La Bataille de Aspern-Essling 1809

Landshut Maneuver Karl intended to isolate and destroy Davout at Regensburg, and had 80,000 concentrated to effect that outcome. However, Napoleon did a massive redeployment of his entire army called the Landshut Maneuver in which he had hoped to have Davout’s III Corp and Lefebvre forces hold and pin Karl close to the Danube, while the rest of the French would sweep around the Austrian army towards the Southeast. While there were many battles and many outcomes, the French were largely successful in their endeavors—especially at the battle of Eckmuhl on April 21-22 where Marshal Davout would prevail. One notable exception was the battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on April 24. Here, Field Marshal Johann Baron von Hiller, one of the very best Austrian generals, vigorously attacked Bessieres by sharply turning and counterattacking Bessieres, who had been pursuing Hiller with French cavalry and Wrede’s Bavarian infantry division after the battles around Eckmuhl. Hiller’s actions proved the Austrians had lots of fight left in them and their army would need to be defeated soundly before there could be a peace. The rest of the Austrians were able to take the town of Regensberg for just long enough to move their army to the north side of the Danube and fall back towards Bohemia---where Charles had wanted to be in the first place. The French army continued its aggressive push to Vienna as very few Austrians had remained on the south side of the river. Vienna finally fell to the French on May 13, and unlike the French success in 1805, the Austrian population greeted the French with absolute hostility. Parts of the city were bombarded before French entry, and the French occupation was a dark event for the inhabitants. Karl’s army was still a force in being---large and not soundly defeated, on the north side of the river, and able to keep the French from seeking a victorious and complete peace. The French attempted to cross to the north side of the Danube near Vienna on May 13, but were repulsed with about 700 losses. By this time, the French had assembled around 71,000 troops on the south side of the river. Karl watched from the north side with about 98,000. The French then began to search for another suitable crossing and decided upon the route via Lobau Island. On the night of May 19, French engineers under the command of Count Bertrand occupied Lobau. On the 20 th , construction began of the bridge from Lobau to the left bank of the Danube. Marshal Massena’s corps was able to seize the necessary bridgehead and nearly 40,000 French forces were able to move to the north side of the Danube onto what was called the Marchfeld---where the Austrian Army had drilled and paraded for years. Karl had actually allowed Massena’s troops to cross the river. His hope was to allow a large portion of the French to cross and then attack that isolated group without the assistance of the main French body and destroy them piecemeal… Thus the stage for the battle of Aspern-Essling was set on the afternoon of May 21, 1809

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