-ва И. Д. Сытина. pp. 180–182. Retrieved 16 September 2023.

External links

• Media related to Battle of Aspern at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by Battle of Tarvis (1809)

Napoleonic Wars Battle of Aspern-Essling

Succeeded by Battle of Alcañiz