 = Battle of Dürenstein = 
 
 The Battle of Dürenstein ( also known as the Battle of Dürrenstein , Battle of Dürnstein and Battle of Diernstein ; German : Gefecht bei Dürrenstein ) , on 11 November 1805 was an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars during the War of the Third Coalition . Dürenstein ( modern Dürnstein ) is located in the Wachau Valley , on the River Danube , 73 kilometers ( 45 mi ) upstream from Vienna , Austria . The river makes a crescent @-@ shaped curve between Dürnstein and nearby Krems an der Donau and the battle was fought in the flood plain between the river and the mountains . 
 At Dürenstein a combined force of Russian and Austrian troops trapped a French division commanded by Théodore Maxime Gazan . The French division was part of the newly created VIII Corps , the so @-@ called Corps Mortier , under command of Édouard Mortier . In pursuing the Austrian retreat from Bavaria , Mortier had over @-@ extended his three divisions along the north bank of the Danube . Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov , commander of the Coalition force , enticed Mortier to send Gazan 's division into a trap and French troops were caught in a valley between two Russian columns . They were rescued by the timely arrival of a second division , under command of Pierre Dupont de l 'Étang . The battle extended well into the night . Both sides claimed victory . The French lost more than a third of their participants , and Gazan 's division experienced over 40 percent losses . The Austrians and Russians also had heavy losses--close to 16 percent--but perhaps the most significant was the death in action of Johann Heinrich von Schmitt , one of Austria 's most capable chiefs of staff . 
 The battle was fought three weeks after the Austrian capitulation at Ulm and three weeks before the Russo @-@ Austrian defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz . After Austerlitz Austria withdrew from the war . The French demanded a high indemnity and Francis II abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor , releasing the German states from their allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire . 
 
 = = Background = = 
 
 In a series of conflicts from 1803 @-@ 15 known as the Napoleonic Wars , various European powers formed five coalitions against the First French Empire . Like the wars sparked by the French Revolution ( 1789 ) , these further revolutionized the formation , organization and training of European armies and led to an unprecedented militarization , mainly due to mass conscription . Under the leadership of Napoleon , French power rose quickly as the Grande Armée conquered most of Europe , and collapsed rapidly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 . Napoleon 's empire ultimately suffered complete military defeat in the 1813 – 14 campaigns , resulting in the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in France . Although Napoleon made a spectacular return in 1815 , known as the Hundred Days , his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo , the pursuit of his army and himself , his abdication and banishment to the Island of Saint Helena concluded the Napoleonic Wars . 
 
 = = Danube campaign = = 
 
 From 1803 @-@ 06 the Third Coalition fought the First French Empire and its client states ( see table at right ) . Although several naval battles determined control of the seas , the outcome of the war was decided on the continent , predominantly in two major land operations in the Danube valley : the Ulm campaign in the upper Danube and the Vienna campaign , in the middle Danube valley . 
 Political conflicts in Vienna delayed Austria 's entry into the Third Coalition until 1805 . After hostilities of the War of the Second Coalition ended in 1801 , Archduke Charles--the emperor 's brother--took advantage of the subsequent years of peace to develop a military restructuring plan . He carefully put this plan into effect beginning in 1803 – 04 , but implementation was incomplete in 1805 when Karl Mack , Lieutenant Field Marshal and Quartermaster @-@ General of the Army , implemented his own restructuring . Mack bypassed Charles ' methodical approach . Occurring in the field , Mack 's plan also undermined the overall command and organizational structure . Regardless , Mack sent an enthusiastic report to Vienna on the military 's readiness . Furthermore , after misreading Napoleon 's maneuvers in Württemberg , Mack also reported to Vienna on the weakness of French dispositions . His reports convinced the war party advising the emperor , Francis II , to enter the conflict against France , despite Charles ' own advice to the contrary . Responding to the report and rampant anti @-@ French fever in Vienna , Francis dismissed Charles from his post as generalissimo and appointed his Francophobic brother @-@ in @-@ law , Archduke Ferdinand , as commander . 
 The inexperienced Ferdinand was a poor choice of replacement for the capable Charles , having neither maturity nor aptitude for the assignment . Although Ferdinand retained nominal command , day @-@ to @-@ day decisions were placed in the hands of Mack , equally ill @-@ suited for such an important assignment . When Mack was wounded early in the campaign , he was unable to take full charge of the army . Consequently , command further devolved to Lieutenant Field Marshal Karl Philipp , Prince of Schwarzenberg , an able cavalry officer but inexperienced in the command of such a large army . 
 
