The Battle of Ulm is an important victory won by the Grande Armée of Napoleon I over an Austrian army commanded by General Karl Mack, between 23 and 28 Vendémiaire Year XIV (15 and 20 October 1805). It was won mainly by skillful maneuvers by the Emperor, who pushed his opponent to lock himself in Ulm, where he must quickly surrender. It thus causes few deaths on the French side.
Political context
In the summer of 1805, Europe again seemed to be at war. The execution of the Duke of Enghien, the end of the Peace of Amiens, the coronation of Napoleon I and his coronation as King of Italy, and the reorganization of Germany and the Italian peninsula by France lead to a coalition composed of Russia, Austria, the Kingdom of Naples and the United Kingdom, the latter financing the coalition and wanting to drive away the Grande Armée, stationed in Boulogne. At the end of August 1805, the Third Coalition declared war on France and invaded its ally Bavaria.
Campaign before the battle
The wrap manoeuvre.
On August 23, Napoleon I “pirouetted his 200,000 men” from Boulogne to Vienne via Strasbourg, which he reached on September 24. After crossing the Rhine two days later, the "seven torrents" (for Napoleon's seven army corps) swept over Germany. Napoleon's goal is simple:to make Mack, his Austrian adversary, believe that the Grande Armée has reached Ulm, the crossroads of the region, by the traditional routes (along the Danube). He therefore sent Murat to abuse Mack, while the rest of the Grande Armée bypassed Ulm from the north and then fell back on Ulm (Battle of Elchingen), surprising Mack from behind and preventing his retreat (Napoleon placed Soultet Bernadotte to prevent any relief). A large part goes towards Ulm, where the Austrians hope to be rescued by the 54,000 Russians commanded by Kutuzov. But Kutuzov, convinced that the Grande Armée was still in Boulogne, thought he had time, when the bulk of the troops had already reached the south bank of the Danube. The rest of Mack's army fled, but was cut to pieces by Murat's cavalry (16,000 men killed and fifty guns taken).
Events preceding the battle
October 8, 1805:ambush at Wertingen.
October 9, 1805:capture of the bridges at Günzburg.
October 11, 1805:trap in the battle of Haslach. Prussia declares itself neutral.
October 14, 1805:Ney wins victory at Oberelchingen (Battle of Elchingen).
The opposing forces
Mack has 27,000 men, with good reserves of ammunition, but without food (the harvests are bad in 1805). Napoleon Bonaparte had 80,000 men (2nd, 5th and 6th corps, in addition to Muratet's cavalry reserve of the Imperial Guard).
Procedure
In Michelsberg
On October 15, the Emperor asked the Austrians to surrender, without success. Immediately, Napoleon sent General Bertrand to attack, but he was repulsed; then General Malher (6th corps) finally succeeded in investing the heights of Michelberg, west of Ulm. Moreover, the same day, Ulm is completely surrounded:Marmont, Lannes, Ney and Suchet enclose the city. In the evening, General Loison reaches the gates of the city, but his division is repelled.
“The marshal had the right, Lannes led the left. Everything was arranged; we walked, we started moving. The enemy in position on the Michelsberg initially put up strong resistance; but attacked in front, threatened from behind, he was obliged to let go, to take refuge in the place. Ney impetuously threw back into the suburbs the columns opposed to him, while Lannes was still struggling against the redoubts opposite him. Suddenly he realizes that his colleague is master of the heights, unfolds on the glacis. He is indignant at being outstripped; he wants in his turn to hasten fortune:he excites his generals, his corps commanders, spreads everywhere the ardor which transports him. Vedel rushes at the head of the 17th light on the redoubts which cover the Frauenberg and carries them. Marshal Lannes applauds this burst of vigor and decides to follow the road that the intrepid colonel has cleared for him. Its columns are formed; he wants to force, to take the place, to bring disorder into the midst of the Austrian battalions, to share with his colleague the glory of overthrowing the last obstacles which cover them. He still launches the 17th. For his part, Ney pushes the 50th line and the 6th light. The attack is about to succeed; these intrepid soldiers have crossed the bridges, the terrified enemy throws down his arms. They have only to follow, to push their advantages; but fortune is decided, and the vanquished army can still put up a bloody fight. The Emperor does not want to lavish the blood of so many brave men. He stops the columns, the Austrians recover from their stupor. Colonel Vedel, with a few hundred soldiers, is taken prisoner.
