by Zachary Grant, 23 April 2025
By 1808, Napoleon was well on his way to cementing his control over much of Europe at the expense of the other European leaders. The Austrians, led by Archduke Charles, wishing to turn the tide and regain some of the power they had lost to Napoleon, decided to strike back. After much planning and preparation, the Austrian army invaded the Kingdom of Bavaria in early April of 1809. Napoleon wasn’t in Bavaria and command of the French forces fell to Marshal Berthier, who was acting as deputy commander. Berthier was not Napoleon. He wasn’t able to lead the French Army in a coherent manner, giving the Austrians an advantage.
click images to enlarge
This all changed once Napoleon arrived on the scene. The Battle of Abensberg is one of the first battles in the Danube Campaign that culminated in the final battles of Aspern-Essling and Wagram.
Napoleon’s attack at Abensberg had Marshal Lannes commanding a provisional corps in the center, Davout’s III Corps on the French left flank and Lefebvre’s VII Corps on the French right flank. The French and their allies attacked the Austrians and divided the Austrian army into two sections, with Archduke Charles retreating to Eckmühl, and the forces under the command of General Hiller to Landshut (Chandler, 1993). The Battle of Abensberg isn’t one large battle. It is more akin to a group of smaller tactical engagements, (Epstein, 1994) and this article will focus only on the actions of the Bavarian, or VII Corps, commanded by Marshal Lefebvre.
On April 20, 1809 it was overcast and lightly raining (Gill, 1993). Napoleon had many of the Bavarian officers gathered around him so he could give them a motivational speech:
Bavarian soldiers! I stand before you not as the Emperor of France but as the protector of your country and the Rheinbund. Bavarians! Today you fight alone against the Austrians. Not a single Frenchman is in the first line, they are in the reserve and the enemy is unaware of their presence. I have complete faith in your bravery. I have already expanded the borders of your land; I see now that I have not yet gone far enough. I will make you so great that you will not need my protection in any future war with Austria. For 200 years, the Bavarian flag, supported by France, has fought heroically against Austria. We will march to Vienna, where we will punish it for all the evil it has caused your fatherland. They want to divide your nation and enroll you in the Austrian regiments! Bavarians! This war shall be the last you fight against your enemies. Attack them with the bayonet and destroy them! (Gill, 1993, p. 86)
The Bavarian officers took Napoleon’s message back to their respective units and soon loud cheering could be heard from all the Bavarian formations.
The 1st Bavarian Division
The 1st Bavarian Division, commanded by Lieutenant-General Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, marched from Abensberg toward Offenstetten. As the Bavarians advanced, they encountered Austrians commanded by General-Major Ludwig Thierry. There were many small battles as the Bavarians pushed the Austrians back. Thierry soon had to retreat his forces from Offenstetten to Bachl and then from Bachl to Rohr. Unfortunately for Thierry, his actions were not quick enough and he was captured at Rohr (Gill, 1993).
One notable action as the Austrians were retreating occurred at a place called Sommerkeller. This was a walled farm used by the Austrians to defend against the Bavarians as the Austrians retreated. As the fighting was getting more intense and the Austrian infantry were in danger of being surrounded, the Austrian Levenehr Dragoons attacked the Bavarians to give the defending Austrians at Sommerkeller time to escape:
Although surprised by the sudden onset of the enemy, the men [Bavarians] of the Leib Regiment, in a fine demonstration of tactical competence, instantly formed a square and cooly delivered a deadly volley at fifteen paces to shatter the charge [of the Austrian Dragoons]. (Gill, 1993, p. 88)
The 2nd Bavarian Division
Meanwhile, the 2nd Bavarian Division commanded by Lieutenant-General Karl Philipp von Wrede attacked south against the Austrians commanded by General-Major Frederick Bianchi, Duke of Casalanza. Here the Bavarians were also successful in pushing the Austirans back. The Austirans fell back to Kirchdorf and then from Kirchdorf they were ordered to retreat to Pfeffenhausen.
One notable action by Wrede’s cavalry brigade was to act as cover for Bavarian artillery in order to surprise the Austrians:
Frustrated by the hilly and wooded terrain, the 2nd and 3rd Chevauxlegers had chafed under inaction all day, but in the later afternoon they were able to employ a clever tactic. As three Austrian companies were evacuating Aicha, the two regiments rode forward as if to charge them. The Austrian infantry hastily formed into a tightly packed mass to repel the approaching horsemen. At the last moment, the regiments neatly split, König swinging right and Leiningen left, to unmask a battery which proceeded to pour a merciless fire into the surprised Austrians. (Gill, 1993, p. 90)
The 2nd Division engagement at Pfeffenhausen
As April 20 ended, at 10 pm, Napoleon ordered Wrede to seize Pfeffenhausen. Although the Bavarians were exhausted from the day’s fighting, Wrede was able to muster the 6th Light Battalion, a squadron of Chevauxlegers from the König Regiment and infantry from the 7th Regiment, to set out towards their objective (Gill, 1993). Upon arrival the town was in utter chaos. Werde set in motion a plan to capture the town by stealth. Unfortunately, a small skirmish broke out near the bridge leading into Pfeffenhausen, altering the Austrians to their current danger. Here’s what ensued:
Wrede, furious with the officer’s actions, ordered the drums beaten and sent another company toward the town. Accompanied by all the dramatic military noise the battalion’s drums, horns and lungs could produce, the company fell upon the bridge’s defenders, overthrew them and stormed over the burning span into the village on the heels of the fleeing enemy. It was midnight. Illuminated by the flickering bridge, the chaos in the town was absolute. As panicked Austirans gillstruggled to escape the apparently overwhelming enemy attack, the tiny Bavarian force captured horses and wagons by the score along with ammunition, stores and other booty of war. (Gill, 1993, p. 92)
When the next day dawned, the brave Bavarians were given orders to take Landshut. That however, is a different battle for a different War Story Wednesday!
Another source to learn more about the battle: A map of the different engagements at Abensberg from the West Point Digital History Center.
Interested in gaming the battle? Try one of these two games:
- Napoleon and the Archduke Charles: The Battle of Abensberg, World Wide Wargames, (1987)
Part of a series of games for the battles during the Danube Campaign of 1809. - The Last Success: Quadrigame of the War Against Austria, April – July 1809, Operational Studies Group, (2011)
This game by Kevin Zucker is part of the Library of Napoleonic Battles series. Also included in the game are the battles of Eckmühl, Aspern-Essling, and Wagram. - Wargame Design Studio has the Battle of Abensberg included in their Campaign Eckmuhl game.
Sources
- Chandler, D. (1993). Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. Simon & Schuster.
- Epstein, R. M. (1994). Napoleon’s last victory and the emergence of modern war. University Press of Kansas.
- Gill, J. H. (1993). With eagles to glory. Greenhill Books.
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