 = = = Road to Ulm = = = 
 
 The campaign in the upper Danube valley began in October , with several clashes in Swabia . Near the Bavarian town of Wertingen , 40 kilometers ( 25 mi ) northwest of Augsburg , on 8 October the 1st Regiment of dragoons , part of Murat 's Reserve Cavalry Corps , and grenadiers of Lannes ' V Corps surprised an Austrian force half its size . The Austrians were arrayed in a line and unable to form their defensive squares quickly enough to protect themselves from the 4 @,@ 000 dragoons and 8 @,@ 000 grenadiers . Nearly 3 @,@ 000 Austrians were captured and over 400 were killed or wounded . A day later , at another small town , Günzburg--immediately south of the Danube River--the French 59th Regiment of the Line stormed a bridge over the Danube and , humiliatingly , chased two large Austrian columns toward Ulm . 
 The campaign was not entirely bad news for Vienna . At Haslach , Johann von Klenau arranged his 25 @,@ 000 infantry and cavalry in a prime defensive position and , on 11 October , the overly confident General of Division Pierre Dupont de l 'Étang attacked Klenau 's force with fewer than 8 @,@ 000 men . The French lost 1 @,@ 500 men killed and wounded . Aside from taking the Imperial Eagles and guidons of the 15th and 17th Dragoons , Klenau 's force also captured 900 men , 11 guns and 18 ammunition wagons . 
 Klenau 's victory was a singular success . On 14 October Mack sent two columns out of Ulm in preparation for a breakout to the north : one under Johann Sigismund Riesch headed toward Elchingen to secure the bridge there , and the other under Franz von Werneck went north with most of the heavy artillery . Recognizing the opportunity , Marshal Michel Ney hurried the rest of his VI Corps forward to re @-@ establish contact with Dupont , who was still north of the Danube . In a two @-@ pronged attack Ney sent one division to the south of Elchingen on the right bank of the Danube . This division began the assault at Elchingen . At the same time another division crossed the river to the east and moved west against Riesch 's position . After clearing Austrian pickets from a bridge , the French attacked and captured a strategically located abbey at the top of the hill at bayonet point . The Austrian cavalry unsuccessfully tried to fend off the French , but the Austrian infantry broke and ran . In this engagement alone , the Austrians lost more than half their reserve artillery park , 6 @,@ 000 ( out of 8 @,@ 000 total participants ) dead , wounded or captured and four colors . Reisch 's column also failed to destroy the bridges across the Danube . 
 Napoleon 's lightning campaign exposed the Austrian indecisive command structure and poor supply apparatus . Mack completely misread the French dispositions and scattered his forces ; as the French defeated each unit separately , the surviving Austrians withdrew toward the Ulm fortifications . Napoleon arrived to take personal command of close to 80 @,@ 000 men . At Ulm on 16 October Karl Mack surrendered his encircled army of 20 @,@ 000 infantry and 3 @,@ 273 cavalry . The officers were released on the condition that they not serve against France until formally exchanged for French officers captured by the Austrians , an agreement to which they held . 
 
 = = Prelude to battle = = 
 
 The few Austrian corps not trapped at Ulm withdrew toward Vienna , with the French in close pursuit . A Russian army under Gen. Mikhail Kutuzov also maneuvered away from the French , withdrawing to the east . At the Ill river on 22 October it joined with the retreating Austrian corps commanded by Michael von Kienmayer . On 5 November the Coalition forces held a successful rearguard action in Amstetten . On 7 November the Russians arrived in St. Pölten and crossed the Danube river the next day . Late on 9 November they destroyed the bridges across the Danube , holding the last one at the hamlet of Stein , near the village Krems , until the late afternoon . 
 
