Among the troops who accompanied Napoleon were Strolz's 19th Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval who had entered Italy in March. Having been present at the coronation, Strolz was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown on 6 June 1805 and was selected for service in the staff of General, later Field Marshal, André Massena as deputy chief of staff. He served as chief of staff at the Battle of Verona and the Battle of Caldiero where his brilliant conduct resulted in a battlefield promotion to full colonel on 29 October 1805. When news of an Allied landing in Naples reached Massena in November 1805, it was Strolz who was tasked to bring detailed reports to Napoleon. Strolz selected twenty of the best dragoons and made it through territory partly held by the Allies to Napoleon's headquarters in Germany. Arriving just in time to deliver the news and recover, Strolz fought in the Battle of Austerlitz on 2 December 1805 where he received thirteen lance wounds in a charge but survived. After recovery, Strolz returned to Italy with the four remaining dragoons of the twenty who had left Italy with him. Crossing enemy-held territory again, Strolz's small column was taken prisoner by Austrian troops but managed to escape to their own lines at night.