Editing Battle of Austerlitz (section)

==Battle==
[[File:Bivouac on the Eve of the Battle of Austerlitz, 1st December 1805.PNG|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Colored painting showing French troops lighting torches for Napoleon. |Napoleon with his troops on the eve of battle. Painting by [[Louis-François, Baron Lejeune]]]]

The battle began with the French army outnumbered. Napoleon had some 72,000 men and 157 guns for the impending battle, with about 7,000 troops under [[Louis Nicolas Davout|Davout]] still far to the south in the direction of Vienna.{{sfn|Uffindell|page=19}}{{sfn|Nicholls|2000|pp= 9–10}} The Allies had about 85,000 soldiers, seventy percent of them Russian, and 318 guns.{{sfn |Uffindell |page=19}}

At first, Napoleon was not confident of victory. In a letter written to Minister of Foreign Affairs [[Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord|Talleyrand]], Napoleon requested Talleyrand not tell anyone about the upcoming battle because he did not want to disturb Empress [[Joséphine de Beauharnais|Joséphine]]. According to Frederick C. Schneid, the French Emperor's chief worry was how he could explain to Joséphine a French defeat.{{sfn|Schneid|2005|p= 137}}

===Battlefield===
The battle took place about six miles (ten kilometres) southeast of the city of [[Brno]], between that city and Austerlitz ({{langx|cs|italic=no|[[Slavkov u Brna]]}}) in what is now the Czech Republic. The northern part of the battlefield was dominated by the 700-foot (210-metre) Santon Hill and the 880-foot (270-meter) [[Žuráň]] Hill, both overlooking the vital [[Olomouc]]/Brno road, which was on an east–west axis. To the west of these two hills was the village of [[Bedřichovice|Bellowitz (Bedřichovice)]], and between them, the Bosenitz (Roketnice) stream went south to link up with the Goldbach (Říčka) stream, the latter flowing by the villages of [[Kobylnice (Brno-Country District)|Kobelnitz (Kobylnice)]], [[Sokolnice|Sokolnitz (Sokolnice)]], and [[Telnice (Brno-Country District)|Telnitz (Telnice)]].

The centrepiece of the entire area was the [[Prace, Czech Republic|Pratzen (Prace)]] Heights, a gently sloping hill about 35 to 40 feet (10 to 12 metres) in height. An aide noted that Napoleon repeatedly told his marshals, "Gentlemen, examine this ground carefully, it is going to be a battlefield; you will have a part to play upon it."{{sfn|Chandler|1966|pp=412–413}}

===Allied plans and dispositions===
[[File:Battle of Austerlitz, Situation at 1800, 1 December 1805.png|upright=1.3|thumb|right|alt=Map showing French troops concentrated to the west of the battlefield and the Allies to the east. |Allied (red) and French (blue) deployments at 1800 hours on 1 December 1805]]

The Allied council met on 1 December to discuss proposals for the battle. Most Allied strategists had two fundamental ideas: contacting the enemy and securing the southern flank that held the communication line to Vienna. Although the Tsar and his immediate entourage pushed hard for a battle, Emperor Francis of Austria was more cautious, and, as mentioned, he was seconded by Kutuzov, the Commander-in-chief of the Russians and the Allied troops.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=416}} The pressure to fight from the Russian nobles and the Austrian commanders, however, was too strong, and the Allies adopted the plan of the Austrian Chief-of-Staff, [[Franz von Weyrother]].{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=416}} This called for a main drive against the French right flank, which the Allies noticed was lightly guarded, and diversionary attacks against the French left. The Allies deployed most of their troops into four columns that would attack the French right. The [[Russian Imperial Guard]] was held in reserve while Russian troops under [[Pyotr Bagration|Bagration]] guarded the Allied right. The Russian Tsar stripped Kutuzov of his authority as Commander-in-Chief and gave it to Franz von Weyrother. In the battle, Kutuzov could only command the IV Corps of the Allied army, although he was still the nominal commander because the Tsar was afraid to take over if his favoured plan failed.<ref name="lvq10"/>

