When did the Battle of Ratisbon take place?
The Battle of Ratisbon was fought on the 23rd of April 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was the last engagement of the Bavaria phase of the 1809 campaign.
Questions about Battle of Ratisbon
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Was Napoleon wounded at the Battle of Ratisbon?
Napoleon was struck by a small canister round in the left foot while walking to observe a breach in the city wall. The shot caused a contusion but did not severely hurt him; he was able to mount his horse and ride among his troops afterward.
What did Marshal Lannes do during the Battle of Ratisbon?
After three assault parties failed to scale the walls of Ratisbon, Marshal Jean Lannes grabbed a scaling ladder himself and shouted to his troops that he was a grenadier before he was a marshal and still was one. His aides physically restrained him, but his men, shamed into action, carried the walls on the fourth attempt.
How did the Austrian army escape at the Battle of Ratisbon?
The main Austrian army crossed the Danube overnight using the city's stone bridge and a pontoon bridge thrown two kilometers downstream to the east. Six thousand cavalry held off ten thousand French horsemen for nearly three hours at dawn, and the last pontoon bridge defenders cut the securing ropes before the French could seize the crossing.
What were the casualties at the Battle of Ratisbon?
French casualties, including Napoleon's ankle wound, totaled between 1,500 and 2,000. The Austrians lost at least 6,000 men killed, injured, or captured.
What happened after the Battle of Ratisbon ended?
Napoleon sent Marshal Louis Davout to guard the north bank of the Danube, then moved south toward Vienna. The campaign continued with the Battle of Aspern-Essling.