Wagram 1809

The 1809 campaign on the Danube was to break the spell of Napoleon's invincibility. Indeed Wagram - the largest battle in history at the time - was Napoleon's revenge for his first personal defeat on the battlefield - at Aspern - Essling. In gaining this revenge the French commander was not wholly successful. Although the French did indeed win the battle as the Austrians eventually quit the field, the victory was an extremely hollow one. Not only was there no rout or pursuit - the Austrian troops left in good, disciplined order, simply marching off the field - but also it was quite possibly the French who lost more men at the end of the day: approximately 27,500 killed and wounded, with an additional 10,000 missing or taken prisoner. In contrast the Austrians probably lost 23,750 killed and wounded, 7,500 prisoners and about 10,000 missing. Many, however, of the latter returned to their regiments after the battle thus perhaps making the total Austrian loss less than that of the French. Both these two day battles are described by Ian Castle in this volume, with detailed maps and graphics that afford the reader the opportunity to follow the many changes of fortune during the epic battles, as each side captured, lost, then recaptured key positions.