War of the Third Coalition

The War of the Third Coalition was a European War during the years 1803 to 1806. It was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, France and the countries it conquered, led by Napoleon I, defeated an alliance, called The Third Coalition. The Third Coalition was made up of the Holy Roman Empire, Russia, Britain and others. The main fighting in Central Europe ended with Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805 but a smaller campaign continued in Italy until Napoleon won there, too.

War of the Third Coalition
Part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars
Napoléon at the Battle of Austerlitz, by François Pascal Simon, Baron Gérard
Date 18 May 1803 – 18 July 1806 Anglo–French war since May 1803 Formation of the Third Coalition (December 1804 – August 1805) Trafalgar Campaign (March–November 1805) Ulm Campaign and Austerlitz (September – December 1805) Invasion of Naples (Feb.–July 1806) Location Central Europe, Italy, and Atlantic Ocean Result French victory Treaty of Pressburg (22 Dec. 1805) Consolidation of the French Empire Creation of the Confederation of the Rhine (12 July 1806) Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire French conquest of Naples Formation of the Fourth Coalition a few months later
Belligerents
Third Coalition: Holy Roman Empire Russia United Kingdom Naples Sicily Sweden	France French satellites: Spain Bavaria Kingdom of Italy Batavian Republic Württemberg Etruria
Commanders and leaders
Francis II Karl Mack von Leiberich Archduke Charles Alexander I Mikhail Kutuzov Henry Addington William Pitt the Younger Lord Grenville Viscount Nelson  † Ferdinand IV	Napoleon I André Masséna Pierre-Charles Villeneuve Michel Ney Louis-Nicolas Davout Pierre Augereau Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte Jean Lannes Joachim Murat Jean-de-Dieu Soult Auguste Marmont Édouard Mortier Charles IV Federico Gravina Charles Louis Eugène de Beauharnais
Casualties and losses
160,000 90,000 20,000 killed and wounded 70,000 captured 50,000 25,000 killed and wounded 25,000 captured 20,000	62,050 55,500 13,500 killed 37,000 wounded 5,000 captured 2,800 1,200 killed 1,600 wounded 2,250 350 killed 1,900 wounded 1,500 300 killed 1,200 wounded

All the countries of the War of the Fifth Coalition. Blue: The Coalition and their colonies and allies. Green: The First French Empire, it's colonies and allies.

War Of The Third Coalition Media

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  In The Plumb-pudding in danger (1805), James Gillray caricatured overtures made by Napoleon in January 1805 for a reconciliation with Britain.

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  Inspecting the troops at Boulogne, 15 August 1804

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  The strategic situation in Europe in 1805 before the start of the Ulm Campaign and the war

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  The French concentrated around the Rhine from early to mid-September. 210,000 troops of the Grande Armée prepared to cross into Germany and encircle the Austrians.

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  The French invasion in late September and early October caught the Austrians unprepared and severed their lines of communication.

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  The strategic situation from 7 to 9 October. With Kutuzov too far away to offer significant aid, the Austrians found themselves in a precarious position.

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  The strategic situation from 11 to 14 October. The French hurl themselves westwards to capture the Austrian army.

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  Marshal Murat proved instrumental during the Ulm Campaign.

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  General Mack surrenders his army at Ulm. Napoleon's strategic encirclement of the Austrians, in conjunction with the Battle of Austerlitz six weeks later, sealed the fate of the Third Coalition.

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  Napoleon with his troops on the eve of battle, questioning local peasants on the movements of the Austro-Russian Army. Painting by Lejeune