Treaty of Schönbrunn
Austrian forces under Archduke Charles repulsed French troops at the Battle of Aspern on 21-the 22nd of May 1809. This victory offered a brief hope before Napoleon crushed the army at Wagram just weeks later. The decisive battle concluded between 5 and the 6th of July ended Austria's attempt to reverse the 1805 Peace of Pressburg. Austrian Foreign Minister Johann Philipp Stadion lost his position in October, replaced by Klemens von Metternich. Earlier uprisings like the Tyrolean Rebellion against Bavarian allies had already failed when French forces occupied Vienna in May 1809.
France forced Austria to cede the Duchy of Salzburg directly to Bavaria. The empire lost access to the Adriatic Sea by waiving territories including Gorizia, Gradisca, Trieste, Carniola, Istria, and western Carinthia. East Tyrol and Croatian lands southwest of the Sava river transferred to the French Empire as Illyrian Provinces. West Galicia went to the Duchy of Warsaw while Tarnopol district passed to the Russian Empire. These losses stripped Austria of significant strategic depth along its southern borders.
Austria agreed to pay a large indemnity to France following the conflict. The treaty mandated reducing the Austrian army to exactly 150,000 men though this promise remained unfulfilled. Graz Schlossberg fortress faced demolition after its garrison resisted French occupation forces firmly. Napoleon imposed the Continental System requiring Austria to enforce trade blockades against Britain. This economic pressure kept Britain at war with France while forcing Austrian compliance.
Emperor Francis I approached the French enemy by marrying his daughter Marie Louise to Napoleon in 1810. Marie Louise initially detested her new husband despite the political necessity of the union. Metternich changed policies allowing Austrian forces to join the French invasion of Russia in 1812. This alliance transformed former enemies into partners against other European powers. The marriage secured peace for Austria while strengthening Napoleon's dynastic position.
Seventeen year old Friedrich Staps arrived in Vienna demanding an audience on the 12th of October 1809. General Jean Rapp arrested him when he pushed through crowds toward Napoleon from a different direction. Police found a large kitchen knife concealed inside petition papers within Staps' coat. He told Napoleon frankly that killing him would be necessary even if pardoned. Württemberg fusiliers shot Staps outside the palace on the 17th of October shortly after Napoleon left Vienna.
Friedrich Staps became a symbol for German unification following his execution in 1809. Christian Friedrich Hebbel wrote a poem about the young man who shouted Long live Germany during his death. Walter von Molo later created a play based on the assassination attempt. Joseph Fouché kept the incident secret at Napoleon's instruction fearing greater conspiracy. By 1813 Staps emerged as a martyr of burgeoning German nationalism across Central Europe.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was the Treaty of Schönbrunn signed between France and Austria?
The Treaty of Schönbrunn was signed on the 14th of October 1809. This agreement ended hostilities following the Battle of Wagram which concluded between 5 and the 6th of July 1809.
What territories did Austria lose to France in the Treaty of Schönbrunn?
Austria lost access to the Adriatic Sea by waiving territories including Gorizia, Gradisca, Trieste, Carniola, Istria, and western Carinthia. East Tyrol and Croatian lands southwest of the Sava river transferred to the French Empire as Illyrian Provinces while West Galicia went to the Duchy of Warsaw.
How many men were Austrian forces reduced to under the Treaty of Schönbrunn?
The treaty mandated reducing the Austrian army to exactly 150,000 men though this promise remained unfulfilled. Emperor Francis I approached the French enemy by marrying his daughter Marie Louise to Napoleon in 1810 instead of fully complying with military restrictions.
Who attempted to assassinate Napoleon on 12 October 1809 in Vienna?
Seventeen year old Friedrich Staps arrived in Vienna demanding an audience on the 12th of October 1809. General Jean Rapp arrested him when he pushed through crowds toward Napoleon from a different direction before Württemberg fusiliers shot Staps outside the palace on the 17th of October.
Why did Austria agree to pay indemnity to France after the war?
Austria agreed to pay a large indemnity to France following the conflict because they lost the decisive Battle of Wagram which ended their attempt to reverse the 1805 Peace of Pressburg. The empire also faced economic pressure from Napoleon who imposed the Continental System requiring Austria to enforce trade blockades against Britain.