Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré
Encyclopedia
Konstantin Ghilian Karl d'Aspré von Hoobreuk, born 27 December 1754 – died 8 July 1809, served in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars
. In the Napoleonic Wars
, he made a mark in two major campaigns. In 1809, he was briefy Proprietor (Inhaber)
of an infantry regiment and rose to command a division. His son Konstantin d'Aspré (1789–1850) also became an Austrian general.
D'Aspré helped put down the Brabant Revolution
of 1789 and 1790 in his native land, and won a coveted award. During the War of the First Coalition he was promoted to command a regiment. He played an important role in one clash during the 1805 campaign. In 1809, he led a brigade of grenadiers in the early battles and later was appointed to command a grenadier division. He was mortally wounded while leading his soldiers at the Battle of Wagram
.
in the Austrian Netherlands on 27 December 1754, d'Aspré made his career in the army. A son, also named Konstantin, was born on 18 December 1789 in Brussels
. While a captain, the elder Konstantin performed with notable bravery in the Brabant Revolution and won the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
on 19 December 1790. He fought during the War of the First Coalition, becoming Oberst
in 1794.
At the Battle of Verona on 26 April 1799, the d'Aspré Jäger
Corps of 10 companies was assigned to the brigade of Anton von Elsnitz
in Konrad Valentin von Kaim
's division. The Jäger Corps also fought at the Battle of Magnano
on 6 April. D'Aspré was promoted General-Major
on 6 February 1800. He served under Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
in the operations leading up to the Siege of Genoa
. On 7 April 1800, Nicolas Soult and 5,000 French soldiers launched a surprise attack on Monte Fascio. The French assault mauled Ott's division, forcing the 2nd Battalion of the Archduke Joseph Infantry Regiment Nr. 63 to surrender. For a loss of only 200 killed and wounded, Soult's men inflicted losses of 54 killed, 178 wounded, and 1,400 captured on the Austrians. D'Aspré was made a prisoner during the encounter.
and Karl Mack von Lieberich at the beginning of the War of the Third Coalition. He led a brigade-sized unit of three and one-half infantry battalions and six cavalry squadrons. When the army of Emperor Napoleon I of France
reached the Danube
on 6 October, Mack realized that his army was in danger of being cut off from Vienna
. At that time, he made the questionable decision to assemble the corps of Franz Jellacic
, Franz von Werneck
, and Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
near Ulm
, renouncing any idea of retreating south to the Tyrol
. On 8 October, he issued orders for his army to concentrate at Günzburg
downstream from Ulm. He hoped to put his troops in a position to sever Napoleon's supply line back to France. At this time, Napoleon was only vaguely aware of the Austrian army's position.
On 8 October, Marshals
Joachim Murat
and Jean Lannes
encountered Franz Xavier Auffenberg's division at the Battle of Wertingen
. The French crushed the outnumbered Austrians and drove the survivors west to Günzburg. The next day, Mack and Ferdinand drew up their troops facing east on the south bank of the Danube near Günzburg. Mack deployed d'Aspré and a light force that included Tyrolean Jägers to hold and scout the north bank. Unknown to Mack, Marshal Michel Ney
sent one of his divisions to seize the Günzburg bridges from the north that morning.
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher
formed his 3rd Division of the VI Corps into three columns and marched south on 9 October. The western column blundered into a marsh, while the eastern column was badly delayed. The center column marched straight for Günzburg and collided with d'Aspré's troops. As soon as the soldiers in Günzburg heard the firing, they immediately destroyed the bridges. Unfortunately, this left d'Aspré with the French in front of him and an unbridged river behind him. He surrendered with 200 Jägers and two cannons.
Warned by d'Aspré's scouting force, the Archduke Charles
Infantry Regiment Nr. 3 and 20 cannons mounted a vigorous defense, bringing Mahler's attack to an abrupt halt at the river bank. At this point, Mack ordered Ignaz Gyulai
to rebuild the bridge on the east side of town and cross to the north bank. Mack still dreamed of crossing the Danube and advancing on Giengen
and Nördlingen
. No sooner did Gyulai have the bridge ready, when the tardy western column appeared and captured the span, winning the battle for the French.
