A French division secured a Danube crossing at Günzburg, disrupting Austrian efforts to escape Napoleon's encirclement before the fall of Ulm.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9 October 1805
- River contested
- Danube River
- French commander
- General of Division Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher
- Austrian commander
- Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Mack von Lieberich
- Distance to Ulm
- 22 km west-southwest of Günzburg
- Conflict
- War of the Third Coalition (Napoleonic Wars)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After Mack's Austrian army invaded Bavaria, Napoleon's corps maneuvered to encircle it near Ulm. As French forces blocked eastward retreat routes, Mack attempted to shift his army to the south bank of the Danube, prompting Marshal Ney to order the seizure of Danube bridges to cut off the Austrian escape.
Malher's French division attacked two bridges at Günzburg but was repulsed by a vigorous Austrian defense. However, a late-arriving French unit captured a recently rebuilt eastern bridge and held it against Austrian counterattacks until evening, securing one crossing over the Danube.
Discouraged by the engagement, Mack ordered his forces to march back to Ulm rather than continue the southward withdrawal. This decision contributed to the Austrian army remaining trapped near Ulm, setting the stage for its eventual capitulation to Napoleon's forces.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Marshal Michel Ney, General of Division Jean-Pierre Firmin Malher.
Side B
1 belligerent
Feldmarschall-Leutnant Karl Mack von Lieberich.