The Prelude to Conflict: Europe in 1805
The year 1805 marked a pivotal moment in the Napoleonic Wars, as the Third Coalition—comprising Austria, Russia, and Britain—sought to curb the expanding influence of Napoleonic France. Austria, eager to reclaim lost territories and prestige, mobilized its forces under the command of Field Marshal Karl Mack von Leiberich. Mack, a conservative tactician with a reputation for rigid adherence to traditional warfare doctrines, would soon find himself outmaneuvered by Napoleon’s revolutionary strategies.
Unlike the French, who had meticulously prepared for war, Austria rushed into conflict without waiting for its Russian allies to fully mobilize. Mack’s decision to push Bavaria into neutrality and advance 60,000 Austrian troops across the Inn River into Bavaria proved disastrous. His assumption that Napoleon would follow 18th-century tactics—advancing through the Black Forest’s central Rhine valley—played directly into French deception.
The Trap is Set: Napoleon’s Strategic Genius
Napoleon, ever the master of misdirection, orchestrated a campaign of unparalleled speed and deception. While Mack positioned his forces along the Iller River, facing the Black Forest’s eastern exits, the French emperor had already set in motion a grand envelopment. Seven French corps executed a coordinated march, converging on Ulm from multiple directions:
– Lannes and the Imperial Guard moved from Strasbourg.
– Ney advanced from the north via Pforzheim and Stuttgart.
– Davout and Soult marched through the Upper Neckar Valley.
– Marmont and Bernadotte assembled at Würzburg.
By early October, these forces were poised to cut off Mack’s supply lines and encircle his army. Marshal Joachim Murat’s cavalry played a crucial role in masking these movements, engaging Austrian outposts in skirmishes to reinforce Mack’s false belief that the French were still approaching from the west.
The Battle of Wertingen: Murat’s First Triumph
On October 8, Murat seized the initiative at Wertingen, launching a bold cavalry assault against General Auffenberg’s isolated Austrian detachment. The attack, supported by Lannes’ infantry, shattered Austrian resistance, capturing 2,500 prisoners, 10 cannons, and eight regimental flags. Though Napoleon later criticized Murat for not annihilating the entire division, the victory demoralized Austrian forces and tightened the noose around Ulm.
The Austrian Collapse: Mack’s Fatal Errors
Mack’s indecision proved catastrophic. Instead of breaking out northward while French forces were still consolidating, he withdrew into Ulm, allowing Napoleon to complete the encirclement. By October 15, French troops stormed the heights of Michelsberg, cutting off Austrian escape routes. Murat’s cavalry sealed the western approaches, leaving Mack trapped.
On October 17, Mack surrendered 25,000 men at Ulm. Napoleon famously boasted to Empress Joséphine: “I have destroyed the Austrian army simply by marching.” Yet the disaster was far from over. Archduke Ferdinand and General Werneck escaped with 18,000 troops, only to be relentlessly pursued by Murat’s cavalry across Bavaria.
The Pursuit: Murat’s Cavalry in Action
From October 16–20, Murat’s horsemen covered over 100 miles, engaging Austrian rearguards in eight separate clashes. At Herbrechtingen and Neresheim, his dragoons captured thousands of prisoners and dozens of guns. By the time the chase ended near Nuremberg, only 3,000 Austrians remained of the original 60,000. Napoleon lauded Murat’s “extraordinary exertions” in official bulletins, cementing his reputation as France’s premier cavalry commander.
The Fall of Vienna: Cunning Over Force
With Ulm secured, Napoleon turned toward Vienna. Murat, ever the showman, devised a daring ruse to seize the Danube bridges intact. On November 13, he and Marshal Lannes strolled across the Spanische Brücke, pretending to negotiate a truce with Austrian officers. As confusion spread, French grenadiers stormed the bridge, disarming demolition charges and securing the crossing. Though criticized for deceit, the gambit spared Vienna destruction and showcased Murat’s audacity.
The Road to Austerlitz
The campaign’s finale unfolded at Austerlitz on December 2, 1805. Murat commanded the French left wing, holding off Bagration’s Russians while Napoleon crushed the Allied center. Despite a near-fatal blunder—mistaking Russian dragoons for Bavarian allies—Murat’s cavalry redeemed itself with a crushing charge that captured 27 guns and 7,000 prisoners. The victory forced Austria to sign the Treaty of Pressburg, ending the war.
Legacy: A Campaign That Redefined Warfare
The Ulm Campaign remains a textbook example of strategic envelopment. Napoleon’s use of rapid marches, deception, and concentrated force rendered Mack’s army obsolete before a major battle was fought. Murat’s cavalry, though occasionally reckless, proved indispensable in pursuit and exploitation. For Austria, the humiliation led to military reforms; for France, it marked the zenith of Napoleonic dominance.
Modern military theorists still study Ulm for its lessons in operational art. As historian David Chandler observed: “Napoleon did not just defeat armies—he annihilated them by making their positions irrelevant.” The echoes of 1805 resonate in blitzkrieg tactics and modern maneuver warfare, a testament to the enduring genius of Napoleon’s masterpiece.