Mack later claimed that d'Aspré failed to report his contact with the French, though this may be an attempt at self-justification. Ney interrogated his prisoner d'Aspré and reported to Napoleon that the Austrian army was falling back to Biberach an der Riß
. This was not true, but it is not clear whether d'Aspré deliberately misled his captor or if he was only guessing what Mack's intentions were. The campaign ended in disaster for Austria when Mack capitulated with 25,000 troops at Ulm on 20 October, Werneck surrendered his remaining 6,000 men on 18 October, and the 4,600-strong garrison of Memmingen
also ran up the white flag. A total of almost 50,000 Austrians became prisoners in the fighting.
, d'Aspré led a brigade in Michael von Kienmayer
's small II Reserve Armeekorps consisting of the Puteani, Brezeczinsky, Scovaud, Kirchenbetter, and Scharlach grenadier battalions, plus a battery of eight 6-pounder cannons. In the Battle of Abensberg
on 20 April 1809, Archduke Louis of Austria
tried unsuccessfully to defend the line of the Abens River
. During the morning, Louis called up Kienmayer's corps from Ludmannsdorf to support Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
's left flank brigade near Siegenburg
. During the afternoon, d'Aspré's grenadiers supported Radetzky as he fell back toward Pfeffenhausen
. At 11:00 PM that night, Bavarian pursuers aggressively crossed the Große Laber
stream and attacked. Radetzky borrowed one of d'Aspré's grenadier battalions and held the Hornbach hill south of Pfeffenhausen until the early morning hours.
On 21 April, Napoleon attacked Johann von Hiller
in the Battle of Landshut
but the Austrians managed to avoid being trapped. However, Hiller's left wing lost an estimated 9,000 casualties during the day. Three of d'Aspré's grenadier battalions formed the Austrian rear guard as they retreated to Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
. D'Aspre was present at the Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
on 24 April, when Hiller lashed out at his Bavarian and French pursuers. Kienmayer's force retreated through Braunau am Inn
on 26 April. D'Aspré missed the hard-fought Battle of Ebelsberg on 3 May. Hiller unwisely sent Kienmayer's troops to Asten
, even as the French were in the process of driving in his rear guards. Nevertheless, d'Aspré's promotion to Feldmarschall-Leutnant came through the next day.
On 8 May, most of Hiller's wing, including Kienmayer's corps, crossed to the north bank of the Danube
at Mautern an der Donau
. Within a short time, d'Aspré's grenadiers crossed to the south bank again to assist in Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este's short-lived defense of Vienna
. Other defending forces were landwehr under Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough
, a division led by Josef von Dedovich, and a brigade co-commanded by Armand von Nordmann
and Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny
. At 3:00 AM on 12 April, d'Aspré led his five battalions in an attack on the French positions at the Lusthaus on Prater Island. The attack was repulsed by the defenders, but its real purpose was to cover the Austrian retreat to the north bank of the Danube, which was successfully carried out.
In mid-May, Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
merged the II Reserve Armeekorps into the I Reserve Armeekorps under the leadership of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein. In the new organization, d'Aspré and Johann Nepomuk von Prochaska became the two infantry division commanders. D'Aspré's division comprised the five battalions from his former brigade plus the Bissingen, Oklopsin, and Mayblümel grenadier battalions. The 5,362 elite infantry were divided into two 4-battalion brigades under Franz Mauroy de Merville and Anton von Hammer, and included a brigade battery of six 6-pounder cannons.
On 21 May, the first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling
, the grenadier reserve was not committed to combat. The next day, Napoleon tried to break out of the narrow bridgehead by sending Marshal Jean Lannes
with three divisions to assault the weak Austrian center. In the crisis, Archduke Charles moved d'Aspré's and Prochaska's grenadier divisions (under Kienmayer) to block Lannes. When the troops showed unsteadiness, Charles personally waved the colors of the grenadiers of the Zach
Infantry Regiment Nr. 15 to rally his troops. This greatly heartened the defenders, and the French assault was defeated when reinforcements arrived from the right and left flanks. In the afternoon, Charles ordered Merville's brigade from d'Aspré's division to attack Essling, which had held out against repeated assaults. The grenadiers routed the French from the village, except for the fortress-like granary which held out. Later, five battalions of the Imperial Guard recaptured Essling.
