The Battle of Znaim: Napoleon, The Habsburgs and the end of the 1809 War John H Gill
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Greenhill Books (30 July 2020)
ISBN-13: 978-1784384500
The little known Battle of Znaim (10th-11th July 1809) was the last battle to be fought on the main front of the Franco-Austrian War. Cut short to make way for an armistice it effectively ended hostilities between France and Austria and is now uniquely considered to be an episode both of conflict and simultaneously of diplomacy. The battle began as a result of the Austrian decision to stage a rearguard action near Znaim, prompting the Bavarians to unsuccessfully storm a nearby town. Battle ensued with the village changing hands a number of times over the course of the two days. Jack Gill delves deep into the respective tactics of both sides as the two armies continually changed positions and strategies. His account dissects and investigates the dual aspects of the Battle of Znaim and explains the diplomatic decisions that resulted in the peace treaty which was signed at Schonbrunn Palace on 14th October 1809\. Gill's book is an unrivalled analysis of the Battle of Znaim. Accessible, highly detailed and expertly crafted, it sheds new light on this fascinating moment in Napoleonic history.
Author
A military historian specialising in the Napoleonic era, John H. Gill wrote the acclaimed With Eagles to Glory and edited A Soldier for Napoleon. He has contributed numerous papers to the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era. His 2009 trilogy _1809: Thunder of the Danube_ won critical acclaim * An associate professor at the Near South-East Asia Centre for Strategic Studies in Washington DC, Gill has published extensively on military history and contemporary security issues in India, Pakistan and South Asia. Gill received the John Elting Award from the Napoleonic History Society for his contributions to the study of Napoleonic history. A retired US army colonel, Gill currently lives in Virginia with his wife and two sons
Jack gave an interesting talk on this at the Napoleonic Conference Zack organised in London last September. 512pp - must be in-depth for one battle!