Second Battle of Zurich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Zurich |
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| Part of the Italian and Swiss expedition in the war of the Second Coalition | |||||||
 The Battle of Zurich, 25 September 1799, showing André Masséna on horseback, by François Bouchot |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Republic |
 Russian Empire Habsburg monarchy |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| André Masséna |
Alexander Korsakov Friedrich von Hotze † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 35,448 |
27,116 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4,000 killed or wounded | 8,000 killed, wounded, or captured 8,000 killed or wounded and many captured 100 guns 4,000 more during the retreat |
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The Second Battle of Zurich happened on September 25–26, 1799. It was a big win for the French army in Switzerland. Their leader was André Masséna. They fought against Austrian and Russian forces led by Alexander Korsakov near Zürich. This battle ended a standstill that began after the First Battle of Zurich three months earlier. It also made Russia leave the Second Coalition. Most of the fighting took place along the Limmat river and inside the city of Zürich.
Contents
Setting the Stage for Battle
After the First Battle of Zurich, the French general Masséna set up a strong defense. His army in Switzerland had about 77,000 soldiers. They were spread out along the Aare River.
At this time, the Austrian army, led by Archduke Charles, was supposed to get help. A Russian army of 25,000 men, led by Korsakov, had just arrived. They had marched for 90 days to get there.
Masséna, however, was planning his own attack. He wanted to push back the Austrians in the Alps. On August 15 and 16, French forces took important mountain passes. These included the Gotthard Pass, Furka Pass, and Oberalp Pass.
A Change in Plans
On August 16, Archduke Charles and Korsakov tried a surprise attack. They tried to cross the Aare river using boats and bridges. But their engineers made a mistake. The river was too strong, and the attack failed.
After this, Archduke Charles was ordered to move his main army north. He had to go to southern Germany. He left behind 29,000 men under Friedrich von Hotze. Korsakov's Russian army stayed too. Their plan was to wait for another Russian army. This army, led by Alexander Suvorov, was coming from Italy. They hoped to trap Masséna from three sides.
Armies Prepare for Conflict
On August 22, Korsakov and Hotze made a plan. The Russians, with 22,000 men, would guard the lower Limmat River. Hotze, with 20,000 Austrians, would cover the area near Lake Zürich.
On August 28, most of Archduke Charles's troops left Switzerland. Korsakov arrived in Zürich the next day. He was very confident in his troops. He didn't think much of the French or even his Austrian allies.
Russian and Austrian Forces
By the end of August, the Allied army was set up like this:
- Korsakov had 33,000 men around Zürich and the lower Limmat.
- Nauendorf had 5,400 Austrians along the Rhine river.
- Hotze had 25,000 Austrians, including 3,000 Swiss soldiers. They were spread from Uznach to Chur.
- Suvorov had 28,000 Russians. They were marching from Italy through the Alps.
Korsakov sent 5,000 men to help Hotze. This weakened his defense along the Limmat. It also made his supply lines more open.
Masséna's Bold Plan
When Archduke Charles left, the French had more soldiers for a short time. Masséna wanted to use this chance. He aimed to defeat Korsakov and Hotze before Suvorov arrived. On August 30, he tried to cross the Aare river, but it didn't work. So, Masséna planned to cross the Limmat near Dietikon. Then he would attack Korsakov in Zürich.
On September 19, Masséna told his commanders his plan. One group would cross the Limmat from Dietikon. They would attack Korsakov in Zürich. Other French groups would distract the enemy. One group would attack Wollishofen. Another would cross the Linth river to stop Hotze from helping the Russians.
The French secretly gathered 37 boats near Dietikon. They also built a fake bridge somewhere else to trick the enemy. On September 24, news came that Suvorov's troops had taken the Gotthard Pass. This made Masséna move his attack up. He decided to attack on September 25 instead of 26.
The Limmat River Crossing
On the evening of September 24, Masséna's troops gathered silently at Dietikon. There were over 8,000 infantry soldiers and 26 cannons. On the other side of the Limmat, only 2,600 Russians were waiting.
