Tyrol 1809 Order of Battle
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Tyrol 1809 Order of Battle
At the beginning of the War of the Fifth Coalition
on 9 April 1809, the armies of the Austrian Empire
invaded the Kingdom of Bavaria
, an ally of the First French Empire
, and the Kingdom of Italy
, a French satellite. After Austria's defeat in the War of the Third Coalition the County of Tyrol
and the Voralberg were ceded to Bavaria in the Fourth Peace of Pressburg
on 26 December 1805. Angry at the imposition of Bavarian laws and conscription, the Tyrolese rebelled in support of Austria. During the first week, local irregular forces killed or captured the main Bavarian garrison and also forced a French force to capitulate.
To assist the Tyrolean Rebellion
, the Austrian high command sent a regular division into the Tyrol under the leadership of Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
. The VII Corps, consisting of three Bavarian divisions under the overall command of Marshal
François Joseph Lefebvre
, invaded the Tyrol in mid-May. On 11 May, Lieutenant General
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy
relieved the besieged Kufstein Fortress
. Lieutenant General Karl Philipp von Wrede
crushed Chasteler's division on 13 May at the Battle of Wörgl
. Soon afterward, Lefebvre occupied Innsbruck
. However, Deroy's division was attacked on 25 May and 29 May in the first two Battles of Bergisel
and compelled to evacuate the Tyrol. By this time Chasteler's surviving regular troops were recalled to join the Army of Inner Austria, which was retreating toward Hungary
. Only a handful of regulars were left to operate in the Tyrol.
Soon after Emperor Napoleon I of France
defeated the main Austrian army at the Battle of Wagram
on 5 and 6 July, Austria sued for peace. However, the revolt in the Tyrol continued and the Bavarians invaded the region a second time in late July. After the insurgents beat Deroy at the Third Battle of Bergisel on 13 August, the Bavarians again withdrew. In the third invasion, the Bavarian 1st Division under General-Major
Rechberg inflicted a bloody defeat on the irregulars on 17 October. Wrede won the Fourth Battle of Bergisel on 1 November and the revolt finally died down. One of the leaders of the rebellion, Andreas Hofer
was betrayed to the French and executed in February 1810.
VII Corps: Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
on 9 April 1809, the armies of the 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...
invaded 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...
, an ally of the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, and the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
, a French satellite. After Austria's defeat in the War of the Third Coalition the County of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and the Voralberg were ceded to Bavaria in the Fourth Peace of Pressburg
Peace of Pressburg
The Peace of Pressburg refers to four peace treaties concluded in Pressburg . The fourth Peace of Pressburg of 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars is the best-known.-First:...
on 26 December 1805. Angry at the imposition of Bavarian laws and conscription, the Tyrolese rebelled in support of Austria. During the first week, local irregular forces killed or captured the main Bavarian garrison and also forced a French force to capitulate.
To assist the Tyrolean Rebellion
Tyrolean Rebellion 1809
The Tyrolean Rebellion of 1809 was a rebellion of peasants in the County of Tyrol led by Andreas Hofer against the occupation of their homeland by the French and Bavarian troops within the context of the War of the Fifth Coalition against Napoleon I.- Historical background: Bavarian occupation of...
, the Austrian high command sent a regular division into the Tyrol under the leadership of Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
Johann Gabriel, Marquis du Chasteler de Courcelles was a Walloon, entered the military service of Habsburg Austria at an early age and trained as an engineer. He won a coveted award in action against the Ottoman Turks. He fought against the First French Republic and was promoted to general officer...
. The VII Corps, consisting of three Bavarian divisions under the overall command of 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...
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....
, invaded the Tyrol in mid-May. On 11 May, Lieutenant General
Lieutenant 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....
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy became a noted general officer in the army of Bavaria. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years War...
relieved the besieged Kufstein Fortress
Kufstein Fortress
The Kufstein Fortress is the main landmark of Kufstein, a city of Tyrol in Austria. It is sometimes wrongly referred to as Geroldseck Fortress. It is located on a hill commanding Kufstein proper.-History:...
. Lieutenant 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...
crushed Chasteler's division on 13 May at the Battle of Wörgl
Battle of Wörgl
In the Battle of Wörgl or Wörgel on 13 May 1809 a Bavarian force under French Marshal François Joseph Lefebvre attacked an Austrian Empire detachment commanded by Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles. The Bavarians severely defeated Chasteler's soldiers in series of actions in the Austrian towns...
. Soon afterward, Lefebvre occupied Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
. However, Deroy's division was attacked on 25 May and 29 May in the first two Battles of Bergisel
Battles of Bergisel
The Battles of Bergisel were four battles fought between the forces of Emperor Napoleon I of France and the Kingdom of Bavaria against Tyrolean militiamen and a contingent of Austrian regular soldiers at the Bergisel hill near Innsbruck...
and compelled to evacuate the Tyrol. By this time Chasteler's surviving regular troops were recalled to join the Army of Inner Austria, which was retreating toward Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Only a handful of regulars were left to operate in the Tyrol.
