The Successes of Napoleon:
Austerlitz Campaign and The Campaign of 1806
Target
Identify and describe the success of Napoleon.
The Austerlitz Campaign
Napoleon vs. The 3rd Coalition
Austria and Russia
Knock out Austria before Russia can mobilize
200,000 men launched a “sweeping maneuver”
to the Danube
The Battle of Ulm Napoleon used a “Turning Movement”
“moving around the rear of a defending force, thus forcing them to abandon their defensive position.”
Napoleon surrounded Gen. Mack
The Austrian Gen. surrendered
30,000 men
The Russians Didn’t want to fight Napoleon outright
Series of tactical withdrawals
Napoleon was frustrated: Forced marches
Men were exhausted
He was down to 53,000 men
Russians had 90,000
Battle of Austerlitz Napoleon faked weakness
Reinforced (72,000)
Allied plan: Attack the seemingly weak French right flank
Attack the left as a diversionary tactic
French plan: make the allies think their right is weak (hidden
reinforcements)
Lure them into a fight
Austerlitz con’t Allies attacked the French right
Checked by the reserve
The allies committed so many men to right flank attack it
weakened the center
Napoleon struck
“one sharp blow and the
war is over”
Austerlitz
Impact of Austerlitz Campaign (3 months)
French occupied Vienna
Destroyed 2 armies
Checked the growing power of Austria
10 years of French domination
French nationalism rises
Money
Goads Prussia into war (Campaign of 1806)
Campaign of 1806 France vs. Prussia and Russia
Frederick William III (Prussia)
Napoleon bullies him into ceding
territory
Prussia makes deal with Russia
Prussia occupies Saxony
Invasion of Saxony Napoleon invades
Divides his army into 3 columns
Speed and surprise
Battle of Jena Napoleon split forces
Napoleon expected reinforcements (Davout)
Never came because he was engaged (Auerstadt)
France was still able to win at Jena
5,000 French dead
25,000 Prussians
Battle of Auerstadt Davout was to reinforce Napoleon at Jena
Attacked and heavily outnumbered
27,000 French 53,000 Prussians
Davout won:
Fog obscuring the true French weakness
French valor
Prussians attack despite good defensive position
Effects of Jena-Auerstadt
Napoleon did not let routed opponents rest.
He captured 125,000 of original 160,000
Ends campaign