At 4:45 AM on September 25, the French quickly launched their boats. The alarm was raised, and the first shots were fired. About 600 French soldiers crossed the Limmat and set up a small base on the other side. The Russian outposts fired, but no French boats sank, and no men drowned.
Taking the Bridgehead
The French artillery fired from both sides of the river bend. This helped protect the landing area. By 5:00 AM, the French started building a pontoon bridge. The Russian artillery fired at the French base from nearby heights. But the French attacked these positions. After tough fighting, the Russians were pushed back by 6:00 AM. Their leader, Markov, was wounded and captured.
Just an hour after the first shots, 800 French soldiers had crossed. They now controlled the pine woods and the Russian camp. The pontoon bridge was finished quickly by 7:30 AM. By 9:00 AM, 8,000 French soldiers and 26 cannons were across the Limmat.
Masséna wanted to stop the Russian forces from joining up. He sent troops to cut off their communication lines. Other French troops marched towards Höngg.
Fighting Around Zürich
At 5:00 AM, French General Mortier launched his attacks to distract Korsakov. His troops advanced but were soon stopped by stronger Russian forces. Another group pushed the Russians back from Wollishofen. But the Russians fought back and pushed the French towards the Uetliberg mountain.
The Russian commander, Gorchakov, chased the French and captured some cannons. But this actually hurt the Russians later. The French success on the other side of the river, and another French advance, made the Russian position weak. Korsakov had to pull his troops back by 1:00 PM. The Russians lost many men as they retreated.
Ménard's Clever Distraction
The French crossing of the Limmat worked because the Russians were weak there. Also, they were tricked by other French attacks. General Ménard completely fooled the Russians. He fired all his cannons near Baden. He also spread out his soldiers and moved boats on the river.
The Russian commander, Durasov, was completely tricked. He kept his troops in the wrong place for most of the day. By the time he realized his mistake, the French had blocked his way. He had to take a long detour to Zürich and arrived late at night.
Closing in on Zürich
In Zürich, Korsakov felt very safe. He hadn't even checked his defenses or moved his supplies. When he heard the cannons, he rode out and learned his forces had been defeated. But he still thought the Limmat crossing was just a trick. He believed the main danger was Mortier's attack on Wollishofen.
By 10:00 AM, the French were advancing on both sides of the Limmat. They had strong artillery support. French troops took Höngg and the Wipkingen Heights. Then they attacked the Zürichberg, a hill held by Russian soldiers. Other French troops marched to cut the road to Winterthur.
Korsakov finally realized how dangerous his situation was. He pulled troops back through Zürich to face the French. But the narrow streets of the city were jammed with wounded soldiers and supplies. French cannon fire made the confusion even worse. By the time the Russians cleared Zürich, it was too late. The French had taken the high ground. The Russians attacked bravely but couldn't push the French back. As night fell, Korsakov was trapped in Zürich. Masséna demanded the city surrender, but got no answer.
Soult's Attack Against Hotze
While the fighting happened around Zürich, another battle was taking place. At the eastern end of Lake Zürich, Austrian forces under Hotze faced French troops under Jean-de-Dieu Soult. Soult had secretly watched the Austrian positions for days.
The Battle of Linth River began at 2:30 AM on September 25. A small group of French soldiers swam across a channel. They pulled rafts with ropes, and a whole battalion crossed before the Austrians knew what was happening. Similar crossings happened elsewhere.
Hotze's Death and Austrian Retreat
At 4:00 AM, Hotze was woken by cannon fire. He rode out to see his troops fighting. Then he rode to scout the area, but in the fog, he ran into hidden French soldiers. Both Hotze and his chief of staff were shot and killed as they tried to escape.
News of Hotze's death spread quickly. The Austrians, now led by Franz Petrasch, were dismayed. They fell back, leaving their boats behind.
