1805.

CAMPAIGN IN MORAVIA.

195

been delayed six weeks, Napoleon might have had a more difficult task. He was now not only master of Vienna, but of the neighboring bridge over the Danube. Lannes had won it by an act of unexampled audacity. He had advanced on the bridge, speaking to the Austrian officers, alluding to a probable armistice, and distracting their attention, whilst a column of grenadiers followed him. As the Austrian officers were before their cannon and around Lannes, the artillery could not fire: when the former expostulated, Lannes gained time by excuses; and when the word to fire was about to be given, he overthrew the officer, the French rushed on the cannon, turned them; and the important bridge, securing a passage over the Danube, was won, we may say, in jest. Such was Austrian simplicity.

The emperor Francis had hoped to the last that the Russians would arrive in time to act on the right bank of the Danube, and so preserve Vienna from occupation. The first Russian army-it marched in two bodies-had advanced under Kutusoff higher up the Danube than Vienna. Hearing of the capture both of that city and its bridge, Kutusoff hurried back to Brunn. He feared to be cut off from the other body of his compatriots, and with some reason. Murat attacked him; but the French general allowing himself to be deceived by the proposal of an armistice, Kutusoff made good his retreat, leaving, however, his lieutenant Bragation to bear the brunt of the enemy. This general had the honor, with 6000 men, to make a stand against double his force of French, fight them with inveteracy, and then escape. The encounter raised the courage of the Russians-they were yet the soldiers of Su

warrow.

The French occupied Brunn. The emperors of Russia and Austria had rallied at Olmutz. They were at the head of 80,000 men, whilst Bonaparte did not muster more than 60,000. He had had to garrison Vienna; and to leave troops to watch the archduke Charles, who was in South Austria, pressed by Massena, but still in force. Some negotiation took place, but both French and Russians were too full of confidence to abate of pretensions before a battle which each hoped to win. This battle became a matter of absolute necessity to Napoleon, far advanced as he was in an enemy's country; Hungary unoccupied on one side, Bohemia on the other: Prussia, too, was menacing. The French, in their rapid march to intercept Mack, had passed through the Prussian territories of Anspach, and thus afforded a pretext of An envoy now arrived from Berlin; but the emperor told him to stay his message until a battle, which was immi rert, should be decided.

war.

III.-13

The Russians and Austrians, having united all their forces. determined to act on the offensive. On the 27th of November they marched from Olmutz towards the French, who were concentrated to the eastward of Brunn. Napoleon, who had studied the ground in his rear, retreated before the enemy, drawing his right wing back more than the rest of the army. Kutusoff, seeing this, and taking it for weakness, determined to turn the right wing of the French, and so threaten to cut off their army from Vienna. Bonaparte thus, by drawing his army as nearly as was wise to one point, suggested to his enemies the idea of turning and surrounding him; a dangerous project for them, since it extended their lines, and exposed their weak points to an enemy, vigilant, drawn together, and enabled to protrude an overwhelming force in any one direction. Had the Russians an idea that this retreat and concentration of the French were dictated by art, they would of course not have committed themselves. But the French did every thing to affect hesitation and timidity: they not only retired, but, in partial encounters, showed a disposition to fly. To the proposals of Alexander, Bonaparte answered hesitatingly. He received the aide-de-camp sent to him on the outskirts of the camp, as if to avoid its weak state being seen. Works were thrown up. An interview, as the pretext of four and twenty hours' truce, was begged. In short, a hundred petty artifices were employed to persuade the Russians that the French meditated a retreat; and that the former should lose no time, not only to attack, but also to intercept.

On the first of December the combined army completely fell into the trap. The chief force was pushed on to the extreme left, whilst the troops of the rest of the line, diminished for this purpose, descended from heights in front of the French, in order to move towards the left also. Napoleon might have posted his army on these heights, and would have done so, had his object been merely to repulse or check the enemy; but his aim was to defeat and destroy them; and he therefore yielded them the heights, which, being separated by ravines between, favored his project for cutting the Austrian line, when weakened by its extension and its march to take the French in flank. Bonaparte watched anxiously the motions of the enemy in advance of Austerlitz; and no sooner did his acute eye perceive their forces thrown to their left, and the number, in front of him, on and around the line of heights diminished, than he exclaimed, "Yon army shall be at our mercy ere to-morrow's sun sets." Nay, so certain was he of this, that he determined to communicate his confidence

1805

BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ.

197 to his soldiers; and informed them in a printed circular or order of the day, that "the enemy, in marching to turn the French right, had exposed their own flank." On the evening of the first, the firing commenced on the menaced point, the right of the French. Napoleon galloped thither, made his disposition for the morrow, and returned on foot through the ranks and bivouacs of his soldiery. The morrow was to be the anniversary of his coronation: they promised him the Russian colors and cannon as a gift in honor of his fête.

