Osprey Campaign 2 : Austerlitz 1805 : Battle of the Three Emperors (1990)

Austerlitz was the battle that established Napoleon' reputation - a classic example of the general's masterly use of deception to lure his enemy into a carefully devised trap. Beginning with the bold and crushing advance of the French Army from the Rhine to the Danube, David Chandler describes the envelopment of Mack's army at Ulm, the manoeuvres to Austerlitz and the counter-attack that resulted in the decisive defeat for the Austro-Russian Army. The political and military background to Napoleon's fight against the Austro-Russian forces is recounted: the growing resentment of the traditional European empires at Napoleon's growing power, the failure of the French Admiral Villeneuve to successfully distract the Royal Navy for long enough to allow for a successful invasion of Britain, and the subsequent decampment of Napoleon's Grande Armee from the shores of north-eastern France in order to combat the forces of the Third Coalition set up by British Prime Minister William Pitt. The manoeuvres of the French forces both before and at Austerlitz are discussed, and the author is careful to show how their great general lured his enemies onto a battlefield of his own choosing. The weapons and equipment of the armies are discussed and lists are supplied of the units in each force. Excellent overview illustrations of the battlefield at Austerlitz supplement the text by clearly showing the movements of the opposing armies. A comprehensive guide to one of the most important battles of the Napoleonic Wars.