Further east, another French group was attacked by Austrians. The Austrians didn't know about Hotze's death or Korsakov's troubles. The French held their ground. On September 26, they counter-attacked. Encouraged by Hotze's defeat, the French pushed the Austrians back. After more small fights, the Austrians retreated to the Rhine valley.
The Battle's Final Day
During the night, Korsakov was finally joined by Durasov's troops. He also got soldiers who had been with Hotze. Now with 16 battalions, Korsakov wanted to hold Zürich until Suvorov arrived. That morning, he heard about Hotze's death.
The French planned to attack the Zürichberg hill. They wanted to cut off the Russian retreat and push them into the lake.
At dawn, the Russians launched a strong attack. They pushed back a French brigade and retook the Winterthur Road. This stopped the French plan to push them into the lake. This was lucky for Korsakov. At that moment, other French forces were firing on Zürich.
Russian Retreat and French Victory
Great confusion filled the city. Korsakov suggested talking, but no one listened. Instead, the Russians began a general retreat. They left only a small group to guard the city. Masséna didn't stop their retreat directly. But he moved his cannons to fire on the side of the retreating Russian column. This caused complete chaos among them.
Masséna then ordered his troops to charge the center of the Russians. The Russians fought desperately. Many generals were badly wounded. The troops fought in small, separate groups.
At the same time, French troops broke through the city gates. They stormed through the city. The Russians were able to retreat without much more fighting. However, Korsakov decided to keep retreating quickly all the way to the Rhine river. Of his original force of over 25,000 men, Korsakov reached the Rhine with only 10,000. He lost all his baggage, cannons, and money.
Why the French Won
The French victory happened because of their careful planning. The Russians, on the other hand, had poor leadership. When Korsakov arrived, he didn't personally check the battle lines. He just stayed in Zürich and trusted too much in his soldiers. People described him as "more of a courtier than a soldier."
Also, the Russian fighting style was very rigid. They were used to charging straight ahead with bayonets. They didn't expect to be attacked from the sides. Korsakov and Petrasch were also criticized for retreating too quickly. They knew Suvorov was trying to join them, but they still fled.
This victory was Masséna's greatest success. However, some people say he didn't fully use his win. They wonder why he didn't surround the Russians completely. Still, it was a brilliant military achievement for the French.
What Happened Next
Masséna knew Suvorov was coming. So, he quickly moved his troops south. French divisions had already bravely slowed down the Russians at the St. Gotthard Pass. They also fought at the amazing crossing over the Devil's Bridge. When Suvorov finally crossed the Reuss river, he found French troops blocking his way.
Suvorov couldn't break through the French lines. He also knew about Korsakov's terrible defeat. So, the Russian general turned east. He went through the difficult Pragel Pass to Glarus. There, he was sad to find more French troops waiting for him on October 4. In deep snow, his troops tried six times to break through the French lines. But each attack failed.
Suvorov had no choice but to escape over the dangerous Panixer Pass. He left behind his baggage and cannons. He lost as many as 5,000 men. By October 15, the last enemy troops left Switzerland. This meant Switzerland was back under the control of the Helvetic Republic.
After the French victory, Russia left the Second Coalition. The French gained more control over Switzerland. This helped them prepare for attacks on Austria. Masséna took huge amounts of food, animals, and money from the Swiss. This caused a lot of hardship in the war-affected areas. The Second Coalition War greatly weakened the Helvetic Republic. This loss of support eventually led to the 1803 Act of Mediation, which changed Switzerland's government.
Today, on the Zürichberg hill, there is a monument to Masséna and the French. It briefly describes both battles of Zürich. There is another memorial south of Zürich. It remembers the defense of the Albis pass. In Paris, the names of Dietikon and Muta Thal are carved on the Arc de Triomphe. Near the Devil's Bridge, there is a monument to the Russian army's crossing of the Alps under Suvorov.
Images for kids
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Map showing the French positions in the Limmat Valley (1801)
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Contemporary drawing of the battle by Siméon Fort.
