Battle of Würzburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Battle of Würzburg |
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| Part of the 1796 Rhine campaign during the War of the First Coalition | |||||||
 Battle of Würzburg by Martinet and Branche, 1837 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Republican France |
 Habsburg monarchy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Jean-Baptiste Jourdan |
Archduke Charles |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3,000, 7 guns | 1,500 | ||||||
The Battle of Würzburg was a big fight that happened on 3 September 1796. It was part of the French Revolutionary Wars, a time when France was fighting against many European countries. This battle took place near Würzburg, a city in what is now Germany.
On one side was the army of the Habsburg monarchy, led by Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. On the other side was the army of the First French Republic, led by Jean-Baptiste Jourdan. Both armies had about 30,000 soldiers.
In the summer of 1796, two French armies, one led by Jourdan and another by Jean Victor Marie Moreau, moved into southern Germany. Archduke Charles was trying to stop them. He had two smaller Austrian armies under his command. Before Würzburg, Archduke Charles had already beaten Jourdan's army at the Battle of Amberg. Jourdan hoped to stop his retreat and fight back at Würzburg. But after this battle, Archduke Charles pushed Jourdan's army all the way back to the Rhine River. This left Moreau's army alone, forcing them to leave southern Germany too.
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The Battle of Würzburg
The French army thought they were attacking a small group of Austrian soldiers led by Anton Sztáray. Jourdan planned to use two of his divisions, led by Generals Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and Jean Étienne Championnet, to attack Sztáray. He kept two other divisions ready as backup.
However, a thick morning mist helped Archduke Charles. He was able to bring in more soldiers, led by Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze, to help Sztáray. This meant the French didn't have the big advantage they thought they did.
Even more, a smaller Austrian group to the north kept a much larger French force busy. This stopped the French from using all their soldiers in the main battle. While the fighting was happening, Austrian engineers were quickly building bridges across the Main River. This allowed the rest of the Austrian army to cross and join the fight.
The French attacked the Austrian positions many times but couldn't break through. Then, more Austrian divisions arrived, led by Paul Kray and Wilhelm von Wartensleben. These fresh troops pushed the French off the battlefield, winning the battle for the Austrians.
What Happened After the Battle
The Battle of Würzburg was a major turning point in the 1796 campaign in southern Germany. It decided who would win the fight for this area.
Jourdan's Army Retreats
The French army lost about 2,000 soldiers who were killed or wounded. Another 1,000 men and 7 cannons were captured. The Austrians had fewer losses, with about 1,200 killed or wounded and 300 captured.
After the battle, Archduke Charles chased the defeated French army. He moved around Jourdan's army, making sure to stay between them and Moreau's other French army. This made it very hard for the French to regroup.
By 7 September, Charles forced the French to stop their attack on the city of Mainz. By 16 September, the armies were back near the Lahn River, where they had started the campaign in June. On that day, the Austrians defeated a part of Jourdan's army again. Jourdan's army then retreated to Düsseldorf and crossed to the west side of the Rhine River. The French also stopped their attack on the Ehrenbreitstein fortress on 17 September. Archduke Charles left some soldiers to guard the area and quickly moved south.
Moreau's Army Also Retreats
Since Jourdan's army was defeated, Moreau's army was now alone. Archduke Charles forced Moreau's army to retreat west through the Black Forest back to France.
On 18 September, Austrian soldiers tried to capture a bridgehead at Kehl, but the French fought back and pushed them out. Moreau's army was still far south at this time. On 2 October, Moreau did win a battle against an Austrian army at the Battle of Biberach. The French had few losses, but they captured many Austrian soldiers and cannons. This slowed down the Austrian chase, but with Charles rushing south, Moreau had to keep retreating to the Rhine.
On 19 October, Moreau's army fought Archduke Charles's army at the Battle of Emmendingen. The French lost many soldiers, including a general. The Austrians also had losses.
The French continued to retreat south and fought another battle on 24 October at Schliengen. Both sides said they won, but Moreau still had to retreat to the west side of the Rhine. Moreau then offered a ceasefire, which Archduke Charles wanted to accept. However, the Austrian government made a mistake and refused the agreement.
Later that year, while Charles was trying to capture the fortresses of Kehl and Huningen, the French government sent many of Moreau's soldiers to help Napoleon Bonaparte. These soldiers helped Napoleon win the Siege of Mantua in Italy.
Images for kids
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Battle of Würzburg by Martinet and Branche, 1837
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Battle of Würzburg by Karl von Blaas, 1870
