Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on 24 April 1809 saw a Franco
-Bavaria
n force led by Marshal
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
face an Austrian Empire
army commanded by Johann von Hiller
. Hiller's numerically superior force won a victory over the Allied troops, forcing Bessières to retreat to the west. Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
is located ten kilometers north of Mühldorf
and 33 kilometers southest of Landshut
in Bavaria.
On 10 April 1809, Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
's surprise invasion of the Kingdom of Bavaria
put the Grande Armée of Emperor Napoleon I of France
at a disadvantage. On 19 April, Charles failed to take advantage of his opportunities and Napoleon struck back with savage force against the Austrian left wing under Hiller. After battles on 20 and 21 April, Hiller's troops were driven into a headlong retreat to the southeast.
Having temporarily disposed of Hiller, Napoleon turned north with his main army against Archduke Charles. On 22 and 23 April, the Franco-Germans defeated Charles' army and forced it to withdraw to the north bank of the Danube
. Meanwhile, Napoleon sent Bessières to pursue the Austrian left wing with minor forces. Not knowing that Charles had been defeated, Hiller turned back upon his pursuer, defeating Bessières near Neumarkt-Sankt Veit. Once he found that he was alone on the south bank facing Napoleon's main army, Hiller retreated rapidly to the east in the direction of Vienna
.
was transmitted poorly and misunderstood by Marshal Louis Alexandre Berthier
. By the time Napoleon arrived at the front on the 17th, his Franco-German army invited defeat in detail. On the morning of the 19th, Charles gained a position in which he might have severely punished Marshal Louis Davout's isolated III Corps. Instead, Davout escaped defeat in the hard-fought Battle of Teugen-Hausen
.
On 20 April, the Austrian left wing was strung-out on a 13 kilometer front behind the Abens River
from Mainburg
in the south to Biburg
in the north. The left wing consisted of the V Armeekorps under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria
, the VI Armeekorps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Hiller, the small II Reserve Armeekorps commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Michael von Kienmayer
, and a detachment from the III Armeekorps. In total, there were about 42,000 Austrians. Napoleon launched 55,000 troops at his enemies in the Battle of Abensberg
, inflicting 6,710 casualties, and forcing them to retreat. In command of the left wing since his arrival that morning, Hiller elected to continue withdrawing southeast toward Landshut
, thus separating Hiller's three corps from Archduke Charles' main body near Regensburg
.
Napoleon beat Hiller again in the Battle of Landshut
on 21 April, seizing a crossing over the Isar River
and driving the Austrians farther to the southeast. Until 2:30 am on 22 April, Napoleon mistakenly believed that Hiller's three corps represented the main Austrian army. When he realized his error, he sent most of his troops marching north to crush Archduke Charles. On 22 April, the Franco-Germans defeated Charles at the Battle of Eckmühl
and forced him to withdraw through Regensburg to the north bank of the Danube the following day. Napoleon instructed Bessières to pursue Hiller and placed him in charge of one reinforced cavalry division and two infantry divisions.
The bulk of Hiller's force, numbering 27,000 to 28,000 troops, lay near Mühldorf
and Neuötting
on the Inn River
at noon on 23 April. A 10,000-strong division under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz Jellacic
held Munich
. Feldmarschall-Leutnant Dedovich's brigade from the IV Armeekorps, which had been blockading Passau
, was assigned to Hiller's command and moved to Braunau am Inn
. Hiller noticed that the French pursuit had slackened on the 22nd and 23rd and decided to counterattack. A letter from Emperor Francis I urging him to help defend Archduke Charles' south flank strengthened the left wing commander's resolve. Neither the emperor nor Hiller realized that Charles had withdrawn to the north bank of the Danube.
Karl Philipp von Wrede
's Bavarian division from the VII Corps, General of Division Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
's French infantry division from the IV Corps, and General of Brigade Jacob François Marulaz
's IV Corps cavalry division. The emperor planned for the pursuit to cross the Inn and capture Braunau am Inn
. On the 24th, Napoleon ordered Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre
, the commander of VII Corps, to take the division of Lieutenant General the Crown Prince of Bavaria
to recapture Munich from Jellacic. If necessary, he could call on Lieutenant General Deroy's Bavarian division also. Bessières, with Wrede's division, reached Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
on 22 April. From there he sent Marulaz to probe toward the Inn River.
