Battle of Stockach (1799) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Stockach (1799) |
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| Part of War of the Second Coalition | |||||||
 Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg leading Austrian infantry during the battle of Stockach, 25 March 1799. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Directory |
 Habsburg monarchy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Jean-Baptiste Jourdan Advance Guard: François Joseph Lefebvre First Division: Pierre Marie Barthélemy Ferino Second Division: Joseph Souham Third Division: Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr Cavalry Reserve: Jean-Joseph Ange d'Hautpoul Detached Flank: Dominique Vandamme |
Archduke Charles Friedrich Joseph, Count of Nauendorf Alexander, Duke of Württemberg Olivier, Count of Wallis Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg † Nikolaus, Count of Colloredo-Mels and Wallsee Prince Wilhelm von Anhalt-Bernburg † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 26,164 infantry 7,010 cavalry 1,649 artillery 62 guns Total: 34,823 |
53,870 infantry 14,900 cavalry 3,565 artillery 114 guns Total: 72,335 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4,000 killed, wounded or captured 1 gun lost |
5,800 killed, wounded or captured 2 guns lost |
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The Battle of Stockach happened on March 25, 1799. It was a major fight between French and Austrian armies. They were battling for control of the Hegau region in what is now Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This battle was a key part of the first big military campaign in southwestern Germany during the War of the Second Coalition. This war was part of the larger French Revolutionary Wars.
This was the second time the French Army of the Danube (led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan) and the Austrian Army (led by Archduke Charles) met in battle. Just a few days before, from March 20-22, they had fought near Ostrach. The Austrian army was much larger, almost three times the size of the French. This forced the French to retreat.
At Stockach, the French army gathered its forces closer together, making the fighting very intense. Archduke Charles also brought more troops from his reserves to strengthen his side. A small French group, led by Dominique Vandamme, almost managed to get behind the Austrian army. But Archduke Charles himself stepped in, which was very important for the Austrians. It gave them time for more soldiers to arrive. General Jourdan, the French commander, was almost run over by horses while trying to encourage his troops. In the end, the French were forced to retreat all the way back to the Rhine River.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of big conflicts in Europe. After some early victories, French forces led by Napoleon Bonaparte pushed the Austrians back. This led to a peace agreement called the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797. However, this treaty was hard to manage. Austria was slow to give up some lands.
Also, a meeting was held to decide how to rearrange some German states. But no progress was made. At the same time, French-supported rebels caused trouble in Switzerland, leading to a civil war there.
By early 1799, the French government, called the French Directory, was tired of the delays. They saw new uprisings and thought it was a good time to start another military campaign. This time, they planned to fight in northern Italy and southwestern Germany.
Before the Battle
In March 1799, General Jean Baptiste Jourdan led his French army of 25,000 soldiers, called the Army of Observation, across the Rhine River. This action broke the peace treaty. The army was then renamed the Army of the Danube.
The French army moved through the Black Forest without much trouble. Jourdan decided to push his army across the Danube plain. He set up his forces between Rottweil and Tuttlingen.
The Austrian Army, led by Archduke Charles, had spent the winter in nearby territories. His army had about 80,000 soldiers, which was much larger than the French force. There were also other Austrian forces nearby. For example, 26,000 soldiers guarded the Vorarlberg region. Another 46,000 soldiers defended the Tyrol. The Austrians also had an agreement with Tsar Paul of Russia. A famous Russian general, Alexander Suvorov, was going to come out of retirement to help Austria in Italy with 60,000 more troops.
The Fight at Ostrach
Jourdan's goal was simple: cut off the Austrian supply lines between southwestern Germany and Switzerland. If the French controlled the mountain passes in Switzerland, they could move their own troops easily. This would also stop the Austrians from helping each other in different battle areas.
The French army spread out in a long line from the Danube River to Lake Constance. Different French divisions took positions across the area. General François Joseph Lefebvre led the front lines. General Pierre Marie Barthélemy Ferino protected the far southern side. Jourdan set up his command post at Pfullendorf.
