The Austrian army 1805-1809 - Vol. 1 The infantry

ENRICO ACERBI

THE AUSTRIAN ARMY1805-1809

VOL. 1 THE INFANTRY

KAISERLICHE-KÖNIGLICHE HEER

SOLDIERS&WEAPONS 029

THE AUTHOR

Dr.Enrico Acerbi born in Valdagno (Vicenza - Italy) on 13.8.1952; graduated in Medicine, expert in Toxicology, worked as Blood Transfusionist in local Hospital, now retired and living in Valdagno (Vicenza), partner of the War Museum of Rovereto, member of the Napoleonic Association of Italy and historiographer of the Great War. Enrico Acerbi developed historical Research during the ‘90s. For five years he collaborated with the Center for Great War Studies at Asiago. He also collaborated with the Montane Community of Arsiero as Teacher at the so called Popular University (historical training courses on the First World War) and with the Montane Community Agno-Chiampo (reconstruction of the fortifications made in the Great War). Partner of the Italian War Museum of Rovereto and founding member of the Great War Historical Research Group of Valdagno, currently entrusted to the study of Napoleonic history in Veneto and Italy. Graphic illustrator of articles on Napoleonic history. He has already published several history subjects.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would particularly like to thank Robert Burnham of http://www.napoleon-series.org and all the friends, who participate in this very interesting website; above all Mr. Robert Ouvrard and Mr. Leopold Kudma. Thanks also to István Nagy for having send me part of his interesting works and articles (also if reading them in Hungarian language it had been an hard task to perform). Many thanks also to Prof. Vladimir Brnardić of Zagreb for having provided considerable assistance with the Croatian sources. Finally thanks to The 1809 International Research Society for the Certificate of Honour they gave to m for this work about the Kaiserlich-königlich Armée. Naturally, a special thanks to Soldiershop for giving me this beautifulopportunity.

Title: Soldiers&Weapons 029 - The Austrian army 1806-1809. Vol 1 The Infantry by Enrico Acerbi Editor: Luca Cristini Editore, for the brand: Soldiershop. Cover & Art Design: Luca S. Cristini.

In cover: Imperial infantry 1089. (Ottendeld artwork)

PREFACE

Even when a History writer would have wanted to celebrate, maybe the greatest European power (on land), namely the Austrian Empire, he certainly would not had chosen the terrible year 1809. What for the military apparatus in Vienna could have been a beginning of a Great Military Reform, the triumph of the Generalissimus Archduke Charles, became one of the worst nightmares of Habsburg history.

In short, after a series of unfortunate events and bad military conduct, Austria disappeared from the European scene, losing further important territories but, above all, losing its mighty armies. The author chooses totell about that period, evaluating the military organization, starting from the recruitment, up to the details of the various units, because that army, was the largest army fielded by Austria before the Great War: man told about 600,000 men, including the Levies of regional volunteers, called Landwehr (in the territories of the Austrian Crown) and Insurrectio (in the territories of the Crown of St. Stephen).

Financial hardship had indicated that the increase in the new military Force had to be conducted in amore inexpensive way. The Generalissimus had found the solution with the creation of the Landwehr, in which, in wartime, we could recruit large masses of Wehrfahigen men (suitable for Duty), without having to sustain substantial expenses during the peacetime. In the first month of this year the field units of the army counted 321.469 men with 36.560 sabres, where Fuhrwesen (Train), garrison artillery, Border Cordon troops and Marines (Marineinfanterie) were not included (a total of 21.320 men and 9.461 horses).

For the supplement of the war force and the formation of replacements were available:

For the defence of the inner lands of the monarchy, first acted the Depots of the field regiments, were possible, with an average strength, according to the new system, calculated in 54.000 men and 5.000 horses.

In a second time had to act the new-established Landwehr, around 152.219 men, as soon as it would have been better organized. The Hungarian Insurrectio started with 50.000 men and 20.000 horses, while the new formations, mobilized in the Military Border, would have been 44.303 men and 171 horses strong.

So Austria entered into war with the most powerful military force of the whole Napoleonic Period (in numbers of fighters), an effort which hardly seemed possible and which surprised the world. Unfortunately its three armies (and the Landwehr) did not surprised Bonaparte, who kicked off Austria from the battlefields till 1813.

Enrico Acerbi

CONTENTS :

The Austrian Imperial-Royal army 1805-1809 Pag. 05

(In)felix Austria Essay on the Austrian Army 1805-1809

The regular infantry

The Hungarian Royal army 1805-1809

The Austrian Militärgrenze and border troops

▲ Equestrian portrait of Kaiser Franz I, by P.J.Krafft

THE AUSTRIAN IMPERIAL-ROYAL ARMY

(KAISERLICHE-KÖNIGLICHE HEER) 1805 – 1809

The following table explains why the year 1809 (Anno Neun in Austria) was chosen in order to present oneof the most powerful armies of the Napoleonic Era. In that disgraceful year (for Austria) the Habsburg Empire launched a campaign with the greatest military contingent, of about 630.000 men. This powerful army, however, was stopped by one of the more brilliant and hazardous campaign of Napoléon, was battered and weakened till the following years.

