1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume II: The Fall of Vienna and the Battle of Aspern

1809: Thunder on the Danube #2

by John H. Gill

In the second volume of this epic work, John H. Gill traces Napoleon's progress as he sought to complete his victory over the Habsburgs. The war had erupted on April 10th with Austria's invasion of Germany and Italy. After just two weeks, Napoleon had battered the Habsburg Archduke Charles in a series of bruising defeats. returncharacterreturncharacterThis volume begins with a Napoleon astride the Danube at Regensburg. He faced a critical strategic choice - whether to pursue the injured Austrian main army into Bohemia or march directly for Vienna, the seat of Habsburg power.returncharacterreturncharacterAfter electing to target Vienna, his troops defeated the Austrians in the brutal Battle of Ebelsberg, allowing him to enter the city on May 13th. But meanwhile, on the far side of the Danube, he suffered a dramatic loss at the grueling, two-day Battle of Aspern. While his Danube forces recovered from this setback, the Emperor cleared trouble from his strategic flanks.returncharacterreturncharacterGill describes in vivid detail the hopeful Habsburg invasion of Italy, led by the 27-year-old Archduke Johann, and the fierce French counter-offensive under Napoleon's stepson, Eugene de Beauharnais (also 27). In a series of encounters across Italy, Eugene rebounded from initial defeat to advance triumphantly into Austrian territory, shattering and scattering Johann's army. In the wake of Aspern, while the Austrians vacillated, Napoleon gathered every man, horse and gun around Vienna, setting the stage for the gigantic spectacle of the Battle of Wagram, the final chapter in the story of the 1809 war.

Genres: History, Military History, Nonfiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published December 20, 2008

About the author

A retired U.S. army colonel and an associate professor at the Near East-South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, DC, he has also published on military history and contemporary security issues relating to India, Pakistan, and other South Asian countries.

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed look at Napoleon's second campaign against Austria in 1809. This is the second volume in the series, concentrating on the set-up to Aspern-Essling, the battle itself, and the battles in Italy.
Personally, I found the descriptions of the hard fought battles at Aspern-Essling to be the most interesting. France's measure of difficulty in this battle gave Austria and potential allies some hope in their fight against France. Unfortunately for them, it didn't last long. This is a sad battle to read about because two of my favorite French generals were killed, just two of many in these long years of struggle.

The fight in Italy gave Viceroy Eugene his chance to force the Austrians out of Italy after some initial difficulties. Napoleon's step-son went on to become one of Napoleon's more reliable commanders. The final volume in the series will deal with more battles against Austria, including Napoleon's last victory at Wagram.

I would probably rate this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. It was good, but dry compared to the first volume.

[Rindis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of John Gill's continues straight on from the first volume, with the Austrian army in strategic disarray after Eggmühl and covers up to the end of the Battle of Aspern-Essling on May 22, 1809.

Unlike the previous book, he then steps back and looks at the campaign in Italy, starting with Archduke Johann's invasion and early victories, and ending with his retreat back out of Italy in mid-May after the Battle of the Piave.

This expanded scope is welcome, but I wish it had been inserted earlier. Even better, the maps in this volume are much improved from the ones in the first book. Those were horrible to actually use, while these are much better at depicting the geography in question.

Better yet, while these problems with the first volume are addressed, the quality of writing and descriptions are exactly at the high levels of before. This obviously one work under three covers and, with improvements, continues straight through with his description of events in the summer of 1809.

[Jby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed hard core military history of the run up to and the battle of Aspern&Essling (Napoleon vs. Archduke Charles). The campaign in Italy Prince Eugene vs. Archduke Johann is also covered. The book contains orders of battle for all minor and major battles.

[Windsor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little cumbersome at the start, but great summary of aspern- Elsing. Really looking forward to the 3rd volume. Mr gill really has a gift with detailing battles and the environments, both politically and geographically, that surround them :)

[Sebastian Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically a book of two halves - not counting the full third of the book given over (as with Vol. I) to very thorough OOBs etc, in the appendices - the first half picks up post Abensberg, with the bloody fight at Evelsburg a major feature, followed by Napoleon's drive on Vienna and the citys capitulation.

Bonaparte, ever desirous of a swift end to a war he hadn't wanted in the first place, then encounters his own misfortune, when his hastily constructed pontoon bridges are damaged. Because of this he fails to deliver adequate reinforcements to his spearhead, leaving himself stranded on the Lobau/Mühlau bridgehead with insufficient troops, culminating in his first serious reversal after years of victories, at the battle of Aspern-Essling.

A second smaller 'half' then details the events in Northern Italy, as Archduke Johann and Viceroy Eugene come to blows. Again it's reiterated, as on p. 269 that 'Vienna's choice of war under the circumstances prevailing in 1809 was an error of grand-strategic magnitude.' The excellent standard of volume one is maintained, and the level of detail remains obsessively impressive, if at times a little overwhelming. For me the centrepiece of this volume is Gill's brilliant blow-by-blow account of Aspern-Essling, which is really gripping stuff.

As with the firs volume, upon finishing this I was eager to get stuck into the next one!

[Steve Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume was more interesting. Good account of the battle of Aspern and operations in Italy in particular.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good continuation to Gill's trilogy. This volume didn't contain the political machinations of the first. If I could summarize it in one line it would be: The Austrians thinking the French would need a day or two to rest were surprised when they didn't.