 = = = Battlefield = = = 
 
 To the east of Stein , 2 kilometers ( 1 @.@ 2 mi ) down an old road , lay Krems , with its small population of a few hundred , at the confluence of the stream of that name and the Danube . To the west of Stein the Danube made a large curve , creating a crescent @-@ shaped floodplain between it and the mountains . At the far western end of the floodplain , where the mountains came down almost to the river 's edge , was Dürenstein with its castle , known as Schloss Dürenstein . The castle had served as a prison for Richard I of England in 1193 . In 1645 – 46 , during the Thirty Years War , the Swedes had fortified the castle and then demolished it when they withdrew . It stands at 159 meters ( 522 ft ) , on the highest ridge of a mountain fissured with clefts and pinnacles of granite . Because the mountain was sparsely vegetated , it was difficult to distinguish the ruins from the rocks . Narrow canyons cut through the mountain , and widen into the plain below . Between Dürenstein and Stein , on the flood plain , lay the hamlets of Oberloiben and Unterloiben . Near the hamlets , the Loiben flood plain was at its widest , extending at the most 762 meters ( 2 @,@ 500 ft ) from the base of the Loibenberg mountain to the bank of the river . 
 The region was known for its wine . Since the 15th century the local inhabitants practiced viticulture and the wine producers formed St. Paul Vintners ' Guild in 1447 , the oldest such guild in the German @-@ speaking world . Terraced vineyards extended up the sides of the Krems River until it became a mountain stream and terrain was unsuitable for cultivation . The Loiben plain supported both viticulture and agriculture . As the terrain became steeper , the vines grew in terraces built from the dark Urgestein , primordial rock . From Dürenstein to Krems the river makes its wide curve ; the mountains and the steeply terraced slopes prevent clear line @-@ of @-@ sight between the two towns . 
 