On March 19, French and Austrian soldiers had been fighting in small skirmishes for over a day. In the early morning of March 21, the Austrians launched a full attack. After 24 hours of fighting, the Austrians pushed the French back. Even though the French blew up a bridge over the Ostrach river, the Austrians still managed to cross. They almost surrounded some French forces. General Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze also marched north with 10,000 men, threatening the French from the south.
French Retreat from Ostrach
On March 21, Jourdan ordered his wounded soldiers to be moved to Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The main army began its retreat early on March 22. Some French soldiers were cut off and captured by Austrian forces during the retreat.
The Battle at Stockach and Engen
The battle at Stockach and Engen took place on March 25. It was fought where important east-west and north-south roads met. This was the second major clash between the two armies in just seven days. The Austrians still had more soldiers, but the difference was smaller this time, about two-to-one. Jourdan had brought his forces closer together. Archduke Charles also shortened his lines.
Army Positions
By March 23, Jourdan's headquarters were near Stockach. He had called back General Barthélemy Ferino's division to be closer to the main army. General Lefebvre was wounded and could not fight. So, Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr commanded the French left side. Jourdan felt his army was too spread out. He decided to pull back even further, towards Engen, to gather his forces more tightly.
The French plan was simple: General Vandamme and Saint Cyr would attack the Austrian right side at the same time. The main French force, led by Jourdan, would attack the Austrian center and left. Jourdan believed attacking at four points at once was the only way to fight such a large Austrian army.
The Austrian army was also organized. About 17,000 men, led by Field Marshal Friedrich Joseph, Count of Nauendorf, came from the northeast. The main Austrian force, with 53,000 men, was led by Archduke Charles himself. An additional 13,000 troops formed the southern side.
The Main Fight
The battle on March 25 was very fierce and bloody. Around 5 AM, before sunrise, Saint Cyr launched a strong attack on the Austrian right. This was coordinated with attacks on the Austrian left. The powerful French attack pushed the Austrians out of the woods. Archduke Charles quickly sent more soldiers to help his right side.
At this point, Vandamme's small French group, which had moved into position during the night, attacked the Austrians from behind. Saint Cyr's forces took control of the woods outside Stockach. The fighting there was described as "stubborn and bloody." Archduke Charles himself arrived with six battalions of Hungarian grenadiers (experienced soldiers) and twelve squadrons of cavalry. He led them into the fight. His soldiers tried to stop him from putting himself in danger. One general, Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg, stepped forward and said he would die before letting the Archduke be in such danger. As Fürstenberg led the counter-attack, he was hit by French cannon fire and killed. The Prince of Anhalt was also killed.
Archduke Charles eventually led his grenadiers, and the French attack was stopped and even pushed back. In the chaos, a French general named Claude Juste Alexandre Legrand lost his brother and his assistant. Jourdan himself barely escaped being run over or captured while trying to rally his own troops. The large number of Austrian soldiers stopped the main French attack in the center.
On the French right side, General Ferino tried to push the Austrians back. He used cannons first, then attacked through the woods. His attacks were pushed back. Finally, he sent in more troops, but the Austrians reformed their line and fired heavily with their cannons. Ferino couldn't fire back because he had run out of ammunition. The French then charged with bayonets and successfully took the village of Wahlwies. However, they couldn't hold it through the night and had to retreat.
What Happened Next
French Retreat
On the evening of March 26, Jourdan decided to leave their positions in Engen and Stockach. Saint Cyr had already pulled back along the Danube River after his attacks failed. He was moving west towards the Black Forest. For some reason, the Austrians did not chase the retreating French army. Instead, Archduke Charles ordered his army to set up camps in Stockach and Engen.
By March 31, the French Army of the Danube had set up new positions in towns like Neustadt and Freiburg im Breisgau. Jourdan set up his headquarters in Hornberg. The French cavalry (soldiers on horseback) couldn't find enough food for their horses in the mountains, so they were sent to Offenburg.