“We were masters of all the forts, of all the avenues. Werneck, beaten again in front of Albeck, reached Franconia in disorder. All hope was lost. The Austrian generals, unable to extricate themselves by force of arms, tried to break through by means of negotiations. They deputed the Prince of Lichtenstein to the marshal, and offered him the reinstatement, on condition that they could join Kienmayer, take part in his operations. If a request which seemed natural to them was refused, they were determined to bury themselves under the walls of the city, to make no more overtures or to receive any. Ney did not try to interrupt the prince. He honored his person, respected his misfortune; but, in the state of things, such terms were inadmissible:he did not conceal from her that the Austrian army must submit to its destiny. Lichtenstein reported this sad news to Ulm. The generals assembled and resolved to try if the constancy of the marshal would hold up against a last effort. They took a deliberation thus conceived:
"The Ulm garrison, seeing with regret that the fair conditions which it had thought itself entitled to ask his Excellency Marshal Ney, were not accepted, has firmly decided to await the fate of the war.
In Ulm
The next day, Napoleon decides not to attack the city, despite the advice of his staff. He knows that an assault will be costly in men and that Ulm will fall quickly. Mack, he still hopes for the soon arrival of the Russians. Short of food, he decided to surrender the stronghold on October 25, if the Russians did not lift the siege. After a short bombardment, he yields and negotiates with Napoleon the conditions of a surrender.
On October 20, the Austrian soldiers parade for five hours in front of the Emperor. The captured infantrymen throw down their rifles, while the horsemen abandon their horses. All are destined to be taken captive to France. On the other hand, the Austrian officers receive from Napoleon I the authorization to keep their weapons and to return home, on condition that they no longer fight against France.
Review
25,000 Austrians are captured, including 18 generals. 60 guns are taken. The French have only 500 dead and 1,000 wounded for such a decisive battle for the future of the campaign. In less than a fortnight, the Grande Armée put 60,000 Austrians and 30 generals out of action, not counting the capture of the cannons.
This is the epitome of strategic victory:the battle did not even take place. Napoleon is setting the same trap here as at Marengo but with much more success and preparation, everything is done to lie to the enemy.
Emperor's proclamation
“Soldiers of the Grande Armée, I have announced a great battle to you. But thanks to the bad combinations of the enemy, I was able to obtain the same successes without running any risk... In fifteen days, we carried out a campaign "says Napoleon Bonaparte in the Bulletin de la Grande Armée dated October 21, 1805 Indeed, Napoleon, by defeating the most important of the Austrian armies, ensured his entry into Vienna, which would be taken a month later.
Consequences
Even if he defeated Mack, Napoleon did not defeat the coalition:the Russians had just left Galicia, while on October 21, the British won the battle of Trafalgar. The Emperor Napoleon I then marched on Vienna, to “spare the Russians half the way”. This was taken on November 14, after several clashes with Kutuzov's Russians. Napoleon decides to put an end to them and pursues them. The decisive battle takes place in Austerlitz, 80 km north of Vienna.
Mack, meanwhile, was sentenced to death by Emperor Francis I of Austria, but was imprisoned for two years and then fell into disgrace.
Like the battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's Bavarian campaign is still taught in the greatest military schools in the world.
General information
Date from 23 to 28 Vendémiaire Year XIV
from October 15 to 20, 1805
Place Ulm (Baden-Württemberg/Bavaria)
Issue
Decisive French victory
Destruction of the Austrian army in Bavaria
Belligerents French Empire Austrian Empire
Commanders At Michelsberg:Michel Ney and Jean Lannes
At Ulm:Napoleon At Michelsberg:Prince of Liechtenstein
At Ulm:Karl Mack von Leiberich
Forces involved 80,000 men 40,000 men
Casualties 500 dead 4,000 dead
25,000 prisoners
60 guns