Late on 23 April, Hiller recrossed the Inn at Mühldorf and ordered Jellacic to advance from Munich toward Landshut. That day, Marulaz's advance guard marched southeast toward the Inn. A short distance north of Mühldorf at the village of Erharting, the 3rd Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment collided with Hiller's advance elements. The French horsemen were quickly driven back on two supporting units, the 19th Chasseurs à Cheval and an infantry battalion. Marulaz pulled back in the direction of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit.
On the morning of 24 April, Hiller advanced in three columns. His right column of 12 infantry battalions and nine cavalry squadrons attacked Wrede at 8:00 am. The Bavarian general held high ground to the southeast of Neumarkt with 10 battalions and eight squadrons. On the far right, an advance guard under Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
felt its way to the north toward Landau an der Isar
. Hiller's center column struck Marulaz's position and drove the cavalry back. In addition to his own division, Marulaz had General of Brigade Charles Claude Jacquinot's light cavalry brigade from the III Corps attached.
In the face of Austrian assaults, Wrede held his ground until noon. Seeing that the opposing flanking columns threatened to envelop his Bavarians, Bessières ordered a retreat about 1:00 pm. By this time, Molitor had arrived from Vilsbiburg
and sent two regiments to cover Wrede's retreat while holding his other two regiments in reserve. Nevertheless, the Austrians continued to press the Bavarians hard and captured Neumarkt at about 3:00 pm. Wrede's soldiers suffered significant losses as they struggled across the Rott River. Once his enemies got across the Rott, which runs eastward into the Inn near Schärding
, Hiller called off the battle. Bessières conducted an orderly retreat to Vilsbiburg.
gives Austrian casualties as 776 killed and wounded, plus 122 captured. He writes that Wrede lost 586 killed and wounded. Digby Smith
lists 1,692 Bavarians killed and wounded, plus another 910 missing or captured. Smith notes that the Austrians lost 800 casualties. To Smith's total must be added Bessières' reported losses of 200 among the cavalry. On the night of 24 April, Hiller got word of the defeat of Archduke Charles and immediately pulled back to Neuötting.
Jellacic was unable to carry out his orders to threaten Landshut. He found out about Archduke Charles' defeat and evacuated Munich on the evening of the 23rd. When Jellacic got Hiller's orders of the 23rd, he tried to reoccupy Munich. Before he reached the Bavarian capital, he received new orders from Hiller instructing him to retreat to Salzburg
. Eventually, General of Division Paul Grenier
's corps from the Army of Italy
crushed Jellacic's wandering division on 25 May at the Battle of Sankt Michael
in Styria.
When Napoleon received news of the Battle of Neumarkt, he sent Marshal Jean Lannes
with a corps of 25,000 to support Bessières. By this time Hiller was in full retreat to the east. The French emperor directed André Masséna
and the IV Corps to take the road to Passau, while Bessières and Lannes (who now led the II Corps) took a route farther south. The next major action was the Battle of Ebelsberg on 3 May.
Left Wing: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller
Returns from 16 April 1809
Provisional Corps: Marshal
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n force led by Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières, 1st Duc d' Istria was a Marshal of France of the Napoleonic Era. His younger brother, Bertrand, followed in his footsteps and eventually became a Divisional General...
face an Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
army commanded by Johann von Hiller
Johann von Hiller
Johann Baron von Hiller, June 10, 1754 – June 5, 1819, was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
. Hiller's numerically superior force won a victory over the Allied troops, forcing Bessières to retreat to the west. Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit is a municipality in the district of Mühldorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the river Rott, 10 kilometers north of Mühldorf, and 33 kilometers southeast of Landshut.-External links:**...
is located ten kilometers north of Mühldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
and 33 kilometers southest of Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
in Bavaria.
On 10 April 1809, Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
's surprise invasion of the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
put the Grande Armée of Emperor Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
at a disadvantage. On 19 April, Charles failed to take advantage of his opportunities and Napoleon struck back with savage force against the Austrian left wing under Hiller. After battles on 20 and 21 April, Hiller's troops were driven into a headlong retreat to the southeast.