On 24 May, the emperor appointed d'Aspré Proprietor (Inhaber)
of the Infantry Regiment Nr. 18. Unfortunately, the general was not destined to enjoy this honor for very long. D'Aspré's division maintained the same organization for the Battle of Wagram
on 5 and 6 July, except that the Mayblümel battalion was renamed Locher. Also, two 6-pounder and one 3-pounder brigade batteries were attached, with a total strength of 24 cannons. On the night of the 4th, Napoleon launched a massive amphibious assault from Lobau Island to the north bank of the Danube, forcing back the Austrian VI Armeekorps and Advance Guard. At 6:00 PM that afternoon, Napoleon sent Nicolas Oudinot
's II Corps, Eugene de Beauharnais
' Army of Italy
, and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte's IX Saxon Corps to break Archduke Charles' line near Wagram. After initially being driven back, the Austrian I and II Armeekorps counterattacked and routed the Franco-Allied forces.
For the 6th, Archduke Charles planned to envelop both of Napoleon's flanks. At 4:00 AM, Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
's IV Armeekorps and Nordmann's Advance Guard attacked the French right flank. Meanwhile, Johann von Klenau
's VI Armeekorps and Johann Kollowrat
's III Armeekorps marched against the French left. Charles intended for Liechtenstein's I Reserve, Heinrich, Count of Bellegarde's I Armeekorps, and Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen's II Armeekorps to support the attack of the right wing. Napoleon planned for Louis Davout's III Corps to crush Rosenberg's left flank and roll up the Austrian line.
Rosenberg's early morning attack quickly failed against Davout's defenses. Believing his position in the center badly exposed, Bernadotte defied his orders and evacuated Aderklaa
, a village located southwest of Wagram. After Bellegarde occupied the village, a furious Napoleon ordered its immediate recapture by Bernadotte's Saxons and André Masséna
's IV Corps. The Saxons ran into an intense artillery barrage and ran away, but Claude Carra Saint-Cyr
's division retook Aderklaa. On the Austrian side, Charles was compelled to send in the two grenadier divisions to support Bellegarde's troops in the see-saw contest for Aderklaa. The Austrians managed to recapture Aderklaa, but Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
's division soon counterattacked. After brutal fighting, Molitor was forced to leave the village in Austrian hands.
Early in the afternoon, Napoleon ordered Jacques MacDonald's 8,000 men to attack the Austrian center. Forming his three weak divisions into a hollow square, MacDonald led his soldiers forward at the boundary between the Austrian Reserve and III Armeekorps. The French smashed into their adversaries' front, but the Austrian formations on the flanks held firm, preventing a breakthrough. Seeing MacDonald's attack stall, Napoleon sent his reserves to help. In order to halt the French attack, one Austrian grenadier brigade had wheeled to face the northern side of the square. The reinforcements took the brigade in flank and drove it back in confusion to Aderklaa, where it attempted to hold out. D'Aspré tried to rally his men but suffered a fatal wound. After the fall of their leader, his men abandoned the position. When the army retreated north after the battle, the stricken general was taken along and he died on 8 July at Mikulov (Nikolsburg)
in what is now the Czech Republic
. He was one of four Austrian generals killed or mortally wounded at Wagram. The others were Josef Philipp Vukassovich
, Peter von Vécsey
, and Nordmann.
Like his father, his son Konstantin went on to become an Austrian general, fighting at the Battle of Novara
in 1849 and dying in 1850.
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. In the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, he made a mark in two major campaigns. In 1809, he was briefy Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of an infantry regiment and rose to command a division. His son Konstantin d'Aspré (1789–1850) also became an Austrian general.
D'Aspré helped put down the Brabant Revolution
Brabant Revolution
The Brabant Revolution took place between January 1789 and December 1790, when a popular revolt broke in the Austrian Netherlands against the unpopular reforms of the Emperor Joseph II...
of 1789 and 1790 in his native land, and won a coveted award. During the War of the First Coalition he was promoted to command a regiment. He played an important role in one clash during the 1805 campaign. In 1809, he led a brigade of grenadiers in the early battles and later was appointed to command a grenadier division. He was mortally wounded while leading his soldiers at the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
.
Early career
Born at GhentGhent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
in the Austrian Netherlands on 27 December 1754, d'Aspré made his career in the army. A son, also named Konstantin, was born on 18 December 1789 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. While a captain, the elder Konstantin performed with notable bravery in the Brabant Revolution and won the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa
Military Order of Maria Theresa
The Military Order of Maria Theresa was an Order of the Austro-Hungarian Empire founded on June 18, 1757, the day of the Battle of Kolin, by the Empress...
on 19 December 1790. He fought during the War of the First Coalition, becoming Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
in 1794.
