Napoleon Marshalls His Army for the Battle of Wagram and Establishes Communications After the Victory at Raab

At the Battle of Raab, 14 June, 1809, Franco-Italian troops under Viceroy of Italy Eugène de Beauharnais defeated the Austrians, posted just outside the city (now Gyor, in Hungary). French infantry, under Général de Division Seras and supported by Montbrun’s cavalry, attacked the main enemy positions stationed in Kismegyer, a village on the outskirts. The Austrian left-wing collapsed, but the centre held out until late in the afternoon, when, faced with the arrival of French reinforcements under MacDonald, Johann ordered the retreat. In his report to Napoleon, Eugène noted simply: “Sire, I hasten to inform Your Majesty that I gave battle today to the Prince Johann, and was blessed with a victory.”

The victory prevented Archduke John of Austria from bringing any significant force to the Battle of Wagram, while Prince Eugène de Beauharnais’s force was able to link up with Emperor Napoleon at Vienna in time to fight at Wagram in early July.

Letter signed, Schonbrunn, June 21, 1809, in the evening, to General Lauriston.

“General Lauriston, I received your letter dated from outside Raab, June 20 at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. You do not speak of the 80 carriages of munitions, which you must have received several days ago and which preceded the convoy of the 18 that I sent to you. I have already impressed upon you that it is important that these 80 carriages all return to the Park of Vienna.

“Return also all the carriages that you may have which belong to the other corps of the army. Discharge the munitions and send off the carriages. You must not lose sight of the fact that if the enemy were to arrive by Comom, the Viceroy should give battle, and that in any case, it is the bridge of the Raab that must be his principal communication; it is therefore necessary that the bridge be very sturdy. Let me know the advantages of the position of Raab in order to protect the observation corps and prevent the enemy from arriving from that side. I suppose that you have returned to Vienna the cannons that are out of service in order that they receive a spare part of steel. I pray God that he keeps you in his holy care.”

Napoleon’s forces were now in a position to confront the enemy at Wagram. The Battle was a high water mark for Napoleon, as his Grande Army decisively beat the Austrians, who had challenged him by invading Bavaria. The battle destroyed the Fifth Coalition, the Austrian and British-led alliance against France. Napoleon crossed the Danube and occupied Vienna in May 1809; then in July he met the Archduke Charles east of Vienna in a battle between two enormous armies. The Austrians deployed their line centered on a village called Wagram to await the French attack, which arrived earlier than anticipated. After repelling an Austrian flanking attempt, Napoleon cut the opposition line in half with a bold maneuver in the center. The commanding officer for this assault was Jacques MacDonald.