Order of battle for the Battle of Caldiero (1805) explained

The armies of the First French Empire and the Austrian Empire fought the Battle of Caldiero from 29 to 31 October 1805 just east of Verona in Italy. Marshal André Masséna led the French Army of Italy while Archduke Charles commanded the Austrian Armee von Italien. Historians variously call the battle a French victory,[1] an Austrian victory,[2] or indecisive.[3] Austrian losses were over 5,500, while the French suffered at least 5,000 casualties. Archduke Charles began a withdrawal from Italy on 1 November.[4] The retreat ended in early December with Archduke Charles's army intact at Kormend in western Hungary. Unfortunately for Austria, by this time, Emperor Napoleon had decisively defeated the Austro-Russian army at the Battle of Austerlitz.[5]

French order of battle

Army of Italy

Marshal André Masséna[6]

Left Wing

Commander: Masséna

Right Wing

Commander: General of Division Jean-Antoine Verdier

North of Verona

Commander: General of Division Jean Mathieu Seras (not engaged)

Austrian Army order of battle

A few months before the outbreak of war, Austrian infantry regiments were reorganized into four line battalions and one grenadier battalion. Each battalion consisted of four companies each of 160 musketeers.[7]

Armee von Italien: Feldmarschall Archduke Charles[8]

Right Wing

Commander: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Joseph Anton von Simbschen

Center

Commander: General der Kavallerie Count Heinrich von Bellegarde

Left Wing

Commander: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Prince Heinrich XV of Reuss-Plauen

Far Left Wing

Commander: General-Major Armand von Nordmann

Reserve

Commander: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Eugène-Guillaume Argenteau

Detached Corps

Commander: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Paul Davidovich (not engaged)[10]

Detached Division

Commander: Feldmarschall-Leutnant Josef Philipp Vukassovich (replaced by Rosenberg) (not engaged)

References

Books

. Gunther E. Rothenberg . The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon . . . 1980 . 0-253-31076-8.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Alain Pigeard. Dictionnaire des batailles de Napoléon. Tallandier, Bibliotheque Napoléonienne, 2004., p. 170.
  2. Book: Rothenberg , Gunther E. . Gunther E. Rothenberg

    . Gunther E. Rothenberg . The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon . . . 1980 . 0-253-31076-8 . 94.

  3. Schneid, Frederick C. Napoleon's Italian Campaigns: 1805–1815. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, 2002., p. 40.
  4. Schneid, p. 39.
  5. Rothenberg, p. 99.
  6. Schneid, pp 167–169. The entire French order of battle is from Schneid.
  7. Rothenberg, p. 87.
  8. Schneid, p 169-171. The Austrian Caldiero order of battle is from Schneid.
  9. Schneid, p 164. Schneid lists "Michalowich" commanding the Nr. 51 and Nr. 34 IRs in the 18 October order of battle. But for Caldiero, IR Nr. 34 was detached to Lindenau's division and the author lists no commanders for either half-brigade.
  10. Schneid, p 166. This order of battle is from 18 October, and does not include Gavasini's brigade which was transferred to Argentau's Reserve.
  11. Schneid, p 28. After 18 October, Archduke Charles replaced Vukassovich with Rosenberg. It is not known who replaced Rosenberg.