1809 Thunder on the Danube: Napoleon's Defeat of the Habsburgs Volume I: Abensburg

London: Frontline Books, 2008. New book, 496 pages. The Franco-Austrian war of 1809 was Napoleon's last victorious war. He would win many battles in his future campaigns, but never again would one of Europe's great powers lie broken at his feet. In this respect, 1809 represents a high point of the First Empire, yet at the same time Napoleon's armies were declining in quality and he was beginning to display the corrosive flaws that would contribute to his downfall five years later. In this volume John H. Gill tackles the political background to the wars and the opening battles of Abensberg, Eggmuhl and Regensburg. He explores the motivations that prompted Austria to launch an offensive against France while Napoleon and many of his veterans were distracted in Spain. Though surprised by the timing of the Austrian attack on the 10th April, the French Emperor completely reversed a dire strategic situation with stunning blows that he called his 'most brilliant and most skilful manoeuvres'. Following a breathless pursuit down the Danube valley, Napoleon occupied the palaces of the Habsburgs for the second time in four years.. Hard Cover. As New/As New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.