Austerlitz 1805: Fate Of Empires, The (Campaign Series No. 101)

This all-new volume chronicles the events that climaxed on the field of Austerlitz in one of the most famous battles of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Not only was it the first campaign that Napoleon waged as Emperor of France, but also the first great test for his Grande Armee. The Emperor himself regarded it as his greatest victory and it undoubtedly won him a mastery of Europe that would remain unbroken for almost a decade. Most accounts of the campaign have until now been based almost exclusively on French sources, but following extensive research in the Austrian archives Ian Castle is now able to provide a far more balanced account of Austerlitz. Table of Contents: The road to war in 1805; plans and preparations; the opposing commanders; the opposing armies; the battle of Austerlitz; the aftermath of the battle; chronology; a guide to further reading; the battlefield today; wargaming Austerlitz.