Having temporarily disposed of Hiller, Napoleon turned north with his main army against Archduke Charles. On 22 and 23 April, the Franco-Germans defeated Charles' army and forced it to withdraw to the north bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. Meanwhile, Napoleon sent Bessières to pursue the Austrian left wing with minor forces. Not knowing that Charles had been defeated, Hiller turned back upon his pursuer, defeating Bessières near Neumarkt-Sankt Veit. Once he found that he was alone on the south bank facing Napoleon's main army, Hiller retreated rapidly to the east in the direction of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Background
On 10 April 1809, Archduke Charles invaded the Kingdom of Bavaria with 209,000 Austrian soldiers and 500 artillery pieces. A set of orders from Emperor Napoleon in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
was transmitted poorly and misunderstood by Marshal Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
. By the time Napoleon arrived at the front on the 17th, his Franco-German army invited defeat in detail. On the morning of the 19th, Charles gained a position in which he might have severely punished Marshal Louis Davout's isolated III Corps. Instead, Davout escaped defeat in the hard-fought Battle of Teugen-Hausen
Battle of Teugen-Hausen
The Battle of Teugen-Hausen or the Battle of Thann was fought on 19 April 1809 between the French III Corps led by Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout and the Austrian III Armeekorps commanded by Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen. The French won a hard-fought victory over their...
.
On 20 April, the Austrian left wing was strung-out on a 13 kilometer front behind the Abens River
Abens
The Abens is a river in Bavaria, Germany, right tributary of the Danube. Its source is near Au in der Hallertau. It is approx. 76 km long. It flows generally north through the small towns Au in der Hallertau, Rudelzhausen, Mainburg, Siegenburg and Abensberg. It flows into the Danube in Eining, part...
from Mainburg
Mainburg
Mainburg is a town in the district of Kelheim, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Abens, 30 km northwest of Landshut and 30 km southeast of Ingolstadt....
in the south to Biburg
Biburg
Biburg is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany....
in the north. The left wing consisted of the V Armeekorps under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria
Archduke Louis of Austria
right|thumb|Archduke LouisArchduke Louis Joseph Anton Johann, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia and Prince of Tuscany , was the 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.Archduke...
, the VI Armeekorps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Hiller, the small II Reserve Armeekorps commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Michael von Kienmayer
Michael von Kienmayer
Michael von Kienmayer was an Austrian general who was active during the Napoleonic Wars.von Kienmayer joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the Kingdom of Prussia and Ottoman Turkey. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he continued to make his reputation in the cavalry and...
, and a detachment from the III Armeekorps. In total, there were about 42,000 Austrians. Napoleon launched 55,000 troops at his enemies in the Battle of Abensberg
Battle of Abensberg
The Battle of Abensberg took place on 20 April 1809, between a Franco-German force under the command of Emperor Napoleon I of France and a reinforced Austrian corps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria. As the day wore on, Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller arrived with...
, inflicting 6,710 casualties, and forcing them to retreat. In command of the left wing since his arrival that morning, Hiller elected to continue withdrawing southeast toward Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, thus separating Hiller's three corps from Archduke Charles' main body near Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
.
Napoleon beat Hiller again in the Battle of Landshut
Battle of Landshut (1809)
The Battle of Landshut took place on April 21, 1809, between the French, Württembergers and Bavarians under Napoleon which numbered about 77,000 strong, and 36,000 Austrians under the General Johann von Hiller...
on 21 April, seizing a crossing over the Isar River
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
and driving the Austrians farther to the southeast. Until 2:30 am on 22 April, Napoleon mistakenly believed that Hiller's three corps represented the main Austrian army. When he realized his error, he sent most of his troops marching north to crush Archduke Charles. On 22 April, the Franco-Germans defeated Charles at the Battle of Eckmühl
Battle of Eckmühl
The Battle of Eckmühl fought on 21 April – 22 April 1809, was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign, also known as the War of the Fifth Coalition...
and forced him to withdraw through Regensburg to the north bank of the Danube the following day. Napoleon instructed Bessières to pursue Hiller and placed him in charge of one reinforced cavalry division and two infantry divisions.
