Battle of Hohenlinden
The Battle of Hohenlinden took place on December 3, 1800, during the War of the Second Coalition, where French forces led by General Jean Victor Moreau decisively defeated the Austrian army commanded by Archduke John. The battle unfolded as Archduke John attempted an offensive toward Munich but encountered a well-concealed French force in the Hohenlinden forest. Despite believing he was gaining the upper hand, John's decision to advance his troops into the center was countered by French commanders, leading to a successful French counterattack. The battle resulted in significant casualties for the Austrians, with approximately 18,000 lost compared to only 5,000 French casualties, marking one of the lowest loss rates for the French in major battles of that time. Following the defeat, the Austrian army's position became untenable, and they were unable to mount any effective resistance against the advancing French troops. This led to a swift conclusion of hostilities, culminating in an armistice signed on December 25, 1800, which effectively ended the conflict. The battle is notable for its strategic implications and its role in shaping the course of the Napoleonic Wars.
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Battle of Hohenlinden
Type of action: Ground battle in the War of the Second Coalition
Date: December 3, 1800
Location: Hohenlinden, Bavaria
Combatants: 100,000 French vs. 111,000 Austrians
Principal commanders:French, General Jean Victor Moreau (1763–1813); Austrian, Archduke John (1782–1859)
Result: French rout of the Austrian army
On December 3, 1800, at Hohenlinden, French forces under General Jean Victor Moreau crushed the main Austrian army under Archduke John. John had seized the initiative in an offensive drive to reach Munich when the French drove back his attempted envelopment. He then opted to move down the only hard-surfaced road, which ran through the forest of Hohenlinden where he encountered the French concealed in woods and bushes and even firing from treetops. The main bodies of the two armies joined battle on December 3. John, believing he was winning, threw the bulk of his troops forward into the center. Michel Ney and Emmanuel Grouchy repelled this thrust. Meanwhile, Antoine Richepanse improvised an attack that shattered the two Austrian columns on the left. The Austrian troops then disintegrated into a disorganized rout. The Austrians suffered some 18,000 casualties, and the French incurred only 5,000, the lowest percentage of French losses in any major battle of this era.
Significance
The collapse of the Austrian army at Hohenlinden left no significant Austrian forces between Moreau and Vienna. The Archduke Charles, hastily recalled to command, could do nothing to stop the French. Thus, on December 25, 1800, the Austrians signed an armistice at Steyr that essentially ended the War of the Second Coalition.
Bibliography
Blanning, T. C. W. The French Revolutionary Wars, 1787–1802. London: Arnold, 1996.
Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Macmillan, 1966.
The Napoleonic Wars. Documentary. Films for the Humanities and Sciences, 2000.
Rodger, A. B. The War of the Second Coalition, 1798 to 1802. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1964.
Rothenberg, Gunther E. Napoleon’s Great Adversaries: The Archduke Charles and the Austrian Army, 1792–1814. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1982.