A review of events to date.
April 1804
The Oberkriegskollegium (the Prussian General Staff) had issued instructions in the August of 1803, to the North German Confederation concerning the contribution each was to provide to the Confederations armed forces for the 1804 Order of Battle. The result was the mobilisation of over 350 battalions, 350 squadrons and more than 1100 guns of all calibres. However, although the army thus raised was vast, it had to cover an equally vast area, from Kurland in the east to the Rhine in the west. It also had to plan for the possible attack from all points of the compass, especially from France, Russia and the Austrian Empire. One unit was to cause a stir across all Europe and beyond, Queen Louise had created a mounted regiment of her Valkyrie, The Regiment “Orden Louise”. Purely a ceremonial unit, the ladies adopted a Hungarian Hussar style uniform in Prussian blue with white facings and silver lace. They scared the hell out of their husbands, so the Lord only knows what the King thought of his Queens regiment!
In Bavaria, the war with Austria had gone well for the Army of Germany under the command of the First Consul, General Morau. After great secrecy and feverish marching, 200,000 French troops began to cross the Rhine on a front of 260 km (160 mi). Mack had gathered the greater part of the Austrian army at the fortress of Ulm in Swabia. Morau swung his forces southward and performed a wheeling movement that put the French at the Austrian rear. The Ulm Manoeuvre was well-executed and on 20 April Mack and 23,000 Austrian troops surrendered at Ulm, bringing the total number of Austrian prisoners in the campaign to 60,000. Although the spectacular victory was soured by the defeat of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar the following day, French success on land continued as Vienna fell in April, replete with 100,000 muskets, 500 cannon, and the intact bridges across the Danube. What came to be known as the “Manoeuvre of Ulm” was a masterpiece of strategic planning and execution, and was analysed, dissected and closely studied by military theorists for decades to come.
The subsequent drive of the French forces down the Danube had the effect of obliging the remaining Austrian field forces to retreat away to the North in anticipation of gaining assistance from Prussia, despite having upset the Prussians by marching through Ansbach, more of which we will discuss in a little while! The Bavarians quickly remobilised whatever was left of their shattered army, and together with Baden and Württemberg joined with the French in their pursuit of the Kiserlicks. Some observers questioned the motivation of the south Germans in joining the French, and it was a decision that was to haunt them in the future, but we will come to that – all in good time dear readers!
In North Italy, Massena was in desperate need of assistance in Genoa for the second time in his career. His men had taken to making bread out of wig powder, so desperate were they for food. The Austrians had taken Turin and most of the Po valley leaving Massena with little hope of relief. However, Massena expertly prosecuted an offensive defence and captured thousands of Austrian prisoners, and stymied the Austrian siege. The Austrian Archduke John, commanding the troops in that theatre, had further cause for concern though. His northern flank was now at risk as Mack’s forces had surrendered at Ulm.
Corsica was now firmly in the hands of the Sardinians, who themselves had sent further forces to the shores of the Ligurian Republic as a prelude to marching on Piedmont to reclaim their lost territory. In this they were supported by the Prussians and the King of Etruria Charles Louis I. His mother Infanta Maria Louisa was actually behind this move as the king was only four years old! It would seem that with the death of Bonaparte, the will of the Italian nations was for independence from France and a return to the old ways of yesterday!
Now as you may recall, dear reader, in the depths of the previous winter, the Prussian Minister Haugwitz had been granted an audience with the Emperor in Vienna. The Prussians were demanding an apology from the Empire for trespassing on Prussian soil in Ansbach. Haugwitz was asked to wait upon the Emperors response whilst the Emperor consulted with his advisors. Haugwitz waited nearly six weeks for his reply, but it never came. He was denied further meetings with the Emperor, and eventually requested permission to return to Berlin. That permission was granted in the third week of April in 1804 and Haugwitz found himself in front of his King in late April bearing a note from the Austrian Emperor. By then, the French were racing after the Austrian Army into Bohemia. Meanwhile the North German Confederation had moved its armies in to positions where the French would be unable to take advantage of them, if they struck from the south as many suspected that the French would attempt to do, to avenge the defeat at Nienburg the previous year. To further add to the chagrin of the Prussian King, the sanctity of the Hohenzollern lands in south Germany had been ignored by the French forces, and supplies had been requisitioned by Morau and his forces as they trampled through Neuchatel and Hohenzollern.
Back in Berlin, King Frederick William III was very annoyed. He had demanded that his cousin in Vienna make an apology for marching through Ansbach, only to be ignored! Oh the ignominy! And then the Frenchies were doing the very same! But he was more concerned with Kaiser Franz at this juncture.