 = = = Dispositions = = = 
 
 Napoleon had calculated that Kutuzov would withdraw toward Vienna , expecting reinforcements from Russia ; he envisioned that the armies would engage in a great battle at Vienna , and that this battle would decide the war . Consequently , Napoleon drew divisions from four of the other seven corps of the Grande Armée to create a new VIII Corps . This corps was to secure the north shore of the Danube , block any of the Austrian or Russian groups from reinforcing one another and , more importantly , prevent Kutuzov from crossing the river and escaping to Russia . 
 The new VIII Corps , under the overall command of Édouard Mortier , included three infantry divisions and a division of cavalry ( see Order of Battle below ) . Corps Mortier , as it was known , crossed the Danube at Linz and Passau in early November 1805 and marched east , on the north bank of the Danube . Operating independently , the corp 's cavalry conducted reconnaissance ahead of them and on the flanks . Gen. Gazan 's division ( about 6 @,@ 000 men ) took the lead ; Mortier was with them . They were followed by Gen. Dupont 's division ( another 4 @,@ 000 ) about one day 's march behind . Jean @-@ Baptiste Dumonceau 's division ( another 4 @,@ 000 ) , marching another day behind Dupont , brought up the rear . A flotilla of 50 boats acquired at Passau provided communications across the Danube . Before sending Mortier on his mission , Napoleon instructed him to protect his north flank at all times against possible Russian reinforcements , advice he reiterated in subsequent written orders . Napoleon also advised Mortier to secure all crossings of the Danube between Linz and Vienna . 
 On 9 November Gazan 's division reached Marbach an der Donau and covered the 50 kilometers ( 31 mi ) to Dürenstein by early on the following afternoon . Here it skirmished with some Russian patrols to the east of the town and expelled them . Feeling confident , the French established a forward post just upstream from Stein . In Dürenstein itself Mortier set up his command post and directed the establishment of a small field hospital . Although the position seemed secure , he had ignored Napoleon 's strict instructions and neglected to protect his left ( north ) flank . 
 This failure was an important factor when Mortier lost his corps ' so @-@ called " eyes " : after he and Gazan had crossed the Danube , the French dragoons had veered to the northwest , leaving only three squadrons of the 4th Dragoons available for reconnaissance . These had left the division and were operating independently of Gazan 's command . Consequently , Mortier and Gazan marched blindly through the narrow canyon west of Dürenstein , not knowing what lay ahead of them . Kutuzov had led the Coalition army across the Danube at Krems , a short distance past Stein , and destroyed the bridge behind him . His actions deprived the French commanders of a possible route across the Danube , putting the deployment of the entire French division at further risk in the case of retreat . In this decision Kutuzov abandoned Vienna to the French , who were converging on the Austrian capital from the north , west and southwest , for the security of uniting with reinforcements from Galicia . Kutuzov chose a military solution over a political one . 
 Unknown to either Gazan or Mortier , the Coalition had concentrated a force of approximately 24 @,@ 000 men ( mostly Russians and a few Austrians ) within a few kilometers of the French position at Dürenstein . In comparison , Gazan 's division had only 6 @,@ 000 men . The Austro @-@ Russian force was a mixture of infantry , Jägers ( usually deployed as skirmishers ) , Russian musketeers and Russian and Austrian cavalry , accompanied by more than 68 artillery pieces . Kutuzov , who had learned the military arts under the tutelage of the legendary Russian Generalissimo Suvorov , had overall command . The Russian cavalry , units of the greatly feared Cossacks , were well @-@ suited for patrolling the river bank ; indeed , on 9 November they had taken 40 French soldiers as prisoners . Furthermore , reinforcements stood in Moravia , less than two weeks ' march away . If the main body of the French army crossed the river , they would require time to prepare . Kutuzov would have ample warning of any large @-@ scale French movement . 
 After the afternoon 's initial skirmishing with the French , Kutuzov held a council of war on the evening of 10 November at Melk , at the great abbey there . He knew several things . First , he knew the positions of the French from prisoners his Cossacks had captured . He also knew that Gazan had crossed at Linz and was well ahead of any French reinforcements : Dupont had crossed at Passau and , by 10 November , stood at Marbach , 50 kilometers ( 31 mi ) upstream , and Dumonceau was another 7 kilometers ( 4 mi ) further behind him . Kutuzov knew the size of the French force--its division strength--and its positions , and he knew that most of the dragoons were not covering the French flank but had turned north . He also knew , or had made a good supposition , about Napoleon 's orders , so he knew what to offer Mortier and Gazan as bait . 
 
 = = = Battle plan = = = 
 
 In addition to the Russian generals , the council included Austrian commanders Lieutenant Field Marshal Johann Heinrich von Schmitt and Friedrich Karl Wilhelm , Fürst zu Hohenlohe . Schmitt , who had retired from the military in 1800 , had been recalled into service after the Ulm debacle and had come to Kutuzov highly recommended by the Emperor . He was an experienced tactician and strategist and had served in a variety of posts in the Habsburg military ; he had been Archduke Charles ' trusted adviser during the campaigns from 1796 to 1800 and had assisted in planning several of Charles ' victories . Upon his recall , Schmitt was appointed Chief of the Quartermaster General Staff of the Coalition Army . The generals had found among the Austrian force one Capt. Christoph Freiherr von Stiebar ( 1753 – 1824 ) , who had knowledge of the local geography . 
 Together , Schmitt , Kutuzov and the other generals , with von Stiebar 's advice on the local terrain , concocted a plan to encircle the French at Dürenstein . Russian commander Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich would approach Gazan 's division from the east , supported by Petr Bagration 's corps , and pin the French in place . Three additional columns , commanded by Dmitry Dokhturov ( Doctorov ) , Maj. Gen. Strik and Schmitt , would outflank the French from the west and the north . They would offer , as bait , a rumor : the Russian army was retreating into Moravia and only a rearguard would be left at Krems . 
 