===French plans and dispositions===
[[File:Cuirassiers 1805 Meissonier Chantilly.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|French [[cuirassier]]s taking position]]

Napoleon hoped that the Allied forces would attack, and to encourage them, he deliberately weakened his right flank.{{sfn|Brooks|2000|p=109}} On 28 November, Napoleon met with his marshals at Imperial Headquarters, who informed him of their qualms about the forthcoming battle. He shrugged off their suggestion of retreat.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=48}}

Napoleon's plan envisaged that the Allies would throw many troops to envelop his right flank to cut the French communication line from [[Vienna]].<ref name="lvq10"/> As a result, the Allies' center and left flank would be exposed and become vulnerable.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2010| p=19}} To encourage them to do so, Napoleon abandoned the strategic position on the Pratzen Heights, faking the weakness of his forces and his caution.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=48}} Meanwhile, Napoleon's main force was to be concealed in a dead ground opposite the Heights.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=413}} According to the plan, the French troops would attack and recapture the Pratzen Heights, then from the Heights, they would launch a decisive assault to the center of the Allied army, cripple them, and encircle them from the rear.<ref name="lvq10"/>{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2010| p=19}}
{{blockquote|If the Russian force leaves the Pratzen Heights in order to go to the right side, they will certainly be defeated.|sign=Napoleon|<ref name="lvq10"/>}}

The massive thrust through the Allied centre was conducted by 16,000 troops of [[Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult|Soult's]] IV Corps. IV Corps' position was cloaked by dense mist during the early stage of the battle; in fact, how long the mist lasted was vital to Napoleon's plan: Soult's troops would become uncovered if the mist dissipated too soon, but if it lingered too long, Napoleon would be unable to determine when the Allied troops had evacuated Pratzen Heights, preventing him from timing his attack properly.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2010| p= 21}}

Meanwhile, to support his weak right flank, Napoleon ordered Davout's [[III Corps (Grande Armée)|III Corps]] to force march from Vienna and join General [[Claude Legrand|Legrand's]] men, who held the extreme southern flank that would bear the heaviest part of the Allied attack. Davout's soldiers had 48 hours to march {{cvt|110|km|mi}}. Their arrival was crucial in determining the success of the French plan. Indeed, the arrangement of Napoleon on the right flank was precarious as the French had only minimal troops garrisoning there. However, Napoleon was able to use such a risky plan because Davout—the commander of III Corps—was one of Napoleon's best marshals, because the right flank's position was protected by a complicated system of streams and lakes,<ref name="lvq10"/> and because the French had already settled upon a secondary line of retreat through [[Brno|Brunn]].{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=412}} The [[French Imperial Guard|Imperial Guard]] and [[Charles XIV John of Sweden|Bernadotte's]] I Corps were held in reserve while the V Corps under [[Jean Lannes|Lannes]] guarded the northern sector of the battlefield, where the new communication line was located.<ref name="lvq10"/>

By 1 December 1805, the French troops had been shifted in accordance with the Allied movement southward, as Napoleon expected.{{sfn|Fremont-Barnes|2010|p=19}}

===Battle begins===
The battle began at about 8 a.m., with the first allied lines attacking the village of Telnitz, which the 3rd Line Regiment defended. This battlefield sector witnessed heavy fighting in this early action as several ferocious Allied charges evicted the French from the town and forced them onto the other side of the Goldbach. The first men of Davout's corps arrived at this time and threw the Allies out of Telnitz before they, too, were attacked by [[hussar]]s and re-abandoned the town. Additional Allied attacks out of Telnitz were checked by French artillery.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|pp=48–49}}