The bulk of Hiller's force, numbering 27,000 to 28,000 troops, lay near Mühldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
and Neuötting
Neuötting
Neuötting is a town in the district of Altötting, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Inn, 2 km north of Altötting, about 70 km north of Salzburg, 80 southwest of Passau and almost 100 km east of Munich. It is a stop on the railway line between Munich and Simbach.-Townscape:Neuötting...
on the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
at noon on 23 April. A 10,000-strong division under Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz Jellacic
Franz Jellacic
Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski , born 14 April 1746 – died 4 February 1810, was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić...
held Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. Feldmarschall-Leutnant Dedovich's brigade from the IV Armeekorps, which had been blockading Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, was assigned to Hiller's command and moved to Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
. Hiller noticed that the French pursuit had slackened on the 22nd and 23rd and decided to counterattack. A letter from Emperor Francis I urging him to help defend Archduke Charles' south flank strengthened the left wing commander's resolve. Neither the emperor nor Hiller realized that Charles had withdrawn to the north bank of the Danube.
Battle
On the night of 22 April, Napoleon instructed Bessières to advance with Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
's Bavarian division from the VII Corps, General of Division Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel-Jean-Joseph, comte Molitor , was a Marshal of France, born in Hayingen in Lorraine.Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, Molitor joined the French revolutionary armies as a captain in a battalion of militia. In 1793 he was given command of a brigade and served under Hoche under whom...
's French infantry division from the IV Corps, and General of Brigade Jacob François Marulaz
Jacob François Marulaz
Jacob François Marulaz or Marola, born 6 November 1769, died 10 June 1842, joined the Army of the Kingdom of France as a cavalry trooper and rose to become a field officer during the French Revolutionary Wars...
's IV Corps cavalry division. The emperor planned for the pursuit to cross the Inn and capture Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
. On the 24th, Napoleon ordered Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre, First Duc de Dantzig was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon....
, the commander of VII Corps, to take the division of Lieutenant General the Crown Prince of Bavaria
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
to recapture Munich from Jellacic. If necessary, he could call on Lieutenant General Deroy's Bavarian division also. Bessières, with Wrede's division, reached Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit is a municipality in the district of Mühldorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the river Rott, 10 kilometers north of Mühldorf, and 33 kilometers southeast of Landshut.-External links:**...
on 22 April. From there he sent Marulaz to probe toward the Inn River.
Late on 23 April, Hiller recrossed the Inn at Mühldorf and ordered Jellacic to advance from Munich toward Landshut. That day, Marulaz's advance guard marched southeast toward the Inn. A short distance north of Mühldorf at the village of Erharting, the 3rd Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment collided with Hiller's advance elements. The French horsemen were quickly driven back on two supporting units, the 19th Chasseurs à Cheval and an infantry battalion. Marulaz pulled back in the direction of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit.
On the morning of 24 April, Hiller advanced in three columns. His right column of 12 infantry battalions and nine cavalry squadrons attacked Wrede at 8:00 am. The Bavarian general held high ground to the southeast of Neumarkt with 10 battalions and eight squadrons. On the far right, an advance guard under Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
felt its way to the north toward Landau an der Isar
Landau an der Isar
Landau an der Isar is the second largest town in the Lower Bavarian district, or Landkreis, of Dingolfing-Landau, in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Isar. As of 2005, the population was around 12,950.-History:Landau was founded in 1224 by the Wittelsbach Duke Ludwig of Kelheim...
. Hiller's center column struck Marulaz's position and drove the cavalry back. In addition to his own division, Marulaz had General of Brigade Charles Claude Jacquinot's light cavalry brigade from the III Corps attached.
