Battle of Znaim

Significance

Znaim brought the active campaigning of the War of the Fifth Coalition to a close. Following their defeat at Wagram, the Austrians under Archduke Charles withdrew northward into Bohemia to regroup, while French forces recovered before resuming pursuit two days later on Napoleon's orders. When the two armies converged at Znaim on 10 July 1809, the Austrians, outnumbering the French at 64,000 to 36,660 but in no condition to renew major combat, proposed a ceasefire rather than risk further engagement. Archduke Charles then entered peace negotiations with Napoleon directly. The confrontation at Znaim thus served less as a decisive engagement than as the terminal pressure that compelled Austria to seek terms, translating the strategic verdict of Wagram into a formal armistice and setting the stage for the peace settlement that ended the Fifth Coalition.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)