Battle of Aspern-Essling

Battle of Aspern-Essling
	Part of War of the Fifth Coalition
	; The Archduke Charles at Aspern; by Johann Peter Krafft.
Date	21–22 May 1809
Location	Lobau, Vienna48°12′47″N 16°30′09″E / 48.21306°N 16.50250°E
Result	Austrian victory
Belligerents
Austria	France
Commanders and leaders
Archduke Charles; Johann von Hiller; Heinrich von Bellegarde; Friedrich von Hohenzollern-Hechingen; Franz von Rosenberg; Johann I of Liechtenstein;	Napoleon I; André Masséna; Jean Lannes (DOW); Jean-Baptiste Bessières; Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor; Jean-Louis-Brigitte Espagne (DOW); Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle; Louis-Vincent-Joseph Le Blond de Saint-Hilaire (DOW); ;
Units involved
Hauptarmee	Army of Germany
Strength
98,000	80,000
Casualties and losses
5,200 dead, 22,285 to 22,900 wounded;	c. 5,000 dead including 3 generals, 19,980 to 24,001 wounded including 18 generals;; 3 guns
	Location within Europe

War of the Fifth Coalition

190km
118miles

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Aspern

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current battle

Napoleon in command

Napoleon not in command

In the Battle of Aspern-Essling (21–22 May 1809), Napoleon crossed the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were attacked and forced back across the river by the Austrians under Archduke Charles. It was the first time Napoleon had been personally defeated in a major battle, as well as his first battle defeat in 10 years since the Siege of Acre, and his first battle defeat as head of state, although he did suffer a tactical defeat in the Battle of Caldiero (1796). Archduke Charles drove out the French but fell short of destroying their army. The French lost over 20,000 men including one of Napoleon's ablest field commanders and closest friends, Marshal Jean Lannes.