In the face of Austrian assaults, Wrede held his ground until noon. Seeing that the opposing flanking columns threatened to envelop his Bavarians, Bessières ordered a retreat about 1:00 pm. By this time, Molitor had arrived from Vilsbiburg
Vilsbiburg
Vilsbiburg is a town on the river Große Vils, 18 km southeast of Landshut, in the district of Landshut, in Bavaria, Germany. Vilsbiburg has 11,000 inhabitants.- Geography :...
and sent two regiments to cover Wrede's retreat while holding his other two regiments in reserve. Nevertheless, the Austrians continued to press the Bavarians hard and captured Neumarkt at about 3:00 pm. Wrede's soldiers suffered significant losses as they struggled across the Rott River. Once his enemies got across the Rott, which runs eastward into the Inn near Schärding
Schärding
Schärding is a town in northern Upper Austria, Austria, capital of the district of the same name, and a major port on the Inn River. As of 2001, it has a population of 5,052. Historically it was owned by the Wittelsbach family, which reflects on the town's architecture...
, Hiller called off the battle. Bessières conducted an orderly retreat to Vilsbiburg.
Result
Francis Loraine PetreFrancis Loraine Petre
Francis Loraine Petre OBE was a British civil servant in India and a military historian upon his retirement. He wrote a two-volume regimental history of the Norfolk Regiment, but is best known for his works on the Napoleonic Wars. The grandson of the 11th Baron Petre, he was educated at Oscott...
gives Austrian casualties as 776 killed and wounded, plus 122 captured. He writes that Wrede lost 586 killed and wounded. Digby Smith
Digby Smith
Digby Smith is a British military historian. The son of a British career soldier, he was born in Hampshire, England, but spent several years in India and Pakistan as a child and youth. As a "boy soldier," he entered training in the British Army at the age of 16...
lists 1,692 Bavarians killed and wounded, plus another 910 missing or captured. Smith notes that the Austrians lost 800 casualties. To Smith's total must be added Bessières' reported losses of 200 among the cavalry. On the night of 24 April, Hiller got word of the defeat of Archduke Charles and immediately pulled back to Neuötting.
Jellacic was unable to carry out his orders to threaten Landshut. He found out about Archduke Charles' defeat and evacuated Munich on the evening of the 23rd. When Jellacic got Hiller's orders of the 23rd, he tried to reoccupy Munich. Before he reached the Bavarian capital, he received new orders from Hiller instructing him to retreat to Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. Eventually, General of Division Paul Grenier
Paul Grenier
Paul Grenier joined the French royal army and rapidly rose to general officer rank during the French Revolutionary Wars. He led a division in the 1796-1797 campaign in southern Germany. During the 1800 campaign in the Electorate of Bavaria he was a wing commander...
's corps from the Army of Italy
Army of Italy (France)
The Army of Italy was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic...
crushed Jellacic's wandering division on 25 May at the Battle of Sankt Michael
Battle of Sankt Michael
In the Battle of Sankt Michael on 25 May 1809, Paul Grenier's French corps crushed Franz Jellacic's Austrian division at Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark, Austria. The action occurred after the initial French victories during the War of the Fifth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars...
in Styria.
When Napoleon received news of the Battle of Neumarkt, he sent Marshal Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
with a corps of 25,000 to support Bessières. By this time Hiller was in full retreat to the east. The French emperor directed André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
and the IV Corps to take the road to Passau, while Bessières and Lannes (who now led the II Corps) took a route farther south. The next major action was the Battle of Ebelsberg on 3 May.
Austrian forces
Returns from 20 March 1809, less detachmentsLeft Wing: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller
Johann von Hiller
Johann Baron von Hiller, June 10, 1754 – June 5, 1819, was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
- VI Armeekorps: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von HillerJohann von HillerJohann Baron von Hiller, June 10, 1754 – June 5, 1819, was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
- Reserve Artillery: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl von Rouvroy
- Three 12-pdr position batteries (18 guns), 6-pdr position battery (6 guns)
- Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Friedrich Kottulinsky
- Brigade: General-Major Otto Hohenfeld
- Klebek IR # 14 (3 bns), Jordis IR # 59 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Nikolaus Weissenwolf
- Deutschmeister IR # 4 (3 bns), Kerpen IR # 49 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Artillery: 6-pdr position battery (6 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Otto Hohenfeld
- Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz JellacicFranz JellacicBaron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski , born 14 April 1746 – died 4 February 1810, was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić...
