La Bataille de Deutsch Wagram 1809

reforms had made sure the Austrians would have a large army. Karl’s problems would be, throughout the campaign, one of poor Austrian commanders. While Karl was a fine tactical commander, he could not be everywhere on the battlefield. As it was, he would often be the tactical commander in a local situation the Austrians would use. In game terms, Austrian commanders are poor in comparison to the French ones. However Karl is a good commander and needs to be used in certain situations. His tactical and morale ratings are the best the Austrians have. General Rapp in his memoirs writes that at Essling, Karl led many battalions of Hungarian grenadiers in charges to hold or take the village. The victory at Aspern-Essling by the Austrians is due in large part due to the personal bravery of Karl in leading those grenadiers. Karl opened the War of the Fifth Coalition in April 1809 with an invasion of Bavaria. He was successful for the first few days, when he faced Berthier, the commander of the Grand Armee while Napoleon was arriving on the Danube from Paris. But then Napoleon (and Davout) defeated the Austrians at Eckmuhl and Landshut and were able to occupy Vienna after a few weeks. Karl bounced back with a victory, no-doubt influenced by his personal bravery, at Aspern-Essling in late May of 1809. But Karl did not follow-up to attempt to finally defeat Napoleon after the decision at Aspern-Essling. Instead Karl waited six weeks and allowed Napoleon to bring up his Italian and Dalmatian armies and the French pummeled the Austrians at Wagram. This delay and caution by Karl has been criticized by military observers. Karl was also a theorist, but his theories were wrong. While Napoleon (and then Clausewitz) believed in destroying the enemy army; Karl believes in holding strategic points. So Karl nearly always held the key points, but the French army never was destroyed.

Retired FromMilitary Life At Age 37

After the defeat at Wagram, Karl could not escape the inevitability of Napoleon’s control of the pieces on the board, and the Austrians, at great cost, sued for peace. Karl, always quarreling with Francis, withdrew to his Teschen estates and retired from military life at the age of 37, save for a few months in 1815 when Karl was named the commander of the German fortress at Mainz during the 100 Days.

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