1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Napoleonic Campaigns: Difference between revisions

{{section|The Campaign of 1805}}2. ''The Campaign of 1805'' may be regarded as a measure of self-defence forced upon Napoleon by the alliance of Russia (April 11th), Austria (August 9th) and other powers with Great Britain. The possibility had long been before the emperor, and his intention in that event to march straight on Vienna by the valley of the Danube is clearly indicated in his reply (November 27th, 1803) to a Prussian proposal for the neutralization of the South German states. In this he says, It is on the road from Strassburg to Vienna that the French must force peace on Austria, and it is this road which you wish us to renounce. When, therefore, on the 25th of August 1805, he learnt definitely that Villeneuve (see ''[[#Naval operationsOperations|Naval operations]]'' below) had failed in his purpose of securing the command of the Channel, which was the necessary preliminary to the invasion of England, it was but the affair of a few hours to dictate the dispositions necessary to transfer his whole army to the Rhine frontier as the first step in its march to the Danube. On this date the army actually lay in the following positions:—