At the Battle of Verona on 26 April 1799, the d'Aspré Jäger
Jäger
Jäger is the German word for "hunter", and also a common Jäger is the [[German language|German]] word for "[[hunter]]", and also a common Jäger is the [[German...
Corps of 10 companies was assigned to the brigade of Anton von Elsnitz
Anton von Elsnitz
Franz Anton Freiherr von Elsnitz was an Austrian cavalry soldier and commander during the War of the Bavarian Succession, Austro-Turkish War , and French Revolutionary Wars.-Career:Born on 28 September 1746 in Vienna, he entered Daun Infantry Regiment N°59 on 1 June 1763, then later the same...
in Konrad Valentin von Kaim
Konrad Valentin von Kaim
Johann Konrad Valentin Ritter von Kaim was a French soldier and Austrian infantry commander during the French Revolutionary Wars. He was born in Gengenbach and died in Udine.-Footnotes:...
's division. The Jäger Corps also fought at the Battle of Magnano
Battle of Magnano
In the Battle of Magnano on 5 April 1799, an Austrian army commanded by Pál Kray defeated a French army led by Barthélemy Schérer. In subsequent battles, the Austrians and their Russian allies drove the French out of nearly all of Italy...
on 6 April. D'Aspré was promoted General-Major
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
on 6 February 1800. He served under Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz joined the Austrian army and fought in the wars against the Kingdom of Prussia, Ottoman Turkey, and the First French Republic in the last half of the 18th century. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he rose in rank to general officer and twice campaigned against the...
in the operations leading up to the Siege of Genoa
Siege of Genoa (1800)
In the Siege of Genoa the Austrians besieged and captured Genoa but the smaller French force under André Masséna had diverted enough Austrian troops so that Napoleon could win the Battle of Marengo.-Background:...
. On 7 April 1800, Nicolas Soult and 5,000 French soldiers launched a surprise attack on Monte Fascio. The French assault mauled Ott's division, forcing the 2nd Battalion of the Archduke Joseph Infantry Regiment Nr. 63 to surrender. For a loss of only 200 killed and wounded, Soult's men inflicted losses of 54 killed, 178 wounded, and 1,400 captured on the Austrians. D'Aspré was made a prisoner during the encounter.
1805
D'Aspré received a command in the army of Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-EsteArchduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este was the third son of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este and of his wife Princess Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d'Este, last member and heiress of the house of Este. For much of the Napoleonic Wars he was in command of the Austrian army.Ferdinand was born...
and Karl Mack von Lieberich at the beginning of the War of the Third Coalition. He led a brigade-sized unit of three and one-half infantry battalions and six cavalry squadrons. When the army of Emperor Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
reached the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
on 6 October, Mack realized that his army was in danger of being cut off from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. At that time, he made the questionable decision to assemble the corps of Franz Jellacic
Franz Jellacic
Baron Franjo Jelačić Bužimski , born 14 April 1746 – died 4 February 1810, was a Croatian nobleman, a member of the House of Jelačić...
, Franz von Werneck
Franz von Werneck
Franz Freiherr von Werneck, born 13 October 1748 – died 17 January 1806, enlisted in the army of Habsburg Austria and fought in the Austro-Turkish War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. He enjoyed a distinguished career until 1797, when he lost a battle and was dismissed...
, and Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (or Charles Philip, Prince of Schwarzenberg (April 18, 1771 – October 15, 1820) was an Austrian field marshal.- Life :...
near Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, renouncing any idea of retreating south to the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. On 8 October, he issued orders for his army to concentrate at Günzburg
Günzburg
Günzburg is a Große Kreisstadt and capital of the district of Günzburg in Swabia, Bavaria. This district was constituted in 1972 by combining the city of Günzburg—which had not previously been assigned to a Kreis —with the district of Günzburg and the district of Krumbach.Günzburg lies...
downstream from Ulm. He hoped to put his troops in a position to sever Napoleon's supply line back to France. At this time, Napoleon was only vaguely aware of the Austrian army's position.