 = = Battle = = 
 
 On the night of 10 – 11 November a Russian column under Strik 's command began its passage through the narrow canyons , intent on arriving at Dürenstein by noon ; two more columns , under Dokhtorov and Schmitt , moved in wider semicircles , planning to pass through the mountains and attack the French , who were extended along the river bank . According to the plan , in late morning Strik 's column would emerge from the mountains first and launch a flanking assault on the French right . This flanking attack , combined with Miloradovich 's frontal assault from Stein , would force the French into a vise ; encircled , they would have no option but to surrender--or die . To ensure the success of the plan , the second and third columns , under Dokhtorov and Schmitt , would arrive in early and mid @-@ afternoon and support the earlier assaults . In this way , even if the French tried to retreat west to Marbach , they would not escape the vise @-@ like grip of the Coalition army . 
 Mortier accepted the bait of a rumored Russian retreat . In the early morning of 11 November he and Gazan departed from Dürenstein to seize Stein and Krems , presuming the Russians had either abandoned the settlements or left only a small rear @-@ guard behind . As they approached Stein , a column of Miloradovich 's troops attacked the French forward positions . Thinking this force was the rumored Russian rear guard , Mortier ordered Gen. Gazan to counterattack and push east towards the town of Stein . Fighting spread though the villages of Oberloiben , Unterloiben and the farm at Rothenhof . Instead of withdrawing , as a rear guard would , more and more Russian troops appeared and engaged the French column . 
 Initially Gazan made rapid progress , but he quickly recognized that the opposing force was much stronger than the typical rear guard of a retreating army . Realizing he had been duped and that Gazan 's troops were tiring rapidly , Mortier sent orders to Dupont 's division to hurry forward . By mid @-@ morning the French momentum had stalled ; Mortier committed most of his remaining forces to driving Miloradovich back , leaving a single battalion--perhaps 300 troops--to cover his northern flank , and sent the rest to attack the Russian right . Within 30 minutes he achieved the superiority of numbers he sought . His 4 @,@ 500 French opposed 2 @,@ 600 Russians and forced them back toward Stein while pressing an attack along the river . Miloradovich had no option , for neither Strik 's nor Dokhtorov 's flanking columns were to be seen . 
 At this stage of the battle fighting paused . Mortier and Gazan waited for Dupont 's arrival while Kutuzov and Miloradovich waited for Strik 's and Dokhturov 's . Schmitt 's column was expected to be the last to join the fight because it had to march the greatest distance . The timing of the respite varies , depending on whose reports are consulted : fighting paused at around 12 : 00 or 14 : 00 . Strik arrived first and immediately assaulted Gazan 's line with three battalions , pushing the French out of Dürenstein . Caught between two strong forces , Gazan attempted to push his way back through Dürenstein , to reach the river where the flotilla could evacuate his exhausted troops . Withdrawing through the narrow Danube canyon and fighting off the Russian force at their rear , Gazan and his division were trapped when more of Strik 's Russians appeared to block their retreat . The narrow defiles hampered the Russians ; Strik 's men had to march out of the canyons , form ranks and attack in waves . Despite Strik 's continuous assault in the next two to three hours , Mortier and Gazan pushed the Russians back up the narrow fissure in the hillside . At this point , Dokhturov 's column appeared behind the French line and joined the battle . The French were outnumbered more than three to one , assaulted in the front by Miloradovich 's column , in the middle by Strik 's and in the rear by Dokhturov . 
 Earlier in the morning Dupont had proceeded with his column south and east along the river , from Marbach , according to instructions . Even before the arrival of Mortier 's courier , he heard the sound of artillery in the distance and sent riders ahead to discover the cause . They came back to report that a Russian column ( Dokhturov 's ) was descending from the mountains to take the road to Dürenstein . Realizing this would separate him from the forward division , Dupont hustled his troops toward the sound of battle and deployed them to take the Russians in the flank . The French assault , heralded by cannon fire , caused Dokhturov 's troops to turn their attention from Gazan 's beleaguered force to face these new assailants . Although superior in numbers , Dokhturov 's column had no supporting artillery , and the narrow space prevented them from taking advantage of their size . It was Dokhturov 's turn to face attackers at his front and rear , until the arrival of Schmitt 's column , which had wended its way through the mountains in the west . 
 Schmitt arrived at dusk , and the action continued well after dark ; in mid @-@ November night falls at close to 17 : 00 in the upper Danube climes . Despite the darkness , Schmitt descended out of the defiles and deployed his troops to assail Dupont 's flank . As his Russians entered the fray , they came between a battalion of French and another of Russians . With the additional force , the French were overwhelmed , but most of the shooting subsided when the combatants could not tell apart friend from foe in the dark . Under the cover of darkness , Mortier used the French flotilla to evacuate his exhausted troops to the south bank . The French and Russians continued to skirmish fitfully into the night as sentries encountered one another in the dark . Portions of Gazan 's force provided any necessary rear guard action , and the following morning the remaining men were evacuated from the north shore of the Danube , while they maintained possession of only Spitz and Weissenkirchen on the north bank . 
 
