Austerlitz (Russian Guard Attack)

Disaster looms! Two veteran French divisions have swept away those units left to guard the center of the Allied line. There remains only the Russian Guard in reserve to plug the gap, but they are superb troops. Their commander, Grand …

1805-12-02

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Disaster looms! Two veteran French divisions have swept away those units left to guard the center of the Allied line. There remains only the Russian Guard in reserve to plug the gap, but they are superb troops. Their commander, Grand Duke Constantine, throws them headlong against the exposed flank of Vandamme’s division as it begins to pivot to the south. While Vandamme’s infantry throw back the Guard infantry with difficulty, the Guard cavalry overrun two battalions Vandamme had rushed to cover his flank. The doomed battalions bought time and disorganized the Guard cavalry, allowing Bernadotte to send a division and Napoleon to commit his own elite Guard cavalry. Though checked at first, soon the reinforcements and Grenadiers a’Cheval overpower the Russian Guards and the survivors retreat, pursued by Bernadotte’s troops. The Allied center is irretrievably gone. Lannes contains the Allied right. Now Napoleon orders the final maneuver to surround and destroy the Allied left.

Austerlitz, Austria

The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. In what is widely regarded as the greatest victory achieved by Napoleon, the Grande Armée of France defeated a larger Russian and Austrian army led by Emperor Alexander I and Holy Roman Emperor Francis II. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz in the Austrian Empire. Austerlitz brought the War of the Third Coalition to a rapid end, with the Treaty of Pressburg signed by the Austrians later in the month. The battle is often cited as a tactical masterpiece, in the same league as other historic engagements like Cannae or Gaugamela.

Wikipedia: Battle of Austerlitz

French

Russians/Austrains

Third Coalition