Soult commanded the main right wing, called by some the centre, because Davoust led a division still further off, to oppose the object of the enemy in turning the French or taking them in the rear. Bernadotte was the general of the centre, Lannes at the left, Murat and the cavalry behind the two latter, Bessières in reserve, with Oudinot and the guard. The sun rose on the 2d of December with unclouded brilliancy; it was hailed and remembered long as the sun of Austerlitz. Its rays discovered the Austrians and Russians disseminated on, around, and behind the heights before the village of Austerlitz, whence the allied emperors watched the first effect of their chief effort against the French right. Here the battle began; Soult and Davoust supporting the attack with their wonted activity and skill, greatly aided by their positions, which were amongst flooded and marshy ground, with the ice too weak to support the tread. All that Bonaparte required of these generals was to hold their ground for a certain number of hours; his aim being to attack simultaneously with his left and centre that portion of the enemy in front of him, which he proposed to cut off from their engaged wing. Napoleon delayed long, however, to give the signal for this attack, so little looked for by the enemy. He feared lest they might recall their troops from their left. No sooner, however, did he hear the sound of battle fully engaged in that direction, than he gave the word. His generals hurried from him, each to his post; Lannes, Bernadotte, Legrand, St. Hilaire, each at the head of his. division, advanced. The allied columns at this moment were descending from the heights, in the direction of their left, where they looked for the brunt of the battle. They never expected to find it beore them, Bonaparte having sedulously concealed the force nd motions of his army. The Russians were thus surprised, nd attacked during an oblique march, by columns their equals or superiors in strength. They were cut in two, routed, and separated one from the other. The French gained the heights, pushing their enemies into the defiles. This, no

doubt, took time to effect; but the details can be imagined, if the manœuvres be comprehended, and the result seized.

Between Austerlitz and the heights thus won by the French was still the Russian reserve, with the emperor in person; his choicest troops, the guard for instance, commanded by the grand duke Constantine. These two were marching towards the left, when to their astonishment the French skirmishers and cavalry charged in amongst them. It was a scene of surprise and confusion. The emperor, however, aided by Kutusoff, rallied his men. The Russian guards and other regiments charged; and the French, a moment since victorious, were driven back. Some regiments that had even formed squares were broken into and routed by the impetu osity of the Russians. Napoleon did not see what was taking place, Austerlitz being hidden from him by the heights. His ear, however, caught sounds that did not augur victory, and ne instantly sent Rapp, his aide-de-camp, to see what was the matter. Rapp galloped off with some squadrons of the guard, rallied stragglers as he advanced, and saw, as he came up, the menacing position of affairs, the Russians victorious, and sabring the French, who were driven from their broken squares. They were already bringing cannon to play upon Rapp, when the latter, crying out to his men, to avenge their comrades and restore the day," charged at full speed amongst the Russians. This gave the routed French time to breathe and rally. They grouped and formed: Rapp returned to the charge. Half an hour's obstinate struggle and carnage took place, which terminated in the rout of the Russian guards before the eyes of the two emperors.

This feat achieved, Rapp rode back to acquaint Napoleon that all the foe in the direction of Austerlitz were in flight. On other points victory had been already assured. The left of the allies-the left, on the efforts of which so much had been built was now cut off; it was completely destroyed or taken. The most dreadful feature of its route was the attempt of several squadrons to escape over the lakes: the ice at once gave way under the accumulated weight, and thousands of the brave men perished.

Such was Austerlitz. Savary had best summed it up in calling it "a series of manœuvres, not one of which failed that cut the Russian army, surprised in a side march, into as many portions as columns were directed against it." All have seen Gerard's picture of the battle, or rather of its conclusion, where Rapp is seen riding up, with broken sword and bleeding front, to tell the tidings of his complete success. It represents that fact. Of 80,000 combatants, the allies lost one half, of which 10,000 were slain.

: 305.

CONSEQUENCES OF AUSTERLITZ.

199

On the evening of the battle, the emperor of Austria sent to demand an interview with Napoleon. It was arranged for the 4th; and took place within a few leagues of Austerlitz, by the fire of a bivouac. The sovereigns embraced, and remained two hours in conversation, during which the principal terms of an agreement were of course discussed. Napoleon showed forbearance and magnanimity. The emperor of Russia retired to his dominions. He professed great admiration for the French hero, but refused to enter into any treaty, or even to acknowledge him as emperor. The part of the king of Prussia was most difficult. He had been ready to join the coalition. Count d'Haugwitz had arrived, prepared to use the language of menace; but finding Napoleon successful, he complimented him upon his victory. "This is a congratulation," was the reply, "of which fortune has changed the address." In proportion as he had shown forbearance to Austria, he gave way to vituperation and anger against Prussia. He railed against treachery and false friends; and in short, so frightened Haugwitz. that the latter concluded a treaty, resigning Anspach and Bareuth on the part of Prussia, and accepting Hanover in lieu. It was Napoleon's object thus to set England and Prussia at variance. It was singular enough that, almost at the same moment, Hardenberg, the Prussian minister, required the assistance of England, conjointly with Russia, in case she should be attacked: and both these incompatible agreements were soon before the cabinet of Berlin, to its no small embarrassment, It drew back from the difficulty as best it might, accepting Hanover merely as a depôt, and yielding Anspach, as Haugwitz had consented, with Cleves, Berg, and Neufchatel: the two latter principalities were bestowed upon Murat and Berthier. Soon after, the treaty of Presburg was signed between France and Austria; the latter power ceding Venice and its Dalmatian territories to the kingdom of Italy, and the Tyrol to Bavaria. The elector of Bavaria was raised, as well as the duke of Wirtemberg, to the rank of king: and the dominions of the new monarchs increased by the influence of France. Thus Napoleon commenced his plan, afterwards developed in the confederation of the Rhine, of exercising himself that influence over the German states which the empire held of old, and which of late had been shared and disputed by Prussia as the head of the Protestant interest.

Napoleon had declared to his own senate, and to the emperor of Austria, that he sought no aggrandizement for France. This declaration was with him a kind of nolo episcopari, or nolo regnare, which was a certain forerunner of fresh acquisi