[[File:Willewalde - Czar's Guard capture 4th line regiment's standard at Austerlitz.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Capture of a French regiment's eagle by the cavalry of the Russian guard, by [[Bogdan Willewalde]] (1884)]]
Allied columns started pouring against the French right, but not at the desired speed, so the French successfully curbed the attacks. The Allied deployments were mistaken and poorly timed: cavalry detachments under [[Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]] on the Allied left flank had to be placed in the right flank, and in the process, they ran into, and slowed down, part of the second column of infantry that was advancing towards the French right.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=48}} At the time, the planners thought this slowing was disastrous, but later on, it helped the Allies. Meanwhile, the leading elements of the second column were attacking the village of Sokolnitz, which was defended by the 26th Light Regiment and the [[Tirailleur]]s, French [[skirmisher]]s. Initial Allied assaults proved unsuccessful, and [[Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron|General Langeron]] ordered the bombardment of the village. This deadly barrage forced the French out, and at about the same time, the third column attacked the castle of Sokolnitz. The French, however, counterattacked and regained the village, only to be thrown out again. Conflict in this area ended temporarily when [[Louis Friant|Friant's]] division (part of III Corps) retook the village. Sokolnitz was perhaps the most contested area on the battlefield and would change hands several times as the day progressed.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=49}}

While the Allied troops attacked the French right flank, Kutuzov's IV Corps stopped at the Pratzen Heights and stayed still. Just like Napoleon, Kutuzov realized the importance of Pratzen and decided to protect the position. But the young Tsar did not, so he ordered the IV Corps to withdraw from the Heights. This act quickly pushed the Allied army into its grave.<ref name="lvq10"/>

==="One sharp blow and the war is over"===
[[File:Battle of Austerlitz - Situation at 0900, 2 December 1805.png|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=Map with blue lines showing the French advance against the Allied center, symbolized with red lines. |The decisive attacks on the Allied center by [[Louis-Vincent-Joseph Le Blond de Saint-Hilaire|St. Hilaire]] and [[Dominique Vandamme|Vandamme]] split the Allied army in two and left the French in a golden tactical position to win the battle.]]

At about 8:45&nbsp;a.m., satisfied at the weakness in the enemy center, Napoleon asked Soult how long it would take for his men to reach the Pratzen Heights, to which the Marshal replied, "Less than twenty minutes, sire." About 15 minutes later, Napoleon ordered the attack, adding, "One sharp blow and the war is over."{{sfn |Uffindell |page=21}}

A dense fog helped to cloud the advance of [[Louis-Vincent-Joseph Le Blond de Saint-Hilaire|St. Hilaire's]] French division, but as they ascended the slope, the legendary 'Sun of Austerlitz' ripped the mist apart and encouraged them forward.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=49}} Russian soldiers and commanders on top of the heights were stunned to see so many French troops coming towards them.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=425}} Allied commanders moved some of the delayed detachments of the fourth column into this bitter struggle. Over an hour of fighting destroyed much of this unit. The other men from the second column, primarily inexperienced Austrians, also participated in the struggle and swung the numbers against one of the best fighting forces in the French army, eventually forcing them to withdraw down the slopes. However, gripped by desperation, St. Hilaire's men struck hard again and bayoneted the Allies out of the heights. To the north, [[Dominique Vandamme|General Vandamme's]] division attacked an area called Staré Vinohrady ("Old Vineyards") and, through talented skirmishing and deadly volleys, broke several Allied battalions.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|pp=49–50}}

The battle had firmly turned in France's favor, but it was far from over. Napoleon ordered Bernadotte's I Corps to support Vandamme's left and moved his command center from Žuráň Hill to St. Anthony's Chapel on the Pratzen Heights. The problematic position of the Allies was confirmed by the decision to send in the [[Russian Imperial Guard]]; [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia|Grand Duke Constantine]], Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander's]] brother, commanded the Guard and counterattacked in Vandamme's section of the field, forcing a bloody effort and the only loss of a French standard in the battle (a battalion of the 4th Line Regiment was defeated). Sensing trouble, Napoleon ordered his own heavy Guard cavalry forward. These men pulverized their Russian counterparts, but with both sides pouring in large masses of cavalry, no victory was clear.

