Ulm campaign

Napoleon’s Masterstroke: The Ulm Campaign

Imagine a chessboard where the pieces are armies and the squares are territories. Napoleon was the grandmaster who moved his pieces with such finesse that he captured an entire army in one fell swoop.

The Prelude to War

Europe had been embroiled in the French Revolutionary Wars since 1792, with multiple coalitions formed against France. After five years of war, the French Republic subdued the First Coalition in 1797. A Second Coalition was formed in 1798 but defeated by 1801. Britain remained the only opponent for the new French Consulate, and tensions between the two sides grew despite a temporary peace under the Treaty of Amiens.

The Formation of the Third Coalition

In March 1802, France and Britain agreed to end hostilities, but the agreement was difficult to implement due to many problems and resentments between the two sides. When Napoleon sent an expeditionary force to crush the Haitian Revolution, tensions worsened, and Britain declared war on France in May 1803.

The Army of England

Before the Ulm campaign, Napoleon had assembled the ‘Army of England,’ an invasion force that received training at Boulogne. This force would form the core of what became La Grande Armée. By 1805, the Grande Armée had grown to 350,000 men, equipped and trained with a competent officer class.

The Austrian Army’s Strategy

The Austrians had sealed off the Black Forest area, believing there would be no action in central Germany. They made Ulm the centerpiece of their defensive strategy. However, Napoleon’s plan was to attack from multiple directions, using the Grande Armée to envelop General Mack’s exposed army and Marshal Murat’s cavalry screens to deceive the Austrians.

The Battle of Wertingen

On September 22, 1805, Mack decided to hold the Iller line anchored on Ulm. The French began furious marches in the last three days of September, and Mack believed they would not violate Prussian territory. However, when he heard that Bernadotte’s I Corps had marched through Prussian Ansbach, Mack stayed and defended Ulm rather than retreating to the south.

The Battle of Haslach-Jungingen

Napoleon ordered Ney to join Lannes, Soult, and Murat in concentrating and crossing the Danube at Donauwörth on October 5. However, Kienmayer’s Corps escaped due to the French corps deploying on a long west-east axis. Napoleon became convinced that Mack was massed at Ulm and ordered significant portions of his army to concentrate around Donauwörth.

The Battle of Elchingen

On 14 October, Ney’s forces advanced on Albeck, leading to a confrontation with Davout and Bernadotte at Elchingen. The Austrian command staff was in full confusion, with Ferdinand opposing Mack’s decisions. During the Battle of Elchingen, the Austrian cavalry was defeated, and Reisch’s infantry fled toward Ulm.

The Surrender of Ulm

Ney’s victory earned him the title Duke of Elchingen. On 15 October, Ney’s troops charged the Michelsberg encampments, and French bombardment began on 16 October. A convention with Mack was signed in which he agreed to surrender on 25 October, but received news of other Austrian capitulations before agreeing to an earlier date.

The Aftermath

On 20 October, Mack surrendered his army, allowing for the escape of a small number of troops and marking a spectacular French victory. The effects of the Battle of Haslach-Jungingen led Napoleon to shift his forces towards Ulm. Over the next few days, French forces under Murat drove off Austrian attacks, forcing Mack’s army into a desperate situation with no hope of escape.

The Grande Armée’s Training and Preparation

The Grande Armée’s training and preparation played a significant role in their success. The campaign highlighted the effectiveness of la manoeuvre sur les derrières. Murat’s cavalry served as a pinning force, fooling the Austrians into thinking the main French attack would come from the Black Forest.

Conclusion

The Ulm campaign was not just a victory but a strategic masterpiece that influenced the development of military tactics for decades to come. Napoleon’s ability to outmaneuver and outthink his opponents is a testament to his genius as a general. The Grande Armée’s training and preparation were key factors in their success, making this campaign one of the most significant in European history.