Austria capitulates - French triumphant in Germany as Russians retreat east

The Austrian army has suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the resurgent French army, commanded by the Emperor himself.  With only one corps left in the field, the Austrian King has sent an envoy to the French Emperor requesting an armistice.  This has prompted Tsar Alexander to order his Russian commanders to extricate their troops and bring them home.  Napoleon remains master of Germany and will now be able to reconstitute his battered armies and reestablish himself on the French throne.  The British army in the south of France is rumoured to be withdrawing back across the Pyrenees, in anticipation of a major Napoleonic era spotlight being directed their way. 
Below follows a report on the final battle of the campaign that finally broke the Allies attempt to unseat the great tyrant.


The Austrians deploy on the right, hugging the 2 small hills.  Bertrand's corps is on the left, with the French Guard and Napoleon in the top left corner.  The north/south road from Herzberg runs across the battlefield.  Ney's corps will arrive up this road in the foreground.



The Guard sweep forward with double moves onto the Austrian right wing.  Napoleon himself can be seen in the background giving the Austrians the one fingered salute.

And for the first time in the campaign the Austrians move quickly.  The Grenadiers are tough but have already felt the wrath of the Guard in a previous battle, and "redeploy" (scarper) to the left, away from the onslaught.

But never fear, the Austrians leave a brigade of irregular Grenzers as a rearguard to hold off the Guard corps...

On the Austrian left, a brigade of Jaegers is sent forward to occupy the village, a key linchpin in the Austrian defence that the French were slow to occupy.

The Austrians deploy a grand battery to hold their centre while behind them the Grenadiers fall back before the Guard.  In the background, an Austrian cavalry division is sent to the right to shore up the flank and delay the French onslaught.

Two French cavalry divisons, one of them Guard move swiflty forward to attack the Austrian right flank.

A birds eye view of the state of the Austrian right and the sword of Damocles that is about to strike.  The Austrians have abandoned the hill and their rearguard brace themselves for an uneven fight.

And as if there wasn't enough trouble on the right, Ney's 1st Division arrives on the Austrian left.

The French cavalry seize the hill.  The Guard close in on the isolated Grenzers in the village in the background.  In the foreground the Austrians batteries begin to limber up as Bertrand's corps closes in on them in their isolated position.

"Gotterdamerung" time for the Grenzers as the Guard lower their bayonets and charge!  I will need to repaint the Grenzers after this battle as most of their paint was knocked off with the impact... (not really, they fled before the Guard could come to grips with them - sensible chaps).



A brigade of Austrian cavalry, supported by a battery of light guns, prepares to sell themselves dearly to give the army time to redeploy.

 

A huge cavalry battle erupts over the hill but the weight of numbers favours the French and the Austrian cavalry are put to flight

The Austrian cavalry in flight (red markers are clear aren't they?) and the Austrian right is no more





The Austrian Rorke's Drift.  The Austrian perimeter shrinks as the Zulus, I mean French close in.



Ney's corps continues to arrive on the battlefield, but they wisely don't charge straight in.  Ney play's the anvil to Bertrand's hammer, just visible in the top right corner.

 

An overview of the French noose, poised to be pulled tight around the neck of Schwarzenberg's beleagured army.





Bertand takes the key village, opening up the Austrian left.  In the background, the French Marshal's corps charges into the Austrian line





Bertrand's corps charges home (against the Emperor's advice it must be said :-)  In the background, a cavalry brigade crashes into an unsteady Austrian square, breaks it and sweeps away the Austrian brigades behind it, creating panic in the Austrian ranks.



The final view of the final battle of the campaign.  The Austrian army is broken but they have no avenue of retreat.  The French have over a division of fresh cavalry should they need to pursue.  It is only midday and there are many hours left for a pursuit.  To save his men from slaugher, Schwarzenberg sends an emissary to the French Emperor requesting a ceasefire.  Note the body language of the two Austrian commanders, just visble at the top of the photo :-)

And so ends the campaign.  In a mere three and a half weeks of campaigning, the French have fought 10 battles and defeated 2 major powers, once again cowing Europe.

But the French Emperor will march again.  Before the smoke has even dispersed from this last battle, plans are afoot for another campaign.