Austrian Commanders of the Napoleonic Wars 1792–1815

The Austrian Army fought Napoleon in more major campaigns and battles than any other, either alone or as part of successive Allied coalitions. This book examines the multi-national character of the army that makes it intriguing and colourful - the Austrian generals were a much more varied group, in background and character, than those of many other armies of the day. They were far from all being Germanic princes and nobles; many were Western "soldiers of fortune" or exiles, of German, French or even Anglo-Irish background; some were from the East - Hungarians and Yugoslavians; some were of humble birth - including one who rose from common soldier to chief of staff. The book describes commanders of the most famous Napoleonic battles including Marengo, Austerlitz, Aspem-Essling, Wagram and Leipzig, analyzing how individual strengths, weaknesses and characters affected the outcome of many of the most famous battles of the day.