Wagram—Davout at Markgrafneusiedl

As fighting on day one at Wagram sputtered out late in the evening, orders for the next day’s fighting were already being sent out from Napoleon and Archduke Charles. Napoleon ordered Davout and his superb III Corps to strike the …

1809-07-06

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As fighting on day one at Wagram sputtered out late in the evening, orders for the next day’s fighting were already being sent out from Napoleon and Archduke Charles. Napoleon ordered Davout and his superb III Corps to strike the Austrian left from the flank at Markgrafneusiedl and roll it up. Charles sought to forestall this attack by ordering the Advance Guard and IV Corps on that flank to strike first, and strike first they did. Some of Davout’s formations were surprised and pushed back, but these were French veterans, and soon the Austrian attack ground to a halt. Not long afterward, Charles called the exposed Austrian units back to their defensive positions. Now it was Davout’s turn. After a fierce bombardment, he launched his attack around 10 AM against the Austrian left. Greeted by withering fire, the French infantry kept up the pressure and soon were fighting for the village of Markgrafneusiedl and had gained a foothold on the escarpment. About noon, the cavalry of both armies engaged in mass battles, with the Austrian cavalry eventually being thrown back. It was not long before Davout’s infantry took command of the Austrian left and began to roll up the flank.

Wagram, Austria

The Battle of Wagram was a military engagement of the Napoleonic Wars that ended in a costly but decisive victory for Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's French and allied army against the Austrian army under the command of Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen. The battle led to the breakup of the Fifth Coalition, the Austrian and British-led alliance against France.

Wikipedia: Battle of Wagram

French

Austrians

Fifth Coalition