 = = = Losses = = = 
 
 The losses were staggering : Gazan lost close to 40 percent of his division to death and wounds . Aside from losing five guns , 47 officers and 895 men under his command were captured , bringing the loss of effectives closer to 60 percent ; furthermore , he lost the eagles of the 4th Infantry Regiment ( France ) and the eagle and guidon of the 4th Dragoons . The Russians lost around 4 @,@ 000 , about 16 percent of their force , and two regimental colors . The Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal Schmitt was killed as the battle concluded , probably by Russian musketry in the confused melee . The vineyards and the villages of Ober- and Unterloiben were destroyed , as was most of Dürenstein and Stein . Krems was heavily damaged ; the French plundered the town at least twice , and " barbarously handled " its inhabitants . 
 
 = = Aftermath = = 
 
 Both sides claimed victory . Although losses were fairly equal in terms of numbers--4,000 wounded or dead on each side--the Coalition forces went into battle with 24 @,@ 000 men while the French started with Gazan 's division of about 6 @,@ 000 , which grew close to 8 @,@ 000 when Dupont 's men joined the fighting in the afternoon . Regardless , Gazan 's division was nearly destroyed ; the 30 percent losses experienced by the French fell predominantly on his division . Clearly for both sides , the fighting was hard . The weather had been cold ; an early storm had left slick icy mud in the roadways , and icicles " like chandeliers " hung from the trees . 
 For the Coalition , the Russians were secure on the north bank of the Danube , awaiting reinforcements from Galicia ; the bridges between Linz and Vienna had been destroyed , making French access to the Austrian capital more difficult , but not impossible . After six months of fighting in which the Austrians had enjoyed little good news , the Coalition could claim a difficult and timely victory . The French had retreated from the field with a badly mauled division and Kutuzov had secured the right flank . Indeed , Francis was so pleased with the outcome at Dürenstein that he awarded Kutuzov the Military Order of Maria Theresa . 
 For the French , the survival of the Corps Mortier seemed nothing short of a miracle . The remainder of Gazan 's division crossed the river the next morning and eventually recuperated in Vienna , which the French acquired by deception later in the month . More importantly for them , the French force had performed well over difficult terrain and under terrible combat conditions . Initially there had been some panic and parts of at least one French battalion had tried to escape on the flotilla craft . They had lost control of the boats in the current and smashed into the pillars of the burned bridge at Krems , overturning their boats . Tossed into the icy river , most had drowned . Despite this initial panic , Gazan 's column retained its cohesion , and responded well to various difficult demands . Dupont had demonstrated his tactical acumen : when he heard cannon fire , he directed his troops toward it to support the French division . In terms of French staffing , Mortier 's failure to guard his flank , especially in the face of Napoleon 's direct advice , adversely influenced his relationship with his commander . However , in the immediate weeks ahead , the flamboyant Murat did more to annoy Napoleon than Mortier had . In assessing the battle and its aftermath , historians have laid the blame and credit for its outcome not only on Mortier and Gazan : " Napoleon , aware of Mortier 's danger and his own culpability for it , vented his frustration on Murat , whom he unjustly accused of abandoning Mortier for the empty glory of riding through Vienna . " 
 After the victory at Austerlitz , Napoleon dispersed the VIII Corps and reassigned Mortier . However disappointed he may have been with Mortier , Napoleon was pleased with Gazan 's performance . As recognition of his conduct in what the French called " the immortal Battle of Dürenstein " , Gazan received the Officer 's Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor . 