On 8 October, Marshals
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Joachim Murat
Joachim Murat
Joachim-Napoléon Murat , Marshal of France and Grand Admiral or Admiral of France, 1st Prince Murat, was Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808 and then King of Naples from 1808 to 1815...
and Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
encountered Franz Xavier Auffenberg's division at the Battle of Wertingen
Battle of Wertingen
In the Battle of Wertingen on October 8, 1805, French forces led by Marshals Joachim Murat and Jean Lannes mauled a small Austrian corps commanded by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Franz Auffenberg. This was the opening battle of the Ulm Campaign.-Background:...
. The French crushed the outnumbered Austrians and drove the survivors west to Günzburg. The next day, Mack and Ferdinand drew up their troops facing east on the south bank of the Danube near Günzburg. Mack deployed d'Aspré and a light force that included Tyrolean Jägers to hold and scout the north bank. Unknown to Mack, Marshal Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
sent one of his divisions to seize the Günzburg bridges from the north that morning.
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher
Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher, born 29 June 1761 and died 13 March 1808, joined the army of the First French Republic and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars. During the Napoleonic Wars he rose in rank to command a division. He was accidentally killed in 1808 while on campaign in Spain...
formed his 3rd Division of the VI Corps into three columns and marched south on 9 October. The western column blundered into a marsh, while the eastern column was badly delayed. The center column marched straight for Günzburg and collided with d'Aspré's troops. As soon as the soldiers in Günzburg heard the firing, they immediately destroyed the bridges. Unfortunately, this left d'Aspré with the French in front of him and an unbridged river behind him. He surrendered with 200 Jägers and two cannons.
Warned by d'Aspré's scouting force, the Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
Infantry Regiment Nr. 3 and 20 cannons mounted a vigorous defense, bringing Mahler's attack to an abrupt halt at the river bank. At this point, Mack ordered Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai
Ignaz Gyulai von Máros-Nemeth und Nádaska, Ignácz Gyulay, Ignác Gyulay, or Ignjat Đulaj born 11 September 1763 – died 11 November 1831, joined the army of Habsburg Austria, fought against Ottoman Turkey, and became a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. From 1806 he held the...
to rebuild the bridge on the east side of town and cross to the north bank. Mack still dreamed of crossing the Danube and advancing on Giengen
Giengen
Giengen is a historic city in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated in the district of Heidenheim, north-east of Ulm, at the southern foot of the Swabian Alb....
and Nördlingen
Nördlingen
Nördlingen is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Bavaria, Germany, with a population of 20,000. It is located in the middle of a complex meteorite crater, called the Nördlinger Ries. The town was also the place of two battles during the Thirty Years' War...
. No sooner did Gyulai have the bridge ready, when the tardy western column appeared and captured the span, winning the battle for the French.
Mack later claimed that d'Aspré failed to report his contact with the French, though this may be an attempt at self-justification. Ney interrogated his prisoner d'Aspré and reported to Napoleon that the Austrian army was falling back to Biberach an der Riß
Biberach an der Riß
Biberach is a town in the south of Germany. It is the capital of Biberach district, in the Upper Swabia region of the German state of Baden-Württemberg...
. This was not true, but it is not clear whether d'Aspré deliberately misled his captor or if he was only guessing what Mack's intentions were. The campaign ended in disaster for Austria when Mack capitulated with 25,000 troops at Ulm on 20 October, Werneck surrendered his remaining 6,000 men on 18 October, and the 4,600-strong garrison of Memmingen
Memmingen
Memmingen is a town in the Bavarian administrative region of Swabia in Germany. It is the central economic, educational and administrative centre in the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-Württemberg border...
also ran up the white flag. A total of almost 50,000 Austrians became prisoners in the fighting.
1809
At the start of the War of the Fifth CoalitionWar of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
, d'Aspré led a brigade in Michael von Kienmayer
Michael von Kienmayer
Michael von Kienmayer was an Austrian general who was active during the Napoleonic Wars.von Kienmayer joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the Kingdom of Prussia and Ottoman Turkey. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he continued to make his reputation in the cavalry and...
