The Austro-Hungarian Army. 1805 – 14

By W.J. Rawkins.

Editor: Peter Heath

 The role of the Austro-Hungarian Army in the Napoleonic Wars lay in the events of 1791, when the French Revolution led to Austrian intervention and five years of war... and defeat for the Austrian Empire. War was declared against France again in the wake of the execution of the French King, with Austrian defeat again.

In 1805 as a leading member of the 3 rd Coalition with Great Britain, Sweden and Russia, the Austrian campaign against France ended with defeat at Austerlitz along with a Russian Army, which was not just a defeat, but a crushing one.

In 1809 Austria invaded Bavaria (A French ally) and declared it intended to liberate the whole of Germany. When the Austrian Army held its ground at Aspern-Essling hope across Europe was that Napoleon’s star was waning, but the defeat of Austria at Wagram snuffed out that hope.

For the Russian Campaign in 1812 Austria was forced to send a corps, which avoided much of the disaster which befell the Grande Armee, and in 1813 it declared war on France and Napoleon, with the Prince von Schwarzenberg leading the Allied forces.

Austrian formations took part in all of the battles of the 1813 campaign, many of which were lost by the Allies, in particular the bloody battle of Dresden, but at Leipzig after three days combat the outcome was a great victory for Austria and the Allies. After a pause, the campaign continued into 1814, with many battles, and both defeats and success, but numbers eventually counted and on the 30th March 1814 the Allies entered Paris.

At the Congress of Vienna Austria, having done much of the ‘heavy lifting’ of the wars had lands it had owned returned to it, and others gained. When Napoleon returned from Elba in 1815, the Battle of Waterloo took place before Austrian forces could get directly involved. But like Great Britain in the  20th century, the expenditure of blood and treasure weakened the Empire, and began the long decline to come.