Battle of Znaim
Archduke Charles pulled his army north into Bohemia after the defeat at Wagram. He hoped to regroup his battered forces in that region. The French army had also suffered heavy losses and did not pursue immediately. Two days passed before Napoleon ordered his troops north again. His goal was to defeat the Austrians once and for all. The French eventually caught up with the enemy at Znaim on the 10th of July 1809. Realizing they were in no position to fight, the Austrians proposed a ceasefire. Archduke Charles went to begin peace negotiations with Napoleon while the fighting paused.
Marshal Auguste de Marmont refused to observe the ceasefire order. He committed his XI Corps of around 10,000 men into battle anyway. With Marmont greatly outnumbered, André Masséna had no choice but to support him. By the 11th of July, Masséna's corps had joined Marmont's in battle. The Austrians had also reinforced their position around the town of Znaim. Marmont believed he faced only a rear guard when he arrived. He ordered his Bavarian troops to take the village of Tesswitz south of Znaim. The rest of his troops attacked the village of Zuckerhandl instead.
The Bavarians succeeded in storming Tesswitz but were then thrown out by Austrian reinforcements. Marmont renewed the Bavarian attack, and Tesswitz was retaken. It was lost soon after as the village changed hands a number of times during the day. This contest constituted the heaviest fighting the Bavarians saw in the whole campaign. Marmont hoped to swing his cavalry behind the Austrian rear guard. On reaching high ground above Tesswitz, they were faced with five enemy corps. The French cavalry was forced to withdraw in the face of a large body of Austrian cuirassiers. His men nevertheless managed to hold on to both Tesswitz and Zuckerhandl overnight.
Napoleon arrived at Tesswitz at 10:00 A.M. on the field. Despite bringing reinforcements of cavalry and artillery, he believed his force was too weak for a full-scale attack. His plan was to employ Masséna's corps to pin the Austrians throughout the day. He waited for the corps of marshals Louis-Nicolas Davout and Nicolas Oudinot to arrive early on the twelfth. Masséna launched his attack on the extreme right of the Austrian position during midmorning. His troops quickly seized the main bridge across the Thaya south of Znaim. Charles reinforced the Austrian position with two grenadier brigades that advanced during a thunderstorm.
French and Austrian staff officers rode along the opposing lines at approximately 7:00 p.m. They announced a cease-fire which led to the signature of an armistice on the 12th of July 1809. Two days of futile fighting had ended with neither side gaining any advantage. Both sides suffered similar casualties during the engagement. The Battle of Znaim proved the last action between Austria and France in the War of the Fifth Coalition. The two sides signed a treaty of peace at the Schönbrunn Palace on the 14th of October 1809. Archduke Charles withdrew his forces into a strong defensive position situated so as to hold the north bank of the Thaya and Znaim.
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Common questions
When did the Battle of Znaim take place?
The Battle of Znaim took place on the 10th and the 11th of July 1809, with an armistice signed on the 12th of July 1809. The fighting concluded after two days of engagement between French and Austrian forces.
Who commanded the Austrian army at the Battle of Znaim?
Archduke Charles commanded the Austrian army during the Battle of Znaim in 1809. He withdrew his forces into a strong defensive position along the north bank of the Thaya river after the battle ended.
Which French marshals fought at the Battle of Znaim?
Marshal Auguste de Marmont led the XI Corps while Marshal André Masséna supported him with additional troops at the Battle of Znaim. Napoleon also arrived to oversee operations alongside Marshals Louis-Nicolas Davout and Nicolas Oudinot.
Where was the main fighting located during the Battle of Znaim?
The primary combat occurred around the villages of Tesswitz and Zuckerhandl south of the town of Znaim. French forces seized the main bridge across the Thaya river during midmorning attacks on the extreme right of the Austrian position.
Why did the Battle of Znaim end without a clear winner?
The Battle of Znaim ended because Archduke Charles proposed a ceasefire after realizing his forces were outnumbered by the French army. Both sides suffered similar casualties during two days of futile fighting that resulted in neither side gaining an advantage.