Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen (5 September 1771-30 April 1847) was the Archduke of the Austrian Empire as well as a military commander during the Napoleonic Wars.
Biography[]
The son of the Austrian emperor, Leopold II, Archduke Charles held command by right of birth but justified his position by outstanding merit. He served from the outset of the French Revolutionary Wars, learning his trade in battles in the Netherlands. Charles showed how much he had learned when commanding the Austrian forces on the Rhine front in 1796. Faced with two French armies under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Jean-Victor-Marie Moreau, he skillfully brought them to battle on his own terms, defeating them and driving them out of Germany. His success culminated in battle at Stockach in 1799, when he defeated at Jourdan again, leading reserves into the fight in person at the crucial moment. Charles was commanding forces in Italy in 1805 and therefore missed the Austerlitz campaign, but after that debacle he was entrusted with the reform of the Austrian military system. He imitated the organization of the Napoleonic army and tried to encourage German nationalism as a means of combating Napoleon in 1809. But his doctrine was relatively cautious, stressing the need to defend key strategic points rather than destroy the enemy's forces in the Napoleonic manner.
Put to the Test[]
At Aspern-Essling, Charles had the chance to try out his reforms, achieving a defensive victory and the first serious reverse suffered by Napoleon. The French emperor was too much for Charles at the follow-up battle of Wagram in July, but the French paid heavily for victory and Charles avoided a rout. After Wagram he retired from military command.