Wagram, Battle of

The French Emperor with his army before his victory over the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram in 1809. Napoleon launched a massive attack on the Austrians led by the Archduke Charles at the village of Wagram near Vienna. During the battle, one of the heaviest concentrations of artillery fire recorded in history took a terrible toll, with many casualties on both sides.

During the Napoleonic Wars, decisive French victory 6 July 1809 over the Austrians led by the Archduke Charles near Wagram, an Austrian village 18 km/11 mi northeast of Vienna. Austria was forced to concede general defeat to Napoleon.

Napoleon launched an attack in the afternoon of 5 July which was driven back by the Austrians, and on the following morning the Austrians launched a counterattack, which managed to drive the French line back for some distance. Napoleon now deployed his reserve and brought up the Guard artillery, which checked the Austrian advance. At the same time Marshal Louis Davout moved to the right and outflanked the Austrian positions, causing them to fall back. This movement of their flank was felt by the centre, which also began to give way, and by mid-afternoon the Austrians were routed and in full retreat. They left behind 30,000 casualties and 9,000 prisoners on the field; the French lost about 32,000 casualties.