ASPERN-ESSLING
While heading after Moore in
Spain, Napoleon received news that the Austrians were finally
on the move against him. He left Spain before the battle of Corunna,
and missed destroying Moore's corps. But he arrived just in time
to stop the French army from being destroyed by the Archduke Charles
of Austria. In five days Napoleon fought five different battles
and turned a strategic blunder into a series of victories. The
Austrians were badly mauled, but they retreated behind the Danube
before they could be destroyed. They had had 20,000 casualties
and 15,000 taken prisoner. Capturing the island of Lobau, Napoleon
built a pontoon bridge across the river. The bridge had no protection
from fireships. And good weather caused a great deal of snow to
melt in the mountains. Napoleon waited in vain for the 25,000
Russians Czar Alexander had promised him. With the bridges finished,
Napoleon sent Lasalle and Molitor across to push outward as far
as possible. The rest of Massena's corps followed. A boat smashed
into the bridge and halted the crossing. Napoleon was convinced
the Austrians were far away. There wasn't so much as a campfire.
The next day the bridge was repaired and Lannes' corps got across.
The Austrians formed up behind hilly ground, attacking at noon.
Three Austrian columns moved against Aspern, two against Essling.
The French had only 12 battalions at Aspern against 54 Austrian.
At 3 PM the Austrians were within range. Fighting for the two
villages was vicious. Both were taken and retaken many times in
the next four hours. Only supreme effort by French cavalry saved
the day. Charging infantry one moment, cavalry the next, and artillery
the moment after, the French cavalry managed to keep the infantry
from being overwhelmed. D'Espagne was killed in a cavalry battle.
At 6 PM another damaged bridge was repaired and St. Cyr's division
arrived. At 7 PM Nansouty's heavy cavalry came across and charged
the Austrian guns. Night fell and Essling was still in French
hands. But half of Aspern had been lost. The Guard artillery on
Lobau could not get a clear field of fire. The bridge broke again
and Napoleon sent his last reserve to support Aspern. Learning
that the center of the Austrian line was made up of landwehr,
Napoleon ordered Lannes to attack there. The French broke the
Austrian line in two, but Archduke Charles personally lead his
cavalry against Lannes. The French were stopped. Napoleon learned
the bridge was permanently out of action and pulled Lannes back.
Charles ordered Dedovich to assault Essling for the 8th time.
Rapp with 2 battalions of the Imperial Guard convinced Mouton
to countercharge the Austrians, and between them they broke the
Austrian assault. The French retreated. The Austrians let them.
In the last hours of the retreat Marshal Lannes was mortally wounded.
St. Hilaire died a few days later. Napoleon would have to wait
until July before he could finally end the campaign.
