MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AND THE ART OF COMMAND A ...

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Though the actions on 20 April are collectively referred to as the battle of Abensberg, they were however, a series of tactical engagements along a twenty-mile front. Charles1 main force remained opposite Davout focused on the capture of Ratisbon. Controlling Ratisbon would enable Charles to unite with Kollowrat to the north and provide the needed reinforcements. Facing the remainder of the French forces was the Austrian left wing under Archduke Ludwig. The Bavarians began the battle with a weak attack across the Abens River. The Austrian artillery soon checked their advance. The French then began to make further progress to the south. Lannes with his newly formed corps launched an attack along the road toward Rohr (see Appendix A, Figure 4). Simultaneously Vandamme and General Wrede moved forward to the south of Lannes Corps. They pursued the Austrians along a parallel road through Siegenberg and Pfeffenhausen. Lefebvre's Corps supported Davout who remained around Hausen. The movement of the French against Archduke Ludwig proved too much. Easily convinced to retreat, the Hapsburgs headed southwest toward Landshut on the two parallel roads aggressively pursued by the French. The Austrians did manage to show some enthusiasm during the retreat. Along the road to Rottenberg General Vincent rallied his division to conduct a counterattack
against the French. His troops succeeded in halting their advance for some time but finally succumbed to the disciplined fire of the French. By 10:OO P.M. the Austrians were behind Pfeffenhausen. The Abens position could have been held by conducting a determined defense in the many small towns in the vicinity. Lannes did this near the Granary at Essling and was successful. However, the Austrian leadership was not up to the challenge as the entire Austrian left was driven back.'' The Austrians decided that their best chance for survival lay in their ability to withdraw to Landshut. They could then gather behind the Isar River and set up a defense. By the end of the day Lannes was at Rottenburg, Vandamme at Pfeffenhausen and Massena at Geisenfeld. The result of the day's action was that Charles, with his right wing consisting of the corps of Hohenzollern, Rosenberg, .and Lichtenstein, was cut off from his left. On the morning of 21 April Napoleon wrote to Davout, "The day before yesterday and yesterday were another Jena. 1112 This is an interesting statement because it was just like Jena. Napoleon was fighting against the smaller force that the Emperor thought was actually the main army while Davout, like at Auerstaedt, was facing the main Austrian army. The last of the fighting on the twentieth took place in the city of Ratisbon. The 65th L.igne under 77
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ABSTRACT MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ?&%slsAPPROVALPAG
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CHAPTER 1 BUT WHAT ARE WE TO UNDERS
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the study of simple strategy and ta
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This fact becomes even more obvious
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the grand tactic. Operational warfa
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Burgundian countryside. He was born
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In1803 Davout was given command of
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then launch a major offensive into
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This attack'then ensured victory fo
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would actually go to war. However,
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Bluecher made four unsuccessful att
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fight entirely on his own. The batt
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title until two years after the bat
Page 31 and 32: Without hesitation Davout pushed fo
Page 33 and 34: most of his marshals, generals, the
Page 35 and 36: CHAPTER 3 THE AUSTRIANS ARE OUR WOR
Page 37 and 38: Finally, with Davout's information
Page 39 and 40: Austrian influence in Germany and I
Page 41 and 42: organization, always slow to act. M
Page 43 and 44: course of action. They now had a be
Page 45 and 46: elieved Prince Eugene and Marshal A
Page 47 and 48: 22 March Davout had sent a message
Page 49 and 50: were designated VII Corps and consi
Page 51 and 52: and intelligence at the strategic l
Page 53 and 54: across the Danube. The Austrians al
Page 55 and 56: transmitted from Napoleon to Berthi
Page 57 and 58: Normally, the message dispatched by
Page 59 and 60: me that the best maneuver would be
Page 61 and 62: Berthier chose to overlook this cor
Page 63 and 64: Landshut were only one corps and no
Page 65 and 66: destroy him. On the eighteenth Char
Page 67 and 68: critical for the French. Napoleon r
Page 69 and 70: Throughout these ten days before th
Page 71 and 72: CHAPTER 5 YOU ONLY HAVE A CURTAIN O
Page 73 and 74: Gudin to support the movement of hi
Page 75 and 76: well. They bought Davout the necess
Page 77 and 78: The remainder of the Austrians then
Page 79 and 80: His tactical leadership was at its
Page 81: Napoleon's vision of the battlefiel
Page 85 and 86: to surrender at 5:00 P.M. Now Charl
Page 87 and 88: pursuit on two parallel roads leadi
Page 89 and 90: important part in Davout's decision
Page 91 and 92: orders and directions. While Davout
Page 93 and 94: Corps. He received no reply from th
Page 95 and 96: convinced he was being attacked by
Page 97 and 98: CHAPTER 6 THE DUKE OF AUERSTAEDT IS
Page 99 and 100: eginning to feel the fatigue of con
Page 101 and 102: Just as the Austrians began to move
Page 103 and 104: effect, Davoutfs forces became the
Page 105 and 106: The French carabiniers fired a volZ
Page 107 and 108: Charles would lose his desire to st
Page 109 and 110: The ~re'nch prevailed over the Aust
Page 111 and 112: CHAPTER 7 IN BATTLE MEN ARE NOTHING
Page 113 and 114: counter orders did nothing but conf
Page 115 and 116: doctrine, and most importantly the
Page 117 and 118: The art of war on land is an art of
Page 119 and 120: Maintaining this vision or coup d'o
Page 121 and 122: internal fears rather than obstinac
Page 123 and 124: who never made a mistake. The key i
Page 125 and 126: too seemed only to be small diversi
Page 127 and 128: helped to provide definition to the
Page 129 and 130: Figure 1.Theater of Operations.
Page 131 and 132: INITIALACTIONSABOUT 1500Counteratta
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Figure 5.Davout's Running Fight on
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N1- 'LABER RIVER' SCHlERLlNGLANNESI
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Reserve Division: Demont' (3,215) 2
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APPENDIX C ORDER OF BATTLE CHANGES
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ll~avidG. Chandler, The Cam~aians o
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3~hisis noted in Napoleon's corresp
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20~his is from correspondence numbe
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WORKS CITED Primarv Sources Bonapar
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Arnold, James R. Crisis on The Danu
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ackground material and specifics on
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secondary source but all informatio
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INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST 1. , Comb
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STATEMENT A: Approved for public re
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