's small II Reserve Armeekorps consisting of the Puteani, Brezeczinsky, Scovaud, Kirchenbetter, and Scharlach grenadier battalions, plus a battery of eight 6-pounder cannons. In the Battle of Abensberg
Battle of Abensberg
The Battle of Abensberg took place on 20 April 1809, between a Franco-German force under the command of Emperor Napoleon I of France and a reinforced Austrian corps led by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Archduke Louis of Austria. As the day wore on, Feldmarschall-Leutnant Johann von Hiller arrived with...
on 20 April 1809, Archduke Louis of Austria
Archduke Louis of Austria
right|thumb|Archduke LouisArchduke Louis Joseph Anton Johann, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia and Prince of Tuscany , was the 14th child of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain.Archduke...
tried unsuccessfully to defend the line of the Abens River
Abens
The Abens is a river in Bavaria, Germany, right tributary of the Danube. Its source is near Au in der Hallertau. It is approx. 76 km long. It flows generally north through the small towns Au in der Hallertau, Rudelzhausen, Mainburg, Siegenburg and Abensberg. It flows into the Danube in Eining, part...
. During the morning, Louis called up Kienmayer's corps from Ludmannsdorf to support Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
's left flank brigade near Siegenburg
Siegenburg
Siegenburg is a municipality in the district of Kelheim in Bavaria in Germany....
. During the afternoon, d'Aspré's grenadiers supported Radetzky as he fell back toward Pfeffenhausen
Pfeffenhausen
Pfeffenhausen is a municipality in the district of Landshut in Bavaria in Germany....
. At 11:00 PM that night, Bavarian pursuers aggressively crossed the Große Laber
Große Laber
The Große Laber is a river in Bavaria, Germany, right tributary of the Danube. Its source is near Volkenschwand. It is approx. 85 km long. It flows northeast through the small towns Rottenburg an der Laaber, Schierling and Rain. It flows into the Danube near Straubing....
stream and attacked. Radetzky borrowed one of d'Aspré's grenadier battalions and held the Hornbach hill south of Pfeffenhausen until the early morning hours.
On 21 April, Napoleon attacked Johann von Hiller
Johann von Hiller
Johann Baron von Hiller, June 10, 1754 – June 5, 1819, was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
in the Battle of Landshut
Battle of Landshut (1809)
The Battle of Landshut took place on April 21, 1809, between the French, Württembergers and Bavarians under Napoleon which numbered about 77,000 strong, and 36,000 Austrians under the General Johann von Hiller...
but the Austrians managed to avoid being trapped. However, Hiller's left wing lost an estimated 9,000 casualties during the day. Three of d'Aspré's grenadier battalions formed the Austrian rear guard as they retreated to Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit is a municipality in the district of Mühldorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the river Rott, 10 kilometers north of Mühldorf, and 33 kilometers southeast of Landshut.-External links:**...
. D'Aspre was present at the Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
The Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on 24 April 1809 saw a Franco-Bavarian force led by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières face an Austrian Empire army commanded by Johann von Hiller. Hiller's numerically superior force won a victory over the Allied troops, forcing Bessières to retreat to the west...
on 24 April, when Hiller lashed out at his Bavarian and French pursuers. Kienmayer's force retreated through Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
on 26 April. D'Aspré missed the hard-fought Battle of Ebelsberg on 3 May. Hiller unwisely sent Kienmayer's troops to Asten
Asten, Austria
Asten is a municipality in the district Linz-Land in Upper Austria, Austria.The former name was Raffelstetten....
, even as the French were in the process of driving in his rear guards. Nevertheless, d'Aspré's promotion to Feldmarschall-Leutnant came through the next day.
On 8 May, most of Hiller's wing, including Kienmayer's corps, crossed to the north bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
at Mautern an der Donau
Mautern an der Donau
Mautern an der Donau is a town in the district of Krems-Land in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is a municipality with about 3,500 inhabitants, situated on the southern bank of the Danube opposite Krems/Stein. In former times ships cruising the Danube had to pay a toll when they passed...
. Within a short time, d'Aspré's grenadiers crossed to the south bank again to assist in Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este's short-lived defense of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Other defending forces were landwehr under Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough
Andreas O'Reilly von Ballinlough
Andreas Graf O'Reilly von Ballinlough was an Austrian soldier and commander of Irish origin. His military service extended through the Seven Years' War, War of the Bavarian Succession, Austro-Turkish War, French Revolutionary Wars, and Napoleonic Wars...