(Detached at Munich)- Brigade: General-Major Konstantin Ettingshausen
- Esterhazy IR # 32 (3 bns), De Vaux IR # 45 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Karl Dollmayer von Provenchères
- Warasdin-Kreutzer GrenzGrenz infantryGrenz infantry or Grenzers were light infantry troops who came from the Croatian and Transylvanian Military Frontier in Habsburg Monarchy . This borderland formed a buffer zone between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire, and the troops were originally raised to defend Austria against the...
IR # 5 (2 bns), 3-pdr Grenz brigade battery (8 guns) - O'Reilly Chevau-léger Regt # 3 (8 sqns), 6-pdr cavalry battery (6 guns)
- Warasdin-Kreutzer Grenz
- Artillery: 6-pdr position battery (6 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Konstantin Ettingshausen
- Light Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl von VincentKarl von VincentKarl Freiherr von Vincent, born 11 August 1757 – died 7 October 1834, fought in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served as a staff officer then later as a combat commander. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was given important commands in two campaigns...
- Brigade: General-Major Josef Hoffmeister
- Benjowsky IR # 31 (3 bns), Splenyi IR # 51 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Armand von NordmannArmand von NordmannJoseph-Armand Ritter von Nordmann, born 31 August 1759 – died 6 July 1809, was a French officer in the French Royal Army. He transferred his allegiance to Habsburg Austria during the French Revolution, like other French émigrés...
- Warasdin-St. George Grenz IR # 6 (2 bns), 3-pdr Grenz brigade battery (8 guns)
- Rosenberg Chevau-léger Regt # 6 (8 sqns), Liechtenstein Hussars Regt # 7 (8 sqns), 6-pdr cavalry battery (6 guns)
- 4th, 5th, 6th Vienna Freiwilligers Battalions
- Brigade: General-Major Josef Hoffmeister
- Reserve Artillery: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl von Rouvroy
- V Armeekorps: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke LouisArchduke Louis of Austriaright|thumb|Archduke LouisArchduke Louis Joseph Anton Johann, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia and Prince of Tuscany , was the 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.Archduke...
- Reserve Artillery: Major Adam Pfefferkorn
- Two 12-pdr position batteries (12 guns), 6-pdr cavalry battery (6 guns)
- Brigade III Corps:
- Kaiser IR # 1 (3 bns), Lindenau IR # 29 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Friedrich von LindenauKarl Friedrich von LindenauKarl Friedrich von Lindenau, born 1746 – died 21 February 1817, served in the Prussian army before an incident compelled him to switch allegiance to Habsburg Austria in 1789. A staff officer at the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, he was asked to mentor the young Archduke Charles,...
(Detached to I Reserve Armeekorps) - Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen
- Brigade: General-Major Frederick Bianchi, Duke of CasalanzaFrederick Bianchi, Duke of CasalanzaFrederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza , was an Austrian general and later field marshal.-Biography:...
- Duka IR # 39 (3 bns), Gyulai IR # 60 (3 bns), 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Franz Johann Schulz von Rothacker
- Beaulieu IR # 58 (3 bns), 1st, 2nd, 3rd Vienna Freiwilligers Battalions
- Artillery: 6-pdr position battery (6 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza
- Light Division: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Emmanuel von Schustekh-Herve
- Brigade: General-Major Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-KubinyJoseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-KubinyJoseph de Mesko, Freiherr von Felsö-Kubiny was a cavalry general and field marshal in Austrian service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.- Military service :...
- Broder Grenz IR # 7 (2 bns), Kienmayer Hussar Regt # 8 (8 sqns), 3-pdr Grenz brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Joseph Radetzky von RadetzJoseph Radetzky von RadetzJohann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
- Gradiscaner Grenz IR # 8 (2 bns), Archduke Charles Uhlans Regt # 3 (8 sqns), 6-pdr cavalry battery (6 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny
- Reserve Artillery: Major Adam Pfefferkorn
- II Reserve Armeekorps: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Michael von KienmayerMichael von KienmayerMichael von Kienmayer was an Austrian general who was active during the Napoleonic Wars.von Kienmayer joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the Kingdom of Prussia and Ottoman Turkey. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he continued to make his reputation in the cavalry and...
