Third Battle of Komárom

Overview

The main aim of the third Battle of Komárom was to push back the Austrian army, easing the task of the Hungarian army to retreat towards South-East. The Hungarian Government agreed on a Hungarian attack against the Austrian troops led by Julius Jacob von Haynau, which was stationing to East and South-East from the fortress of Komárom. On 11 July the Hungarian army started to attack the Austrians. Although General Artúr Görgei was the commander of the Hungarian Army of the Upper Danube, General György Klapka took over the command of Görgey's army because of Görgey's injury in the Second Battle of Komárom from 2 July 1849. New Hungarian troops arrived under the command of Ármin Görgey, and from Bátorkeszi under József Nagysándor, decreasing the Hungarian numerical disadvantage in relation to the Austrian army led by Julius Jacob von Haynau.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Third Battle of Komárom on 11 July 1849 was fought to relieve pressure on the Hungarian revolutionary forces by pushing back Haynau's Austrian army east and south-east of the Komárom fortress, thereby creating space for a broader Hungarian strategic retreat toward the south-east. The engagement took place at a critical juncture: Artúr Görgei, commander of the Hungarian Army of the Upper Danube, had been wounded at the Second Battle of Komárom on 2 July and was unable to lead, leaving György Klapka to assume command. Hungarian numerical disadvantage relative to Haynau's force of over 56,000 was partially offset by the arrival of reinforcing columns under Ármin Görgei and József Nagysándor. With 1,500 Hungarian casualties recorded, the battle reflected the mounting attrition facing the revolution in its final weeks, a period in which Austrian forces, augmented by Russian intervention under Paskevich, were systematically closing off Hungarian operational options.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (8)