, a division led by Josef von Dedovich, and a brigade co-commanded by Armand von Nordmann
Armand von Nordmann
Joseph-Armand Ritter von Nordmann, born 31 August 1759 – died 6 July 1809, was a French officer in the French Royal Army. He transferred his allegiance to Habsburg Austria during the French Revolution, like other French émigrés...
and Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny
Joseph, Baron von Mesko de Felsö-Kubiny
Joseph de Mesko, Freiherr von Felsö-Kubiny was a cavalry general and field marshal in Austrian service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars.- Military service :...
. At 3:00 AM on 12 April, d'Aspré led his five battalions in an attack on the French positions at the Lusthaus on Prater Island. The attack was repulsed by the defenders, but its real purpose was to cover the Austrian retreat to the north bank of the Danube, which was successfully carried out.
In mid-May, Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
merged the II Reserve Armeekorps into the I Reserve Armeekorps under the leadership of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein. In the new organization, d'Aspré and Johann Nepomuk von Prochaska became the two infantry division commanders. D'Aspré's division comprised the five battalions from his former brigade plus the Bissingen, Oklopsin, and Mayblümel grenadier battalions. The 5,362 elite infantry were divided into two 4-battalion brigades under Franz Mauroy de Merville and Anton von Hammer, and included a brigade battery of six 6-pounder cannons.
On 21 May, the first day of the Battle of Aspern-Essling
Battle of Aspern-Essling
In the Battle of Aspern-Essling , Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were driven back by the Austrians under Archduke Charles...
, the grenadier reserve was not committed to combat. The next day, Napoleon tried to break out of the narrow bridgehead by sending Marshal Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
with three divisions to assault the weak Austrian center. In the crisis, Archduke Charles moved d'Aspré's and Prochaska's grenadier divisions (under Kienmayer) to block Lannes. When the troops showed unsteadiness, Charles personally waved the colors of the grenadiers of the Zach
Anton von Zach
Anton Freiherr von Zach enlisted in the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the First French Republic. In the French Revolutionary Wars, he gained prominence as a staff officer. Still on active service during the Napoleonic Wars, he fought in the 1805 and 1809 wars...
Infantry Regiment Nr. 15 to rally his troops. This greatly heartened the defenders, and the French assault was defeated when reinforcements arrived from the right and left flanks. In the afternoon, Charles ordered Merville's brigade from d'Aspré's division to attack Essling, which had held out against repeated assaults. The grenadiers routed the French from the village, except for the fortress-like granary which held out. Later, five battalions of the Imperial Guard recaptured Essling.
On 24 May, the emperor appointed d'Aspré Proprietor (Inhaber)
Proprietor (Inhaber)
A Proprietor, or Inhaber, was a term used in the Habsburg military to denote special honors extended to a noble or aristocrat. The Habsburg army was organized on principles developed for the feudal armies in which regiments were raised by a wealthy noble, called the Inhaber who also acted as...
of the Infantry Regiment Nr. 18. Unfortunately, the general was not destined to enjoy this honor for very long. D'Aspré's division maintained the same organization for the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
on 5 and 6 July, except that the Mayblümel battalion was renamed Locher. Also, two 6-pounder and one 3-pounder brigade batteries were attached, with a total strength of 24 cannons. On the night of the 4th, Napoleon launched a massive amphibious assault from Lobau Island to the north bank of the Danube, forcing back the Austrian VI Armeekorps and Advance Guard. At 6:00 PM that afternoon, Napoleon sent Nicolas Oudinot
Nicolas Oudinot
Nicolas Charles Oudinot, 1st Comte Oudinot, 1st Duc de Reggio , was a Marshal of France.-Early life:...
's II Corps, Eugene de Beauharnais
Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Prince Français, Prince of Venice, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Hereditary Grand Duke of Frankfurt, 1st Duke of Leuchtenberg and 1st Prince of Eichstätt ad personam was the first child and only son of Alexandre, Vicomte de Beauharnais and Joséphine Tascher de la...
' Army of Italy
Army of Italy (France)
The Army of Italy was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic...
, and Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte's IX Saxon Corps to break Archduke Charles' line near Wagram. After initially being driven back, the Austrian I and II Armeekorps counterattacked and routed the Franco-Allied forces.
For the 6th, Archduke Charles planned to envelop both of Napoleon's flanks. At 4:00 AM, Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
Prince Franz Seraph of Rosenberg-Orsini
Prince Franz Seraph of Orsini-Rosenberg, born 18 October 1761 – died 4 August 1832, joined the army of Habsburg Austria and fought against the Ottoman Turks, winning a prestigious award for bravery. In the 1790s, he served in the wars against the First French Republic and received promotion...