- Brigade: General-Major Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'AspréKonstantin Ghilian Karl d'AspréKonstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré von Hoobreuk, born 27 December 1754 – died 8 July 1809, served in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. In the Napoleonic Wars, he made a mark in two major campaigns. In 1809, he was briefy Proprietor of an infantry regiment and...
- Puteani, Brezeczinsky, Scovaud, Kirchenbetter, Scharlach Grenadier bns, 6-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Josef von Clary
- Levenehr DragoonDragoonThe word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
Regt # 4 (6 sqns), Württemberg Dragoon Regt # 3 (6 sqns), 6-pdr cavalry battery (6 guns)
- Levenehr Dragoon
- Brigade: General-Major Andreas Schneller (Detached to I Reserve Armeekorps)
- Brigade: General-Major Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré
Key
- IR = Infantry Regiment
- bn, bns = Infantry battalion(s)
- sqn, sqns = Cavalry squadron(s)
- bty, btys = Artillery battery (batteries)
- Regt = Regiment
- 3-pdr, 6-pdr, 12-pdr = 3 (light), 6 (medium) and 12 (heavy) pounder field guns.
French-Allied forces
Provisional Corps: Marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières, 1st Duc d' Istria was a Marshal of France of the Napoleonic Era. His younger brother, Bertrand, followed in his footsteps and eventually became a Divisional General...
- Cavalry Division, IV Corps: General of Brigade Jacob François MarulazJacob François MarulazJacob François Marulaz or Marola, born 6 November 1769, died 10 June 1842, joined the Army of the Kingdom of France as a cavalry trooper and rose to become a field officer during the French Revolutionary Wars...
(2,765)- 1st Brigade: Commander unknown (1,193)
- 19th Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns), 23rd Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns)
- 2nd Brigade: General of Brigade Bertrand Pierre Castex (829)
- 3rd Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns), 14th Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns)
- 3rd Brigade: Commander unknown (740)
- Baden Light Dragoon Regt (4 sqns), Hesse-Darmstadt Chevau-léger Regt (3 sqns)
- 1st Brigade: Commander unknown (1,193)
- Cavalry Brigade, III Corps: General of Brigade Charles Claude Jacquinot (1,797)
- 1st Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns), 2nd Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns), 12th Chasseurs à Cheval Regt (3 sqns)
- 2nd Bavarian Division, VII Corps: Lieutenant-General Karl Philipp von WredeKarl Philipp von WredeKarl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
(8,944)- Brigade: General-Major Minuzzi (3,980)
- 6th Laroche Light bn, 3rd Prince Karl IR (2 bns), 13th IR (2 bns)
- Brigade: General-Major Beckers (3,139)
- 6th Duc Wilhelm IR (2 bns), 7th Löwenstein IR (2 bns)
- Cavalry Brigade: General-Major Preysing (1,012)
- König Chevau-léger Regt (4 sqns), Leiningen Chevau-léger Regt (4 sqns)
- Artillery: Two 6-pdr foot btys, 6-pdr horse bty (563, 18 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Minuzzi (3,980)
- 3rd Division, IV Corps: General of Division Gabriel Jean Joseph MolitorGabriel Jean Joseph MolitorGabriel-Jean-Joseph, comte Molitor , was a Marshal of France, born in Hayingen in Lorraine.Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, Molitor joined the French revolutionary armies as a captain in a battalion of militia. In 1793 he was given command of a brigade and served under Hoche under whom...
(7,155)- Brigade: General of Brigade François Joseph Leguay (3,647)
- 2nd Line IR (2 bns), 16th Line IR (3 bns)
- Brigade: General of Brigade Raymond Viviès de La Prade (3,184)
- 37th Line IR (3 bns), 67th Line IR (2 bns)
- Artillery: 6-pdr foot bty (308, 6 guns)
- Brigade: General of Brigade François Joseph Leguay (3,647)
External links
- The following two websites are excellent sources for the full names of French and Austrian generals.
- French Wikipedia, Liste des généraux de la Révolution et du Premier Empire
- napoleon-series.org Austrian Generals: 1792-1815 by Digby Smith, compiled by Leopold Kudrna