He was to be seen screaming at his aides, “Who does zat bone dome ov a schit think he is”? (“Bone Dome” dear readers, refers to the exceptionally high forehead of the Austrian Emperor – if you don’t believe the writer of this diatribe, just look at the unfortunate mans portrait)! Frederick William continued, “ Just because ze Frenchies are trampling all over his vienerschnitzle, he sinks he can ignor me! Vel I vill show him who he is delink vith, you vill zee! Vere is Mollendorf?”
The elderly Wichard Joachim Heinrich von Möllendorf, patiently listened to the King and his scheme to invade the Austrian lands of Bohemia. By this time, the Queen had also arrived, looking radiant as usual. The King went on “I vant you to mobilize ze tird army in Silesia unt march into Bohemia, zen I vant you to march ze tird army around unt around unt flatten all ze cabbages growing out of ze ground in Bohemia zat you can find zere! Unt zen you can kommen house.”
All present tried to hide their laughter – none too successfully. The King was starting to notice and get even angrier, when the beautiful and intelligent Queen Louise asked the assembled advisors to leave.
At this the King went quiet and was seen to tremble a little, as the Queen held his chin in her hand. She said, and I have it on the very best authority that she said, “Unt vot gud vil flat cabbages do fur uns, eh? Ve vant gold unt silver unt lands unt that pompous Franz grovelling at unsere füße for forgiveness, zat is vot ve vant!” She let go of his chin and told him to sit. She now stood over him and said “Ze miserable Scheisse Franz haz asked us for help against ze Frenchies. Unt zo zat is vot ve vill give him!” The King vos (sorry – was) about to argue with her when she slapped his face and said “listen to me unt don’t offnen your worst eating mund unt till I tell you to offen it!” The poor King had tears in his eyes, but sat there and listened to his beautiful and very intelligent Queen. Whilst she told him of the strategy he was to take, he trembled in awe at the sight of his Queen, and yes, he even wet his pants a little bit as she raised her voice and stamped her perfect little foot to make her points clear.
When she had finished, the King called for his Generals, and new plans were laid for the coming months campaigns in South Germany and Bohemia, and the Rhineland!
April 1804
The Oberkriegskollegium (the Prussian General Staff) had issued instructions in the August of 1803, to the North German Confederation concerning the contribution each was to provide to the Confederations armed forces for the 1804 Order of Battle. The result was the mobilisation of over 350 battalions, 350 squadrons and more than 1100 guns of all calibres. However, although the army thus raised was vast, it had to cover an equally vast area, from Kurland in the east to the Rhine in the west. It also had to plan for the possible attack from all points of the compass, especially from France, Russia and the Austrian Empire. One unit was to cause a stir across all Europe and beyond, Queen Louise had created a mounted regiment of her Valkyrie, The Regiment “Orden Louise”. Purely a ceremonial unit, the ladies adopted a Hungarian Hussar style uniform in Prussian blue with white facings and silver lace. They scared the hell out of their husbands, so the Lord only knows what the King thought of his Queens regiment!
In Bavaria, the war with Austria had gone well for the Army of Germany under the command of the First Consul, General Morau. After great secrecy and feverish marching, 200,000 French troops began to cross the Rhine on a front of 260 km (160 mi). Mack had gathered the greater part of the Austrian army at the fortress of Ulm in Swabia. Morau swung his forces southward and performed a wheeling movement that put the French at the Austrian rear. The Ulm Manoeuvre was well-executed and on 20 April Mack and 23,000 Austrian troops surrendered at Ulm, bringing the total number of Austrian prisoners in the campaign to 60,000. Although the spectacular victory was soured by the defeat of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar the following day, French success on land continued as Vienna fell in April, replete with 100,000 muskets, 500 cannon, and the intact bridges across the Danube. What came to be known as the “Manoeuvre of Ulm” was a masterpiece of strategic planning and execution, and was analysed, dissected and closely studied by military theorists for decades to come.
The subsequent drive of the French forces down the Danube had the effect of obliging the remaining Austrian field forces to retreat away to the North in anticipation of gaining assistance from Prussia, despite having upset the Prussians by marching through Ansbach, more of which we will discuss in a little while! The Bavarians quickly remobilised whatever was left of their shattered army, and together with Baden and Württemberg joined with the French in their pursuit of the Kiserlicks. Some observers questioned the motivation of the south Germans in joining the French, and it was a decision that was to haunt them in the future, but we will come to that – all in good time dear readers!
