Battle of Lambach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Lambach
Part of the War of the Third Coalition
Marc-Antoine de Beaumont
Date 31 October 1805 Location Lambach, Oberösterreich, Austrian Empire 48°05′27″N 13°52′39″E / 48.0908°N 13.8774°E / 48.0908; 13.8774 Result French victory
Belligerents
First French Empire	Russian Empire  Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Louis-Nicolas Davout Marc Antoine de Beaumont	Pyotr Bagration Emanuel Schustekh
Strength
Unknown	3,700 men 12 guns
Casualties and losses
50 killed or wounded	148 killed or wounded 1 cannon lost 400 killed or wounded

The Battle of Lambach was a small but important fight during the Napoleonic Wars. It happened on October 31, 1805, in a place called Lambach in what is now Austria. In this battle, the French army, led by Marc Antoine de Beaumont, won against a group of soldiers from Russia and Austria. These forces were led by Pyotr Bagration and Emanuel Schustekh.

The Battle of Lambach: A Quick Look

This battle was part of a bigger conflict known as the War of the Third Coalition. It was a time when many European countries were fighting against Napoleon Bonaparte and his French Empire. The battle at Lambach was a small victory for the French. It helped them continue their march deeper into Austrian territory.

Why This Battle Happened

Marshal Louis Nicolas Davout was a French commander during the battle of Lambach.

Before the Battle of Lambach, Napoleon's army had already won a big victory at Ulm in October 1805. After that win, the French army, with help from the Bavarian Army, started moving east.

On October 30, a part of the French army called the vanguard (the front part of an army that leads the way) met and defeated a small Austrian force. This happened in a battle known as the battle of Mehrnbach. This victory set the stage for the fight at Lambach.

What Happened During the Battle

Soon after the fight at Mehrnbach, the French vanguard, led by Beaumont, found the Russian soldiers in strong positions. Neither side really wanted a big fight at first. The Russians had about 3,700 soldiers, including jäger (light infantry), hussars (cavalry), and some horse artillery cannons. The French had three cavalry groups and two infantry groups.

The fighting started with a small skirmish and a firefight (a battle using guns) over a village near the Russian lines. The Austrian soldiers, led by Major General Schustekh, wanted to cross the Traun River. Their goal was to join up with the main army led by Kutusov.

However, the French pushed back the Austrian rearguard (the part of an army that protects the rear). The fighting then moved to the bridge over the Traun River. The Austrians tried to burn the bridge to stop the French. But the French managed to cross the river later using boats.

In this battle, the French lost about 50 soldiers. The Russians lost 148 soldiers and one cannon. The Austrians had the most losses, with about 400 soldiers killed or wounded.

What Happened Next

The Battle of Lambach was one of several attempts by the Austrian and Russian armies to slow down the French. They wanted to give Kutusov's main army enough time to retreat safely. Even though these battles were mostly defeats for the Austrians and Russians, they did buy Kutusov's army valuable time to pull back.

Just a few weeks later, on November 13, French troops entered Vienna, the capital of Austria, without any fighting. Then, on December 2, the combined Austro-Russian army was defeated in a major battle at Austerlitz. This big loss effectively ended the War of the Third Coalition soon after.