Soon after 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...
defeated the main Austrian army at the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
on 5 and 6 July, Austria sued for peace. However, the revolt in the Tyrol continued and the Bavarians invaded the region a second time in late July. After the insurgents beat Deroy at the Third Battle of Bergisel on 13 August, the Bavarians again withdrew. In the third invasion, the Bavarian 1st Division under General-Major
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Rechberg inflicted a bloody defeat on the irregulars on 17 October. Wrede won the Fourth Battle of Bergisel on 1 November and the revolt finally died down. One of the leaders of the rebellion, Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer was a Tirolean innkeeper and patriot. He was the leader of a rebellion against Napoleon's forces....
was betrayed to the French and executed in February 1810.
Austrian Tyrol force
Chastler's original force was organized as follows.- Tyrol Detachment: Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Gabriel Chasteler de CourcellesJohann Gabriel Chasteler de CourcellesJohann Gabriel, Marquis du Chasteler de Courcelles was a Walloon, entered the military service of Habsburg Austria at an early age and trained as an engineer. He won a coveted award in action against the Ottoman Turks. He fought against the First French Republic and was promoted to general officer...
- 1st Brigade: General-MajorBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Ignaz Peter Marchal- Hohenlohe-Bartenstein Infantry Regiment # 26 (3 battalions)
- Lusignan Infantry Regiment # 16 (3 battalions)
- Hohenzollern Chevau-léger Regiment # 2 (3 squadrons)
- 2nd Brigade: General-Major Franz Fenner
- JägerJägerJäger is the German word for "hunter", and also a common Jäger is the [[German language|German]] word for "[[hunter]]", and also a common Jäger is the [[German...
battalion # 9 - Villach, Klagenfurt, and Bruck LandwehrLandwehrLandwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large scale, low strength fortifications...
battalions
- Jäger
- Artillery:
- One 3-pdr brigade battery (8 guns)
- One 6-pdr position battery (6 guns)
- One-half horse battery (3 guns)
- 1st Brigade: General-Major
Bavarian forces
Returns from 16 AprilVII Corps: 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....
- Artillery Reserve: Colonel Calonge
- Three 12-pdr position batteries (18 guns)
- 1st Bavarian Division: Lieutenant-General Crown Prince Ludwig of BavariaLudwig I of BavariaLudwig I was a German king of Bavaria from 1825 until the 1848 revolutions in the German states.-Crown prince:...
- Brigade: General-Major Rechberg
- 1st Habermann Light battalion
- Leib Regiment (2 battalions)
- 2nd Prince Royal Regiment (2 battalions)
- Brigade: General-Major Stengel
- 4th Salern Regiment (2 battalions)
- 8th Duc Pius Regiment (2 battalions)
- Cavalry Brigade: General-Major Zandt
- Minuzzi Dragoon Regiment (2 squadrons)
- Prince Royal Chevau-léger Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Artillery: Two 6-pdr foot batteries, 6-pdr horse battery (18 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Rechberg
- 2nd Bavarian Division: 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...
- Brigade: General-Major Minuzzi
- 6th Laroche Light battalion
- 3rd Prince Karl Regiment (2 battalions)
- 13th Regiment (2 battalions)
- Brigade: General-Major Beckers
- 6th Duc Wilhelm Regiment (2 battalions)
- 7th Löwenstein Regiment (2 battalions)
- Cavalry Brigade: General-Major Preysing
- König Chevau-léger Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Leiningen Chevau-léger Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Artillery: Two 6-pdr foot batteries, 6-pdr horse battery (18 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Minuzzi
- 3rd Bavarian Division: Lieutenant-General Bernhard Erasmus von DeroyBernhard Erasmus von DeroyBernhard Erasmus von Deroy became a noted general officer in the army of Bavaria. His military career began shortly after the start of the Seven Years War...
- Brigade: General-Major Siebein
- 5th Buttler Light battalion
- 9th Isenburg Regiment (2 battalions)
- 10th Juncker Regiment (2 battalions)
- Brigade: General-Major Vincenti
- 7th Günter Light battalion
- 5th Regiment (2 battalions)
- 14th Preysing Regiment (2 battalions)
- Cavalry Brigade: General-Major Seydewitz
- Taxis Dragoon Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Bubenhoven Chevau-léger Regiment (4 squadrons)
- Artillery: Two 6-pdr foot batteries, 6-pdr horse battery (18 guns)
- Brigade: General-Major Siebein
Further reading
- Arnold, James R. Crisis on the Danube. New York: Paragon House, 1990. ISBN 1-55778-137-0
- Arnold, James R. Napoleon Conquers Austria. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0-275-94694-0
- Epstein, Robert M. Napoleon's Last Victory and the Emergence of Modern War. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1994.
- Petre, F. LoraineFrancis Loraine PetreFrancis 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...
. Napoleon and the Archduke Charles. New York: Hippocrene Books, (1909) 1976. - Smith, DigbyDigby SmithDigby 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...
. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9