1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Hapsburgs, Volume II by John H Gill

1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Hapsburgs, Volume II 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. This volume begins with 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. After electing to target Vienna, his troops defeated the Austrians in the brutal Battle of Ebelsberg, allowing him to enter the city on May 13th. However on the far side of the Danube, he then suffered a dramatic loss at the gruelling, two-day Battle of Aspern. While his Danube forces recovered from this setback, the Emperor cleared trouble from his strategic flanks. Gill 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 aged 27). In a series of encounters across Italy, de Beauharnais 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.

John H Gill (Jack) is an Associate Professor on the faculty of the Near East - South Asia Center, part of Washington's National Defense University. A former US Army South Asia Foreign Area Officer, he retired as a colonel in 2005 after more than 27 years of service. His previous books include With Eagles to Glory and A Soldier for Napoleon.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781848327580
ISBN 10	1848327587
Title	1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Hapsburgs, Volume II
Author	John H Gill
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2014-05-01
Number of pages	464
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable