On the 5 and 6 July 1809, north of Vienna, took place one of the most important confrontations in human history until then, the Battle of Wagram. It opposed an Austrian army led by generalissimus Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen to a Franco-Italo-German army under the command of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Below are presented the military units which participated at this battle. On this page are listed only the troops who were close enough to the hostilities to be able to intervene. The Austrian V Corps, left behind as a strategic reserve, and the "Army of Inner Austria", whose elements from the vanguard arrived close to the battlefield only in the afternoon of the 6th, too late to intervene, have been omitted from the article. Similarly, the French VIII Corps left outside the theater of hostilities; the Franco-Allied garrison and the batteries on the island of Lobau; the squadrons and the French regiments left on the right bank of the Danube to protect the lines of communication, and most part of the Center Corps belonging to the Franco-Italian army, located in Pressburg, have also been omitted from this article because they played no part in the battle.
The Austrian army was not reinforced during the second day. Archduke Charles commanded about 140,000-150,000 men, including 15,000 cavalrymen and over 400 artillery pieces.
During the first day of the fighting, Napoleon's army numbered about 155,000-160,000 men and around the noon of the second day it was reinforced up to 165,000-180,000 men, out of whom 27,000 were cavalrymen, and more than 400 cannons. This figure remains approximate, as it does not take into consideration the losses suffered during the first day of the battle, which are difficult to estimate. The losses of the army are only a global estimation, including the hostilities on both the 5th and the 6th of July. In addition, on the 6th, Napoleon basically could not rely on the Saxon infantry from the Saxon IX Corps, which was completely disorganised and unfit for combat following the hard fighting during the first day. The French and Allied forces included two armies: the "Grand Army of Germany", which had taken part in the previous campaign in Southern Germany and Austria (the main theater of the War of the Fifth Coalition), and the "Army of Italy", of smaller dimensions, which arrived on the battlefield in stages and only with a part of its effectives, during the two days. The order of battle of the French Army was profoundly reorganised during June, and it was modified even during the battle, with some units being attached to different commanders, according to circumstances.
Abbreviations of military ranks and dignities
French and Italian armyGerman armyAustrian armyMdE = Maréchal d'Empire (Marshal of the Empire)*-FM = Feldmarschall (Field Marshal)--FZM = Feldzeugmeister GdK = General der Kavallerie (Cavalry General)GD = Général de Division (Divisional General)GL = General-Leutnant (Lieutenant General)FML = Feldmarschallleutnant (Lieutenant Field Marshal)GB = Général de Brigade (Brigadier General)GM = General-Major (Major General)GM = General-MajorCol = ColonelOb = OberstOb = OberstCdB = Chef de Bataillon (Commandant)Oblt = Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)Oblt = OberstleutnantMaj = MajorMaj = MajorMaj = MajorCap = Capitaine (Captain)HauptmannHauptmann
Comments * Maréchal d'Empire, or Marshal, was not a "rank" within the French army, but a personal title granted to distinguished generals of division, along with higher pay and privileges. The highest "rank" in Napoleon's army was actually Général de Division.Elting, John R.: "Swords Around A Throne", page 124. Da Capo Press, 1997.
Opposing armies
Kaiserlich-königliche Armee The Austrian army, called Kaiserlich-königliche Armee (Imperial-Royal Army), was composed of multinational troops from across the Empire, including proper Austrians, Bohemians, Moravians, Hungarians, Romanians, Croatians, Poles and other ethnic groups, with regiments speaking various languages.Rothenberg 51. Another facet that showed the diverse nature of this army was that Landwehr (Militias) units, some of which were quite poorly trained, were brigaded together with regular troops.Rothenberg 146-148.
Following the Battle of Aspern-Essling, Charles massed whatever forces he could spare, recalling two-thirds of III Korps from Linz, but, with war raging on secondary theatres, he was unable or unwilling to recall any additional forces. Archduke Charles did plan for the small "Army of Inner Austria" under Archduke John of Austria to march out from Pressburg, some 40 kilometers away, and participate in the battle, reckoning that the timely arrival of this force would reinforce his weak left. Excluding the "Army of Inner Austria", the forces that Charles had available for the two days of battle were about 138,000 men, with 414 artillery pieces.Rothenberg 254–259.
Archduke Charles, aged 37 at the time of the battle, had under his direct command the Kaiserlich-königliche Hauptarmee, the main Austrian army. He was seconded by 39-year-old Maximilian von Wimpffen, the army's Quartermaster General (Chief of Staff), a pugnacious and assertive character, who was well respected in the Austrian army for his knowledge of military strategy.Hollins 54. The Austrian army was divided into several Korps, as follows: Advance Guard: 14,000 men, 48 guns, under the command of 49-year-old Feldmarschall-Leutnant Armand von Nordmann, a French émigré and a competent general; I Korps: 23,000 men, 68 guns, under the command of 53-year-old General der Kavallerie Heinrich von Bellegarde, who had served under Archduke Charles several times in the past and was a sound, albeit unenterprising commander; II Korps: 27,000 men, 68 guns, under the command of 52-year-old Feldmarschalleutnant Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen, a Rhineland Prince and a commander with an impeccable reputation; III Korps: 18,000 men, 58 guns under 61-year-old Feldzeugmeister Johann Karl von Kollowrat-Krakowsky, a Bohemian noble with a long-standing military record; IV Korps: 19,000 men, 60 guns, under the command of 47-year-old Feldmarschalleutnant Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini, a descendant of a great German noble family of Italian descent, who had fought against the French during the French Revolutionary Wars and in 1805; VI Korps: 18,000 men, 64 guns, under the command of 51-year-old Feldmarschalleutnant Johann von Klenau, another Bohemian noble and a general who had won quite a remarkable reputation during the French Revolutionary Wars; I Reserve Korps: 18,000 men, 48 guns, under the command of 49-year-old General der Kavallerie Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein, an Austrian Prince, competent commander and a personal friend of Archduke Charles.Castle 20-21.Castle 9.Castle 11.
