Battles of Stockach and Engen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battles of Stockach and Engen
Part of the campaigns of 1800 in the War of the Second Coalition
Battles of Engen and Stockach (Ch. L. F. Panckoucke, 1819)
Date 3 May 1800 Location Stockach and Engen, Germany 47°51′10″N 08°46′17″E / 47.85278°N 8.77139°E / 47.85278; 8.77139 Result French victory Engen: Draw Stockach: French victory
Belligerents
France	Austria
Commanders and leaders
Engen: Jean Victor Moreau Stockach: Claude Lecourbe	Engen: Paul Kray Stockach: Joseph, Prince of Lorraine-Vaudemont
Strength
84,000	72,000
Casualties and losses
Total per Smith: 3,000 killed, wounded and missing Total per Bodart: 3,000 casualties	Total per Smith: 397 killed 718 captured Total per Le Spectateur militaire: 1,147 killed 1,884 wounded 3,862 captured Total per Bodart: 3,000 killed or wounded 4,000 captured

The Battles of Stockach and Engen happened on May 3, 1800. These battles were part of the French Revolutionary Wars, specifically the War of the Second Coalition. It was a fight between the army of France (the First French Republic) led by General Jean Victor Marie Moreau and the army of Austria (the Habsburg monarchy) led by General Paul Kray.

The fighting near Engen ended in a draw, meaning neither side won clearly. However, while the main armies were busy at Engen, another French general, Claude Lecourbe, captured the town of Stockach. Stockach was a very important supply base for the Austrian army.

Because the Austrians lost Stockach, General Kray had to order his army to retreat. Stockach is located near the northwestern end of Lake Constance. Engen is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Stockach.

Why These Battles Happened

At the start of 1800, the armies of France and Austria were facing each other across the Rhine River. General Paul Kray led about 120,000 Austrian troops. His army also included soldiers from other German states like Bavaria and Württemberg.

Austrian Army's Position

General Kray placed his main army of 95,000 soldiers in an L-shape. This was where the Rhine River changed direction. It flowed west along the northern border of Switzerland, then turned north along France's eastern border.

Kray made a mistake by setting up his main supply base, called a magazine, at Stockach. This town was only a day's march from French-controlled Switzerland. This meant it was easy for the French to attack it.

About 25,000 Austrian troops were placed east of Lake Constance to protect a region called the Vorarlberg. Another 40,000 soldiers were in the center, from Lake Constance to Villingen. Their forward troops were along the Rhine between the lake and Basel.

The right side of the Austrian army had 15,000 troops guarding the passes through the Black Forest. Other groups defended areas further north and the city of Frankfurt. A reserve force of 20,000 soldiers was kept near Stockach.

In total, Kray had a huge army. He had 110,000 infantry (foot soldiers), 25,000 cavalry (soldiers on horseback), and 4,000 gunners with 500 cannons. He also had a major supply base and a fortified camp at Ulm.

French Army's Plans

General Jean Victor Marie Moreau led the French army. It was well-equipped with 137,000 troops. About 108,000 of these were ready for battle. The rest guarded the Swiss border and French forts along the Rhine.

The leader of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, wanted Moreau to try a bold plan. He suggested going around the Austrian army by attacking from Switzerland. However, Moreau decided not to follow this plan.

Instead, Moreau planned to cross the Rhine River near Basel. This was where the river turned north. One French group would cross the Rhine from the west to distract Kray. This would hide Moreau's real intentions.

Napoleon also wanted General Claude Lecourbe's troops to go to Italy after the first battles. But Moreau had different ideas for Lecourbe's forces.

How the French Army Was Organized

In March 1800, Napoleon ordered Moreau to organize his army into different groups called army corps. By March 20, 1800, the French army had four corps. The last one was kept as a reserve.

• The Right Wing was led by General Lecourbe. It included four divisions.
• The Center was led by General Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr. It had four divisions.
• The Left Wing was commanded by General Gilles Joseph Martin Brunteau Saint-Suzanne. It also had four divisions.
• Moreau himself led the Reserve. This group had three infantry divisions and one cavalry division.

There were also other French troops. These included soldiers guarding Switzerland and fortresses in Alsace and along the Rhine River.