Source: Neue Statistisch-Geographische Beschreibung des Königreichs Ungarn, Croatien, Slavonien und der ungarischen Militär Grenze, Weygand, Leipzig 1832

THE AUSTRIAN MILITARY REFORMS

Evolution of the Infantry Units 1802-1816 (source Wrede)

* independent battalions - ** included two Landwehr battalions (only for Erbländer or Imperial hereditary provinces) each with 6 companies - *** Hungarian Reserve Depot (one division) had two companies (440 men in peace and 208 in war)

▲ Hungarian infantry, officer and grenadier, 1805. From Ottenfeld artwork

Authorized Strength Numbers for Regiments

* With 4 companies each – two veteran, old or Alt-Grenadiere companies (with the fur cap) - two young or Jung Grenadiere companies (with shako) The nominal number of the Gemeinen (common troopers) of a company was 160. After the 1809 disaster the numbers of the soldiers went down to 60 in the German regiments and 100 in the Hungarian regiments.

The nominal number of the grenadiers of a company was 120 in the German regiments and 150-160 inthe Hungarian regiments.

These numbers was not always rigid. In Octobere 1805, for example, in Italy the Austrian army was noticeably reinforced. There, the Infantry regiments had 4 fusiliers battalions plus one Grenadier’s battalion, which remained by its regiment. Two Infantry regiments formed a brigade. On October 18, 1805, as regular order of battle, every Infantry brigade had a 3 pdr battery (no artillery for cavalry brigades). The regiments moved with their own artillery and, for this, was formed a special support reserve of 180 2-horse drawn carriages (Karren) and 33 4-horse drawn ammunition wagons (Leiterwagen). The artillery park was, as in the previous campaigns, at Palmanova in Friuli.

Austrian Army 1807-1812Schemes[3]

After 1800 and the first army reorganization, the Austrian army or K.K. Österreichisches Heer improved its organization with a new recruiting system and the widening of the duty services, created new units and enlarged the Hungarian troops (probably either for having lost a large amount of crown lands, either under the direct French threats). As said, the great test for this new army completely failed in 1809. At the end of 1807 the forces (Stande) of the Austrian army was the following: Infantry:63 Line Infantry regiments -- 1 Jäger Infantry regiment -- 17 National-Grenzregimenter orMilitary Border regiments.

Cavalry: 8 Cuirassier regiments -- 6 Dragoon regiments -- 6 Chevaulégers regiments -- 12 Hussars regiments -- 3 Uhlans regiments

Artillery: 4 Feldartillerie regiments.

Staff: (see the following dictionary of army ranks for details upon Austriannames)

Engineers: (Geniedirektor or Engineers commander: Archduke John)

Engineers Corps or Ingenieur Korps: 4 FML, 5 GM, 6 colonels, 8 Lieut.colonels, 12 majors, 64

captains, 47 lieutenants

Miners or Mineur Korps: 1 Colonel, 1 Lieut.Colonel, 1 major, 4 captains, 4 lieutenants, 4 Second

lieutenant, 1 adjutant, 4 companies of 100 men.

Generalquartiermeister Staff: (GM Mayer), 4 colonels, 6 lieutenant colonels, 14 majors, 23 captains, 13lieutenantsscattered in the territory, fortresses, major cities, the military border, and sometimes named when needed.

Pontooners (Battalion Czaikisten): 1 colonel, 5 captains, 6 lieutenants, 6 second lieutenant, 11 Oberbrückenmeister(a kind of sergeant major), 6 companies each with 100 men.

Military Train (Militärfuhrwesens Korps): 1 colonel, 1 lieutenant colonel, 1 major, 6 Premier-

rittmeister (first captain), 9 second-rittmeister (2nd captain), 26 lieutenants, 34 second lieutenant, 11 adjutanten scattered in the train (Fuhrwesens) divisions of the major cities.

Remountierung-Beschälswesens (horse breeding and horse replacements providers):2 colonels, 2 lieutenant colonels, 2 majors, 3 rittmeister (scattered among the stations of Mezöhegyés, Meskowitz, Brandeis, Olmütz, Kolnitz, Vienna and Wels).

Kriegskommissariat (War Commissioner):22 Oberkriegskommissäre, 72 Feldkriegskommissäre,74 Kriegskommissariat officers (scattered in countryland, provinces).

Militär-Ökonomie-Commissionen and Depots (Commissioners for Military Economy and Depots):at Stockerau, Prague, Alt-Ofen (now Budapest), Brünn, Podgorze, Jaroslaw, Marburg, Karlsburg and Vienna (each with 1 Staff officer, 1 captain and 2 lieutenants).

Invalidenhäuser (Hospitals for Invalids):Vienna, Prague, Turnau, Pettau (each with a commander, a Staff officer,1 Auditor, 1 Rechnungsführer, 1 adjutant, 1 arzt (surgeon), 1 kaplan (priest), 1 Kriegscommissär).

Military academies:Vienna (Engineers), Wiener-Neustadt (Cadets), Joseph-Akademie of Vienna(medical service), Thierarznei-und Thierspital-Institutof Vienna (veterinary).

Military Police (Wiener Militär-Polizeiwache):at Vienna. Mounted and foot gendarmes. (2 captains, 1 lieutenant and 1 second lieutenant, 1 adjutant and 300 policemen.

Imperial Guards (Leibgarde):