The Russians had a numerical advantage; however, the tide soon swung as [[Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon|Drouet's]] Division, the 2nd of Bernadotte's I Corps, deployed on the flank of the action and allowed French cavalry to seek refuge behind their lines. The [[horse artillery]] of the Guard also inflicted heavy casualties on the Russian cavalry and fusiliers. The Russians broke, and many died as they were pursued by the reinvigorated French cavalry for about a quarter of a mile.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=51}} Kutuzov was severely wounded, and his son-in-law, [[Ferdinand von Tiesenhausen]], was killed.<ref name="lvq10">Lê Vinh Quốc, Nguyễn Thị Thư, Lê Phụng Hoàng, pp. 154–160</ref>

===Endgame===
{{blockquote|I was&nbsp;... under fierce and continuous canister fire&nbsp;... Many soldiers, now incessantly engaged in battle from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., had no cartridges left. I could do nothing but retreat&nbsp;... |sign=Lieutenant General Przhebishevsky<ref>Grant, p. 203</ref>}}
[[File:Battle of Austerlitz - Situation at 1400, 2 December 1805.png|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=Map showing the French advance in blue lines and the defeated Allied armies in red lines, moving away (to the east) from the battlefield. |By 1400 hours, the Allied army had been dangerously separated. Napoleon now had the option to strike at one of the wings, and he chose the Allied left since other enemy sectors had already been cleared or were conducting fighting retreats.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}]]

Meanwhile, the northernmost part of the battlefield also witnessed heavy fighting. [[Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein|The Prince of Liechtenstein's]] heavy cavalry began to assault [[François Étienne de Kellermann|Kellermann's]] lighter cavalry forces after eventually arriving at the correct position in the field. The fighting initially went well for the French, but Kellerman's forces took cover behind General Caffarelli's infantry division once it became clear that Russian numbers were too great. Caffarelli's men halted the Russian assaults and permitted [[Joachim Murat|Murat]] to send two cuirassier divisions (one commanded by [[Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul|d'Hautpoul]] and the other one by [[Étienne Marie Antoine Champion de Nansouty|Nansouty]]) into the fray to finish off the Russian cavalry for good. The ensuing mêlée was bitter and long, but the French ultimately prevailed. Lannes then led his V Corps against [[Pyotr Bagration|Bagration's]] men and, after hard fighting, drove the skilled Russian commander off the field. He wanted to pursue, but Murat, who was in control of this sector on the battlefield, was against the idea.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=52}}

Napoleon's focus shifted towards the southern end of the battlefield, where the French and the Allies were still fighting over Sokolnitz and Telnitz. In an effective double-pronged assault, St. Hilaire's division and part of Davout's III Corps smashed through the enemy at Sokolnitz, which persuaded the commanders of the first two columns, Generals [[Michael von Kienmayer|Kienmayer]] and [[Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron|Langeron]], to flee as fast as they could. [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden|Buxhowden]], the commander of the Allied left and the man responsible for leading the attack, was completely drunk and fled as well. Kienmayer covered his withdrawal with the [[Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough|O'Reilly]] light cavalry, who managed to defeat five of six French cavalry regiments before they had to retreat.{{sfn|Fisher|Fremont-Barnes|2004|p=52}}

General panic seized the Allied army, and it abandoned the field in all possible directions. A famous, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_(2023_film)#:~:text=Historian%20Paul%20du%20Quenoy  albeit disputed], episode occurred during this retreat: defeated Russian forces withdrew south towards Vienna via the frozen Satschan ponds. French artillery pounded towards the men, and the ice was broken by the bombardment. The fleeing men drowned in the cold ponds, dozens of Russian artillery pieces going down with them. Estimates of how many guns were captured differ: there may have been as few as 38 or more than 100. Sources also differ about casualties, with figures ranging between 200 and 2,000 dead.{{sfn|Abbott|1888|pp= 475–486}} Many drowning Russians were saved by their victorious foes.{{sfn|Chandler|1966|p=432}} However, local evidence later made public suggests that Napoleon's account of the catastrophe may have been exaggerated; on his instructions, the lakes were drained a few days after the battle and the corpses of only two or three men, with some 150 horses, were found. On the other hand, Tsar Alexander I attested to the incident after the wars.{{sfn|Holland, Poole|1902|pp=537–538}}