Although in the vicinity of the battlefield, the V Korps (12,000 men, 50 guns) under Feldmarschalleutnant Prince Heinrich XV Reuss of Plauen had been left behind on the Bisamberg heights as a strategic reserve, a position which meant that it was too far away to take part to any fighting on or around the Marchfeld, and were thus not a part of Charles' effective fighting force. This was due to Charles's desire to protect his communication lines towards Bohemia and Moravia.Rothenberg 148.
Grande Armée As opposed to his Austrian counterpart, Napoleon managed to muster two secondary armies for the upcoming battle. The first, called the Army of Italy, had marched from northern Italy to the main theatre of operations north of Vienna and was led by Napoleon's stepson, the Viceroy of Italy, Prince Eugène de Beauharnais. The second was the XI Corps, which formed the Army of Dalmatia, under General of Division Auguste de Marmont. However, the Army of Dalmatia, as well as a part of the Army of Italy only arrived on the battlefield towards midday on 6 July, at about the same time as an additional force, a Bavarian division under general Karl Philipp von Wrede.Rothenberg 246–254.
All these forces considered, Napoleon could muster an army of around 166,000 men, with 433 guns. He was seconded by Major Général (Chief of Staff), 56-year-old Maréchal d'Empire Louis-Alexandre Berthier, a seasoned officer, who had been serving as Napoleon's Chief of Staff since 1796.Castle 13. The army was organised in the usual French Corps system and the main army, Armée d'Allemagne ("Army of Germany") was divided as follows:
The Imperial Guard: 10,500 men, 60 guns, under the direct command of Napoleon; II Corps: 27,000 men, 64 guns, under the command of 42-year-old Général de division Nicolas-Charles Oudinot, a fearless commander, who had a reputation for leading from the front; III Corps: 38,000 men, 120 guns, under the command of 39-year-old Maréchal d'Empire Louis-Nicolas Davout, a stern disciplinarian and one of the best commanders in the French army; IV Corps: 28,000 men, 86 guns, under the command of 51-year-old Maréchal d'Empire André Masséna, a general who had fought against the Austrians many times in the past and who had a reputation for exceptional military talent and cunning; VII Corps: only one Bavarian division (6,600 men, 24 guns) was present, under 42-year-old General von Wrede; IX Corps: 17,000 Saxons, 38 guns, under 46-year-old Maréchal d'Empire Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, a commander who had acquired some fame during the Wars of the Revolution, but who often had strained relations with Napoleon; XI Corps ("Army of Dalmatia"): 10,000 men, 28 guns, under 34-year-old Général de division Auguste de Marmont, an up-and-coming commander and personal friend of the Emperor; The Reserve Cavalry Corps (three heavy cavalry divisions): 8,000 men, 24 guns, under the command of 40-year-old Maréchal d'Empire Jean-Baptiste Bessières, a skilled cavalry commander and loyal supporter of the Emperor.Castle 12-14.
The "Army of Italy", under the command of 27-year-old Prince Eugène, the Viceroy of Italy and Napoleon's stepson. Eugène's army had a total of 44 guns and was made up of: the small Italian Royal Guard (1,700 men) under 33-year-old Général de division Achille Fontanelli; V Corps: 7,000 men, under 43-year-old Général de division Jacques MacDonald, who had acquired considerable fame as a general of the Revolution but who had subsequently fallen out with Napoleon and was only just coming back into grace; VI Corps: 12,000 men, under 41-year-old Général de division Paul Grenier, a seasoned commander.Castle 22-23.
Napoleon also massed additional artillery on the island of Lobau – 28 18-pounders, 24 12-pounders, 17 28-centimetre heavy mortars, 10 howitzers and a number of small calibre guns (4 and 6-pounders). Also stationed on the island of Lobau during the battle were one regiment and 5 battalions defending the crucial communications with Vienna.Rothenberg 137. These troops would not see action at Wagram, although the batteries would open an artillery barrage when Austrians from Klenau's VI Corps came within range, on the second day of the battle.Rothenberg 142. All the forces that remained on this island were placed under the command of general Aubry, later under the command of general Jean-Louis Reynier.
Finally, the VIII Corps, under General of Division Dominique Vandamme was left out of the battle and was left behind to cover Vienna and the southern bank of the Danube upstream from the Austrian capital.Rothenberg 139.
Franco-Allied Forces Commander: Emperor Napoleon I
Grand Army of Germany
Commander: Emperor Napoleon I
Aides-de-camp to the EmperorMilitary Household of the EmperorGD LauristonGrand Marshal GD DurocGB SavaryFirst Squire GD NansoutyGB LebrunMaréchal des Logis du Palais GD de SégurGD MoutonGD Rapp (absent)GB ReilleGD Le Marois (absent)GD Caffarelli (absent)GD Bertrand
Army Staff
Chief of Staff: MdE Berthier Vice Chief of Staff: GD Dumas Deputy to the Vice Chief of Staff: GB Bailly de Monthion