Introduction: It was before dawn on December 2, 1805--the first anniversary of Napoleon's coronation as supreme ruler. The armies of three emperors--Napoleon I of France, Francis I of Austria and Tsar Alexander I of Russia--would meet in the day that followed

Dawn: The Allied Assault

At the break of day, the vanguard (or lead elements) of the allied 1st Column burst upon the French encampments in the southwest corner of the battlefield.

Soon after 7:00 in the morning, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Columns--three of the four stationed on the Pratzen Plateau--descended into the valley next to Golden Creek. Though one division of Napoleon's IV Corps resisted heavily, the French faced a much superior force and gave way. By 10:00 AM, the allies had nearly broken through enemy lines--and might have, had not the French III Corps arrived just in time to salvage the situation.


Map: Initial Assault Victory. The time covered here is from dawn to about 7:00 AM. Shown here is the assault that began the battle. Three of the allied columns followed the vanguard into battle against the southern portion of the IV Corps. The French troops were forced to retreat, and were not saved until later in the day--with the arrival of reinforcements. NOTE: unit sizes are proportional to their troop strengths. Created by the Lessons of War team.

Napoleon's 'Lion Leap' Through the Fog

At about 7:45 AM, just after the allied columns started in motion down the slopes of the plateau, Napoleon executed an extraordinary maneuver known now as the "lion leap": the rest of the IV Corps surged through the morning's thick fog and assailed the right flank of the Allied advance.

His troops emerging from the haze and the sun rising over Austerlitz, Napoleon beheld his army at the pinnacle of its success and glory.

Though startled by the unexpected--and unseen--appearance of French forces, the Allies recovered sufficiently to organize a defense. The 4th Column, still on the plateau, began marching into the valley; and elements of the 2nd Column were sent back from the front to defend the hilltop.

Illustration: The Lion Leap. As the 4th Column was advancing to engage the southern detachment of the IV Corps, Napoleon used the rest of that corps to make a devastating flanking assault. Created by the Lessons of War team.

Clinching Victory

The allied reinforcements were defeated after a bitter fight. Now, the French assault on the flank received fresh reserves of its own, as the I Corps joined the divisions of the IV Corps. Napoleon now established his command post on the peak of Pratzen Plateau to observe the destruction of the Austrian and Russian armies.

The situation for the allied columns in the Golden Creek valley deteriorated: they were now pinned down by French forces from two sides. In one last bold but fruitless attempt at relief, the Russian Imperial Guard charged up the plateau but was turned back. Avoiding total ruin, the allied troops retreated to the south.


Map: Leaping to Victory. This map shows the battle's course from about 7:45 AM through the rest of the day. Soon after the 4th Column advanced onto the Pratzen Plateau, the northern elements of the IV Corps pushed through the fog and surprised the flank of the allied advance. Then, Napoleon's Imperial Guard and I Corps joined the attack. A futile assault by the tsar's Guard later in the day was turned back. The defeated allied troops were forced to withdraw to the south. NOTE: unit sizes are proportional to their troop strengths. Created by the Lessons of War team.