Ulm Sep. 25-Oct. 17, 1805

Strategic ContextAfter failing to negate the Royal Navy and invade England, Napoleon Bonaparte instead leads his Grande Armée against the Third Coalition: Austria, Russia and, while Prussia is not officially a part, it is mobilizing menacingly. Russia’s armies are many weeks away from the Central European theater but an Austrian force is within striking distance of the Grande Armée which Napoleon must defeat in detail to stand a chance against the entire coalition.

Stakes+ An Austrian victory would delay the French until the Russians could arrive, prolonging the war and increasing the likelihood that Prussia intervenes against France.

+ A French victory would defeat the Austrians in detail, leaving only the Russians to deal with.

By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©

Ulm, 1805Strength

Austrian Army

Well

Grande Armée

Well

59,000 infantry13,000 cavalry 38,000 cavalry

170,000 infantry

Napoleon BonaparteKarl Mack von Liebereich

By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©

BAVBAV

II

IIII

IIIIIIIVIV

VV

VIVI

Bonaparte deploys the majority of his army along the Rhine River while V Corps and Murat’s cavalry deploy behind the Black Forest, the traditional French invasion route. Mack deploys west of Ulm; he is awaiting a Russian army numbering 100,000 which is slowly marching west. Bonaparte thus plans to encircle the Austrians, preventing any link up with the Russians. Mack – expecting an opposing army one-third its actual size – plans to hold off the French until the Russian “hammer” arrives to crush the them against the Austrian “anvil”.

Austrian Army

(Mack)

Grande Armée

(Bonaparte)

Mack’s attention becomes fixed on the Black Forest because Murat’s cavalry is crossing the Black Forest blowing trumpets, acting like the main army and preventing Austrian patrols from breaking this façade; V Corps stands by in case Mack strikes against this force. Bonaparte orders the rest of his subordinates towards the Danube River to cut off Mack’s retreat. Each are given exact destinations but are allowed to reach them any way they see fit. However, they are careful not to overlap paths because it would be more difficult to forage supplies from the land hence Bonaparte’s maxim: “separate to live, unite to fight”.

Murat’s cavalry exits the Black Forest and scouts Mack’s dispositions, concluding that he is concentrating near Ulm. Mack on the other hand does not detect the main French body, is confused by seemingly contradictory scouting reports, and so he detaches units to guard against many possibilities. Meanwhile, Bonaparte’s corps reach the Danube River and begin to cross after surprising the Austrian detachments guarding it. This further muddles Mack’s awareness of the situation so he does not react.

Bonaparte presses his left wing to complete the encirclement of Mack by flooding upon the inadequate Austrians along the riverbank. Bonaparte thinks Mack will retreat but does not yet believe Mack is fully concentrated at Ulm so he orders Ney’s VI Corps to chase away any forces located there and pursue south. Ney’s assault is repulsed but Bonaparte now fully understands the situation.

Austrian Army

(Karl Mack von Liebereich)

59,000 infantry

13,000 cavalry

Grande Armée

(Napoleon Bonaparte)

170,000 infantry

38,000 cavalry

Subordinates

I Corps – Bernadotte

II Corps – Marmont

III Corps – Davout

IV Corps – Soult

V Corps – Lannes

VI Corps – Ney

Bavarian Corps – Deroi

Cavalry - Murat

NN

Bonaparte presses his left wing to complete the encirclement of Mack by flooding upon the inadequate Austrians along the riverbank. Bonaparte thinks Mack will retreat but does not yet believe Mack is fully concentrated at Ulm so he orders Ney’s VI Corps to chase away any forces located there and pursue south. Ney’s assault is repulsed but Bonaparte now fully understands the situation.

IIIIII

IIIIIIIVIVVVVIVI

Mack, however, still does not comprehend the disaster unfolding around him. He sends probes in all directions which eventually find a favourable escape route northeast but Ney sharply closes this gap. Mack has no choice but to withdraw to Ulm and skulk over a different escape route. Meanwhile, Bonaparte designates I, III and Bavarian Corps to cover the east from any Russian appearance and begins to cast a net around Ulm: V Corps and Murat’s cavalry join VI Corps in blocking the east while II and IV Corps prepare to cut off the south.

Austrian units hastily flee north and south as the French seal the net around Ulm. Soult’s IV Corps barely misses cutting off the southern detachment, II Corps blocks the east, VI Corps blocks the west and V Corps shifts over to block the north. The northern Austrian detachment then abruptly returns to assail VI Corps’ rear before being chased away by Murat’s cavalry.

Mack is completely surrounded so Bonaparte demands his surrender. Bonaparte’s siege weapons are far from the front and his forces have foraged the immediate countryside bare but these factors are unknown to Mack. He refuses to surrender because although he is also short on food and heavy guns, he has plenty of ammunition and a strong position. However, the Austrian subordinates recognize the futility of the situation, mutiny and open negotiations with Bonaparte. Mack surrenders soon after.

Austrian Army

(Mack)

Grande Armée

(Bonaparte)

Austrian Army

(Karl Mack von Liebereich)

59,000 infantry

13,000 cavalry

Grande Armée

(Napoleon Bonaparte)

170,000 infantry

38,000 cavalry

Subordinates

I Corps – Bernadotte

II Corps – Marmont

III Corps – Davout

IV Corps – Soult

V Corps – Lannes

VI Corps – Ney

Bavarian Corps – Deroi

Cavalry - Murat

NN

Ulm, 1805Casualties & Aftermath

Austrian Army: Grande Armée:

60,000

or

83%

2,000

or

1%

By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©

The Austrian capitulation left only Archduke Charles’ force of 80,000 to defend Vienna but it was deployed south of the Alps and its path was consequently blocked by a French detachment led by Ney anyways. Napoleon captured Vienna in November before facing the Russians in the decisive clash at Austerlitz in December.

The Art of Battle: Animated Battle Maps

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By Jonathan Webb, 2009 ©