In North Italy, Massena was in desperate need of assistance in Genoa for the second time in his career. His men had taken to making bread out of wig powder, so desperate were they for food. The Austrians had taken Turin and most of the Po valley leaving Massena with little hope of relief. However, Massena expertly prosecuted an offensive defence and captured thousands of Austrian prisoners, and stymied the Austrian siege. The Austrian Archduke John, commanding the troops in that theatre, had further cause for concern though. His northern flank was now at risk as Mack’s forces had surrendered at Ulm.
Corsica was now firmly in the hands of the Sardinians, who themselves had sent further forces to the shores of the Ligurian Republic as a prelude to marching on Piedmont to reclaim their lost territory. In this they were supported by the Prussians and the King of Etruria Charles Louis I. His mother Infanta Maria Louisa was actually behind this move as the king was only four years old! It would seem that with the death of Bonaparte, the will of the Italian nations was for independence from France and a return to the old ways of yesterday!
Now as you may recall, dear reader, in the depths of the previous winter, the Prussian Minister Haugwitz had been granted an audience with the Emperor in Vienna. The Prussians were demanding an apology from the Empire for trespassing on Prussian soil in Ansbach. Haugwitz was asked to wait upon the Emperors response whilst the Emperor consulted with his advisors. Haugwitz waited nearly six weeks for his reply, but it never came. He was denied further meetings with the Emperor, and eventually requested permission to return to Berlin. That permission was granted in the third week of April in 1804 and Haugwitz found himself in front of his King in late April bearing a note from the Austrian Emperor. By then, the French were racing after the Austrian Army into Bohemia. Meanwhile the North German Confederation had moved its armies in to positions where the French would be unable to take advantage of them, if they struck from the south as many suspected that the French would attempt to do, to avenge the defeat at Nienburg the previous year. To further add to the chagrin of the Prussian King, the sanctity of the Hohenzollern lands in south Germany had been ignored by the French forces, and supplies had been requisitioned by Morau and his forces as they trampled through Neuchatel and Hohenzollern.
Back in Berlin, King Frederick William III was very annoyed. He had demanded that his cousin in Vienna make an apology for marching through Ansbach, only to be ignored! Oh the ignominy! And then the Frenchies were doing the very same! But he was more concerned with Kaiser Franz at this juncture.
He was to be seen screaming at his aides, “Who does zat bone dome ov a schit think he is”? (“Bone Dome” dear readers, refers to the exceptionally high forehead of the Austrian Emperor – if you don’t believe the writer of this diatribe, just look at the unfortunate mans portrait)! Frederick William continued, “ Just because ze Frenchies are trampling all over his vienerschnitzle, he sinks he can ignor me! Vel I vill show him who he is delink vith, you vill zee! Vere is Mollendorf?”
The elderly Wichard Joachim Heinrich von Möllendorf, patiently listened to the King and his scheme to invade the Austrian lands of Bohemia. By this time, the Queen had also arrived, looking radiant as usual. The King went on “I vant you to mobilize ze tird army in Silesia unt march into Bohemia, zen I vant you to march ze tird army around unt around unt flatten all ze cabbages growing out of ze ground in Bohemia zat you can find zere! Unt zen you can kommen house.”
All present tried to hide their laughter – none too successfully. The King was starting to notice and get even angrier, when the beautiful and intelligent Queen Louise asked the assembled advisors to leave.
At this the King went quiet and was seen to tremble a little, as the Queen held his chin in her hand. She said, and I have it on the very best authority that she said, “Unt vot gud vil flat cabbages do fur uns, eh? Ve vant gold unt silver unt lands unt that pompous Franz grovelling at unsere füße for forgiveness, zat is vot ve vant!” She let go of his chin and told him to sit. She now stood over him and said “Ze miserable Scheisse Franz haz asked us for help against ze Frenchies. Unt zo zat is vot ve vill give him!” The King vos (sorry – was) about to argue with her when she slapped his face and said “listen to me unt don’t offnen your worst eating mund unt till I tell you to offen it!” The poor King had tears in his eyes, but sat there and listened to his beautiful and very intelligent Queen. Whilst she told him of the strategy he was to take, he trembled in awe at the sight of his Queen, and yes, he even wet his pants a little bit as she raised her voice and stamped her perfect little foot to make her points clear.
When she had finished, the King called for his Generals, and new plans were laid for the coming months campaigns in South Germany and Bohemia, and the Rhineland!
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