 The loss of Schmitt was a significant blow to the Austrian military organization . Called out of retirement for this specific task , he was one of their most experienced general staff officers , other than the Archduke Charles . From the summer of 1796 until his retirement in 1800 he had been Chief of the Quartermaster General Staff of the Army , the Lower Rhine , the Rhine and the Army of Germany . Furthermore , he was a trusted member of Archduke Charles ' staff . He had helped to design several of Charles ' more important victories at Emmendingen , Schliengen , the sieges at Kehl and Hünigen , the battles at Ostrach and Stockach , and the northern Swiss Campaign of 1799 that included battles at Winterthur and Zürich . An experienced officer and excellent tactician , he might well have made a more effective Chief of the Quartermaster General Staff of the Coalition Army at the Battle of Austerlitz than his eventual replacement , Franz von Weyrother . In Schmitt 's absence Weyrother , the architect of the Austrian catastrophe at Hohenlinden in 1800 , was chosen to develop the general battle plan of Coalition action at Austerlitz . Schmitt , undoubtedly a far better tactician than Weyrother , and possessed of superior training and mapping skills , would have developed a more realistic Coalition plan for Austerlitz . Schmitt 's presence would probably not have been enough to turn that defeat into a victory , but it would have mitigated the magnitude of the Coalition 's losses ; Austerlitz was considered one of Napoleon 's finest triumphs . 
 In the broader picture , despite the important major naval engagements , the outcome of the War of the Third Coalition was determined on the Continent , predominantly in the two major land operations . In the Ulm campaign , the Habsburgs achieved some minor victories , such as Klenau 's at Haslach @-@ Jungingen , but ultimately lost an entire army and an officer corps . The latter would not resume arms against France until formally exchanged . This condition crippled the Austrian military leadership and forced the recall of such pensioners as Schmitt out of retirement . After the capitulation at Ulm , isolated portions of the Austrian military evaded capture and joined with their Russian allies ; Michael von Kienmayer 's corps slipped out of the encirclement and joined Kutuzov 's force . A few other small forces refused to capitulate and seemingly melted into the Bavarian mountains and the Thurgingian forests , to reappear in Bohemia for Austerlitz . Sixteen hundred cavalry , including Archduke Ferdinand and Prince Schwarzenberg , broke out of Ulm before its capitulation . Maximilian , Count of Merveldt , led his column back through the mountains into Austria , fighting rear guard actions against pursuing French forces at the Steyer ( Steyr ) and Mariazell . These elusive units were insufficient to balance heavy losses at key battles in which the Austrians could not hold their own against the French . Between the Ulm capitulation and the Austrian and Russian defeat at Austerlitz , there were other minor achievements : a successful skirmish between the cavalry that escaped from Ulm and the French near the town of Nördlingen , the contested victory at Dürenstein , and another within days at Schöngrabern . 
 The second determining event , the decisive French victory at the Battle of Austerlitz over the combined Russian and Austrian armies , forced the Austrian withdrawal from the Coalition . The subsequent Peace of Pressburg , signed on 26 December 1805 , reinforced the earlier treaties of Campo Formio and Lunéville . Furthermore , Austria ceded land to Napoleon 's German allies , and paid an indemnity of 40 million francs . Victory at Austerlitz also gave Napoleon the latitude to create a buffer zone of German states between France and the states of Prussia , Russia , and Austria . These measures did not establish a lasting peace on the continent . Prussian worries about growing French influence in Central Europe sparked the War of the Fourth Coalition in 1806 , in which Austria did not participate . 
 
