In an extended special of 'The Napoleonicist', I speak to our very own @John Gill about the forgotten Battle of Znaim, between Napoleon and the Austrians in 1809, exploring it's impact, why no-one knows about it, and having a laugh about drunk soldiers too. John's book on Znaim is available from Greenhill Books. https://anchor.fm/the-napoleonicist/episodes/The-Battle-of-Znaim-1809s-Forgotten-Battle-elamjk
Thanks again for this podcast, very interesting to listen as always.
Why not braking up Austria, one reason could also be that Nabulieone had experienced the Tyrol uprising with humiliating effects to his and Allied units, so in case Austria gets wiped of the map and parted in puppet duchies - not only the Tyrol could re raised but other parts of Austria as well. He could well have a second Spain at his hand, again tying lots of his army again.
Then what happens when the Russians are exploiting this.
So Nabulieone would have gained less by destroying Austria than maintaining it as a reduced power.
Charles wrote in 1801 that “an empire like Austria does not collapse without shaking all of Europe in its death throes” and of course, he was proven right a century later.
Austria’s collapse allowed the Russians to get halfway across Europe and its earlier failures made the Prussian control of Germany a lot easier. N was wise on this point, although Franz did say in 1809 that he would sacrifice himself to save the people’s of the empire if it were dissolved. Joseph and Johann had some plans going at the time, but both fortunately were dreamers.
also some more questions, the article about the Russians and their influence at Fondation Napoléon - where can it be found?
Also Jack Gill mentions quite interesting Bavarian sources, where are they to be found, at Ingolstadt?
@John Gill May i pass this one over to you? You are better placed to answer these questions.
I really enjoyed the episode. I wouldn't mind listening to Mr. Gill talk about his other books on the 1809 campaign. Sadly, I left my books in storage so I can not use the very useful references he has in the back of the book. I can't tell you have many countless hours I have searched online just with his endnotes.
Sorry for the delay--the Bavarian reports are from the Kriegsarchiv outside Munich. Some of the regimentals area also very good--luckily including the regts that fought at Wagram and Znaim. The French archives in Vincennes also contain some of the reports submitted by Bavarian Oberst von Lindenau as Napoleon had personally charged him with a reconnaissance and screening mission between the two principal pursuit columns.
thanks, do you still remember where the article about the Russian influence can be found at foundation Napoléon?
Hello, Hans-Karl! You can find Alex's paper here (it is basically the same that he presented at the Consortium on the Revolutionary Europe in 2011 for a panel we put together on Galicia in 1809): https://www.cairn.info/revue-napoleonica-la-revue-2011-1-page-4.htm
Thanks, very interesting