The third Battle of Komárom was the bloodiest engagement of the 1848–49 Hungarian Revolution, enabling the Hungarian army to begin its retreat southeast despite failing to achieve victory.
Key Facts
- Date
- 11 July 1849
- Hungarian infantry battalions
- 58 battalions
- Hungarian cavalry battalions
- 68 battalions
- Hungarian cannon
- 200 cannon
- Austrian casualties
- 800 men
- Fortress garrison left behind
- ~20,000 soldiers
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After General Artúr Görgei was wounded at the Second Battle of Komárom on 2 July 1849, the Hungarian government ordered an attack on Austrian forces under Julius Jacob von Haynau positioned east and southeast of the Komárom fortress, aiming to relieve pressure and enable a strategic retreat toward the southeast.
On 11 July 1849, Hungarian forces under acting commander György Klapka launched a multi-corps assault on Austrian positions. Leiningen's III corps and the II corps made advances near Csém and through the Meggyfa and Ács forests, but the inactivity of Nagysándor and Pikéthy prevented these gains from being exploited, and a fierce artillery engagement at Csém caused heavy losses. The battle ended with a Hungarian retreat at 5 pm.
Though the Hungarians failed to defeat the Austrians, they successfully began their withdrawal from Komárom, leaving a garrison of nearly 20,000 soldiers under General Klapka to defend the fortress. The battle stood as the bloodiest single engagement of the 1848–49 revolution, with Austrian losses confirmed at 800 men and Hungarian losses remaining uncertain.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
György Klapka, Ármin Görgey, József Nagysándor.
Side B
1 belligerent
Julius Jacob von Haynau.