 = = Battlefield commemorations = = 
 
 Until 1805 , Dürenstein was probably best known as the village in which crusader Richard the Lionheart was held by Leopold V , Duke of Austria . In 1741 , during the War of the Austrian Succession , several hundred local villagers had held off the French and Bavarian armies , intent on capturing Vienna , by painting drain pipes to look like cannons , and beating on drums , thus suggesting the presence of a large force . 
 After 1805 , the exploits of 40 @,@ 000 French , Russian , and Austrian soldiers excited the European imagination . General Schmitt 's grave has never been found , but in 1811 a monument for him was erected at the Stein Tor , the gate leading from the old village of Krems to the hamlet of Stein . The house in which Captain von Stiebar lived was marked with a bronze plate commemorating his contribution to the battle . In 1840 , a Spanish lithographer created an image of the battle , which was later expanded by English lithographer John Outhwaite . The image depicts the evacuation of French troops via the Danube flotilla ( see Infobox image ) on a moonlit night . In fact , the moon was in its last quarter phase 48 hours later , and on 11 November probably did not provide as much light as depicted in the image . 
 In 1836 , Jean Antoine Siméon Fort ( French , 1793 – 1861 ) , a historical painter , created a watercolor of the battle , Combat de Dürnstein le 11 novembre 1805 ( ( English ) Battle of Dürenstein of 11 November 1805 ) , which is in the Trianon collection at Versailles . 
 In the Russian novel War and Peace , Leo Tolstoy devoted several pages to the battle , its prelude , and its aftermath , and the delivery of its news to the Tsar by Prince Andrew . Between Dürenstein and Rossatz , at the edge of the Loiben plain , stands the " Little Frenchman " memorial ( see image ) erected in 1905 to commemorate the battle ; it bears the names of Mortier , Gazan , Kutuzov , Schmitt , and others on a copper @-@ engraved plate . 
 
 = = Orders of battle = = 
 
 
 = = = French VIII . Corps ( Corps Mortier ) = = = 
 
 On 6 November , Édouard Adolphe Mortier commanded the following forces : 
 1st Division under command of Pierre Dupont de l 'Étang ( formerly 1st Division of VI . Corps ) , six battalions , three squadrons , and three guns , most of which were involved in the fighting after mid @-@ day . 
 2nd Division under command of Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan de la Peyrière ( formerly 2nd Division of the V. Corps ) , nine battalions , three squadrons , three guns . 
 3rd Division under command of Jean @-@ Baptiste Dumonceau ( Batavian Division , formerly 3rd Division of the II . Corps ) . The 3rd Division was not involved in the fighting . 
 Dragoon Division under command of Louis Klein . Klein 's division included the 1st , 2nd , 4th , and 14th Regiments of Dragoons . They were not involved in the fighting . 
 Danube fleet of fifty boats , under the command of Frigate Captain Lostange . 
 Total : fifteen battalions , six squadrons , six guns , approximately 12 @,@ 000 men , not all of which were involved in the fighting . 
 
 = = = Coalition columns = = = 
 
 First Column , commanded by General of Brigade Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration , included three battalions of infantry , three grenadier battalions , and three Jäger battalions , ten squadrons of Hussars . 
 Second Column , Lieutenant General Essen , included six battalions of infantry , three battalions of grenadiers , and five squadrons of Hussars . 
 Third Column , commanded by Lieutenant General Dokhturov , including six battalions of infantry , one battalion from the 8th Jäger regiment , and ten squadrons of the Hussar Regiment Mariupol . 
 Fourth Column , commanded by Lieutenant General Schepelev , nine battalions of infantry . 
 Fifth Column , Lieutenant General Freiherr von Maltitz , nine battalions of infantry . 
 Sixth Column , Lieutenant General Freiherr von Rosen , with six battalions of Infantry and ten squadrons of cavalry . The Sixth Column did not take part in the fighting . 
 Austrian Infantry Brigade , Major General Johann Nepomuk von Nostitz @-@ Rieneck , four battalions of Border Infantry , including the highly decorated 9th Regiment Peterwardeiner . 
 Austrian Cavalry Division , Lieutenant Field Marshal Friedrich Karl Wilhelm , Fürst zu Hohenlohe , twenty @-@ two squadrons of cavalry . 
 Total : fifty @-@ eight battalions , sixty @-@ two squadrons , fourteen artillery batteries , approximately 24 @,@ 000 men and 168 guns . 
 
 