's IV Armeekorps and Nordmann's Advance Guard attacked the French right flank. Meanwhile, Johann von Klenau
Johann von Klenau
Johann von Klenau , also called Johann Josef Cajetan von Klenau und Janowitz, the son of a Bohemian noble, was a field marshal in the Habsburg army...
's VI Armeekorps and Johann Kollowrat
Johann Kollowrat
Kollowrat-Krakowsky, Johann Karl, Graf von joined the Austrian army, fought against the Kingdom of Prussia and Ottoman Turkey before being promoted to general officer rank. During combat against the French in the French Revolutionary Wars, he first became known as an artillery specialist...
's III Armeekorps marched against the French left. Charles intended for Liechtenstein's I Reserve, Heinrich, Count of Bellegarde's I Armeekorps, and Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen's II Armeekorps to support the attack of the right wing. Napoleon planned for Louis Davout's III Corps to crush Rosenberg's left flank and roll up the Austrian line.
Rosenberg's early morning attack quickly failed against Davout's defenses. Believing his position in the center badly exposed, Bernadotte defied his orders and evacuated Aderklaa
Aderklaa
Aderklaa is a town in the district of Gänserndorf in Lower Austria in Austria....
, a village located southwest of Wagram. After Bellegarde occupied the village, a furious Napoleon ordered its immediate recapture by Bernadotte's Saxons and André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's IV Corps. The Saxons ran into an intense artillery barrage and ran away, but Claude Carra Saint-Cyr
Claude Carra Saint-Cyr
Claude Carra Saint-Cyr was a French general and diplomat, noted for his participation to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's division retook Aderklaa. On the Austrian side, Charles was compelled to send in the two grenadier divisions to support Bellegarde's troops in the see-saw contest for Aderklaa. The Austrians managed to recapture Aderklaa, but Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel-Jean-Joseph, comte Molitor , was a Marshal of France, born in Hayingen in Lorraine.Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, Molitor joined the French revolutionary armies as a captain in a battalion of militia. In 1793 he was given command of a brigade and served under Hoche under whom...
's division soon counterattacked. After brutal fighting, Molitor was forced to leave the village in Austrian hands.
Early in the afternoon, Napoleon ordered Jacques MacDonald's 8,000 men to attack the Austrian center. Forming his three weak divisions into a hollow square, MacDonald led his soldiers forward at the boundary between the Austrian Reserve and III Armeekorps. The French smashed into their adversaries' front, but the Austrian formations on the flanks held firm, preventing a breakthrough. Seeing MacDonald's attack stall, Napoleon sent his reserves to help. In order to halt the French attack, one Austrian grenadier brigade had wheeled to face the northern side of the square. The reinforcements took the brigade in flank and drove it back in confusion to Aderklaa, where it attempted to hold out. D'Aspré tried to rally his men but suffered a fatal wound. After the fall of their leader, his men abandoned the position. When the army retreated north after the battle, the stricken general was taken along and he died on 8 July at Mikulov (Nikolsburg)
Mikulov
Mikulov is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic with a population of 7,608 . It is located directly on the border with Lower Austria. Mikulov is located at the edge of a hilly area and the three Nové Mlýny reservoirs...
in what is now the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He was one of four Austrian generals killed or mortally wounded at Wagram. The others were Josef Philipp Vukassovich
Josef Philipp Vukassovich
Josef Philipp von Vukassovich , also Josef Wukassovitch, was a Croatian soldier who joined the army of Habsburg Monarchy and fought against both Ottoman Empire and the First French Republic. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he commanded a brigade in the 1796–1797 Italian campaign against...
, Peter von Vécsey
Peter von Vécsey
Peter, Freiherr von Vécsey or Peter Vécsey de Vécse et Hajnácskeö was an Imperial Austrian military commander who took part in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. As a Freiherr , he was a member of the Austrian landless nobility...
, and Nordmann.
Like his father, his son Konstantin went on to become an Austrian general, fighting at the Battle of Novara
Battle of Novara (1849)
The Battle of Novara or Battle of Bicocca was one of the battles fought between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia during the First Italian War of Independence, within the era of Italian unification...
in 1849 and dying in 1850.