Sujet
'Battle of Austerlitz', 2 December, 1805, (c1835). Artist: Francois Georgin
Légende
'Battle of Austerlitz', 2 December, 1805, (c1835). Regarded as Napoleon Bonaparte's greatest victory, Austerlitz was a sublime trap that destroyed the armies of his enemies Russia and Austria. Tricking his opponents into thinking he was weaker than he actually was, and then calling in nearby reinforcements. The French emperor deliberately abandoned a strong central position on the Pratzen Heights and left his right flank weak. The Allies eagerly moved forward to occupy the heights and then weakened the centre to crush the French right. As the bulk of Austrian and Russian troops attacked, Marshal Davout's III Corp arrived to bolster the French line. After much hard fighting the French crushed the Allies. Thousands of fleeing troops drowned when a frozen lake split under the weight of men and guns. French losses amounted to 8000 while the Russian and Austrian emperors, present at the battle, saw more than 27,000 men killed, wounded and captured. Bonaparte also captured 180 cannon.
Date
1835
Crédit
Photo12/Heritage Images
Notre référence
HRM19B87_421
Model release
Non
Licence
Droits gérés
Format disponible
50,0Mo (3,0Mo) / 43,2cm x 29,0cm / 5104 x 3421 (300dpi)