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Battle of Aspern–Essling 1809

Battle of Aspern–Essling: Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen, with his Staff at the Battle of Aspern-Essling, 21–22 May 1809
Image: Johann Peter Krafft, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.

Key facts

Date21 May 1809 – 22 May 1809Wikidata
Year1809Wikidata P580 (start time)
Era19th century (1800–1913)derived from year
LocationAustriaNatural Earth (modern borders)
ContinentEuropeNatural Earth
War / conflictWar of the Fifth CoalitionWikidata P361
ParticipantsAustrian Empire, First French EmpireWikidata P710
Coordinates48.2131, 16.5025Wikidata P625

About the battle

In the Battle of Aspern–Essling (21–22 May 1809), Napoleon crossed the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were attacked and forced back across the river by the Austrians under Archduke Charles. It was the first time Napoleon had been personally defeated in a major battle, as well as his first battle defeat in 10 years since the siege of Acre, and his first battle defeat as head of state, although he did suffer a tactical defeat in the Battle of Caldiero and in the Second Battle of Bassano. Archduke Charles drove out the French but fell short of destroying their army. The French lost approximately 23,000 men, including one of Napoleon's ablest field commanders and closest friends, Marshal Jean Lannes.

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Aspern–Essling (revision 1375928120), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.

Location

48.2131, 16.5025 · Austria

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Nearby battles

Other battles of the War of the Fifth Coalition

All 16 battles of the War of the Fifth Coalition →

Browse more: battles in Austria · Europe · 19th century battles

Further reading