Battle of Hohenlinden The Battle of Hohenlinden was fought on 3 December 1800 during the French Revolutionary Wars . A French army under Jean Victor Marie Moreau won a decisive victory over the Austrians and Bavarians led by Archduke John of Austria . After being forced into a disastrous retreat , the allies were compelled to request an armistice that effectively ended the War of the Second Coalition . Hohenlinden is 33 km east of Munich in modern Germany . General of Division ( MG ) Moreau ' s 56 , 000 strong army engaged some 64 , 000 Austrians and Bavarians . The Austrians , believing they were pursuing a beaten enemy , moved through heavily wooded terrain in four disconnected columns . Instead , Moreau ambushed the Austrians as they emerged from the Ebersberg forest while launching MG Antoine Richepanse ' s division in a surprise envelopment of the Austrian left flank . Displaying superb individual initiative , Moreau ' s generals managed to encircle and smash the largest Austrian column . This crushing victory , coupled with First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte ' s victory at the Battle of Marengo on 14 June 1800 , ended the War of the Second Coalition . In February 1801 , the Austrians signed the Treaty of Lunéville , accepting French control up to the Rhine and the French puppet republics in Italy and the Netherlands . The subsequent Treaty of Amiens between France and Britain began the longest break in the wars of the Napoleonic period . Background . From April to July 1800 , Moreau ' s army hustled the Austrian army of Feldzeugmeister ( FZM ) Pál Kray from the Rhine River to the Inn River after victories at Stockach , Messkirch , and Höchstädt . On 15 July , the combatants agreed to an armistice . Realizing that Kray was no longer up to the task , Emperor Francis II removed him from command . The Austrian chancellor Johann Thugut first offered Archduke Ferdinand and Archduke Joseph , Palatine of Hungary command of the army but both declined . Because his brother , the capable Feldmarschall Archduke Charles , Duke of Teschen , also refused the command , the emperor appointed another brother , the 18 - year - old Archduke John . Clearly , the inexperienced youth could not cope with this enormous responsibility , so the emperor nominated Franz von Lauer as John ' s second - in - command and promoted him to Feldzeugmeister . John was directed to follow Lauer ' s instructions . To further complicate the clumsy command structure , the aggressive Oberst ( Colonel ) Franz von Weyrother was named John ' s chief - of - staff . The armistice was renewed in September but lapsed on 12 November . By this time , Weyrother had convinced John and Lauer to adopt an offensive posture . Weyrother ' s plan called for crushing the French left wing near Landshut and lunging south to cut Moreau ' s communications west of Munich . After a few days of marching , it became obvious that the Austrian army was too slow to execute such an ambitious plan . So Lauer convinced the archduke to convert the enterprise into a direct attack on Munich . Even so , the sudden advance caught Moreau ' s somewhat scattered French forces by surprise and achieved local superiority . In the Battle of Ampfing on 1 December , the Austrians drove back part of MG Paul Grenier ' s Left Wing . The defeated French managed to inflict 3 , 000 casualties on the Austrians while only suffering 1 , 700 losses . Yet , when the Austrian leaders found that Grenier evacuated Haag in Oberbayern the next day , they became ecstatic . Archduke John and Weyrother overrode Lauer ' s cautious counsel and launched an all - out pursuit of an enemy they believed to be fleeing . However , Moreau decided to stand and fight , deploying his army in open ground near Hohenlinden . To approach his position , the Austro - Bavarians had to advance directly west through heavily wooded terrain . Plans . Moreau ' s main defensive position consisted of four divisions facing east . From north to south , these were commanded by General of Division Claude Legrand ( 7 , 900 ) , General of Brigade Louis Bastoul ( 6 , 300 ) , General of Division Michel Ney ( 9 , 600 ) and General of Division Emmanuel Grouchy ( 8 , 600 ) . The divisions of Legrand , Bastoul and Ney belonged to Grenier ' s corps . Moreau held 1 , 700 heavy cavalry under General of Division Jean - Joseph Ange d ' Hautpoul in reserve . Off to the south near Ebersberg were two more divisions , under Generals of Division Antoine Richepanse ( 10 , 700 ) and Charles Decaen ( 10 , 100 ) . The divisions of d ' Hautpoul , Richepanse , Decaen , and Grouchy formed Moreau ' s Reserve Corps . Moreau planned to have Richepanse march northeast to strike the Austrian left , or southern flank . His main line would maneuver in open terrain and counterattack the Austrians as they emerged from the woods . Decaen would support Richepanse . According to the battle plan drawn up by Weyrother , the Austrians advanced west in four corps . From north to south they were Feldmarchall - Leutnant Michael von Kienmayer ' s Right Column ( 16 , 000 ) , Feldmarchall - Leutnant Louis - Willibrord - Antoine Baillet de Latour ' s Right Center Column ( 10 , 800 ) , Feldzeugmeister Johann Kollowrat ' s Left Center Column ( 20 , 000 ) , and Feldmarchall - Leutnant Johann Sigismund Riesch ' s Left Column ( 13 , 300 ) . The three southern columns marched near the main road from Haag to Hohenlinden . Meanwhile , Kienmayer followed the Isen River valley from Dorfen west to Lengdorf , then south to Isen , before approaching the Hohenlinden plain from the east . Archduke John rode with Kollowrat ' s force , which used the main east - west highway . Latour used trails just to the north of the highway , while Riesch followed tracks just to the south . Due to the densely forested terrain , bad roads , and poor staff work , the Austrian columns were not mutually supporting . Their commanders mistakenly thought the French were in retreat and were rushing to catch their enemies before they could escape . Battle . Kollowrat and Grouchy ' s fight . All Austrian columns started at dawn . Marching on the all - weather highway , Kollowrat ' s column made good time despite heavy snow . At 7 : 00 am , his advance guard under General - Major Franz Löpper collided with Colonel Pierre - Louis Binet de Marcognet ' s 108th Line Infantry Demi - Brigade of Grouchy ' s division . Defending deep in the forest , the 108th held their ground at first . But , General - Major Lelio Spannochi sent a grenadier battalion in a flank attack and drove the French back . Kollowat committed General - Major Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy ' s Bavarian brigade and a second grenadier battalion to keep the attack rolling . As the Austrians burst from the tree line , Grouchy led a powerful infantry and cavalry counterattack . Kollowrat ' s troops reeled back as the 11th Chasseurs à cheval Regiment broke a square of grenadiers and the 4th Hussar Regiment overran an artillery battery . Both Spannochi and the wounded Marcognet became prisoners . Having lost five cannon , Kollowrat decided to suspend his drive until Latour and Riesch came up on his flanks . Anxious about his open left flank , he sent two grenadier battalions back in search of Riesch ' s column . Attack on Grenier ' s wing . To the north , Kienmayer flushed French outposts from Isen . These executed a planned withdrawal westward to Grenier ' s main line of defense . FML Prince Karl of Schwarzenberg , who led Kienmayer ' s left division , pushed southwest to crash into the divisions of Bastoul and Ney . An Austrian force captured the town of Forstern , but Moreau committed d ' Hautpoul ' s reserve cavalry to help drive them out . A back and forth struggle began over the hamlets of Tading , Wetting , Kreiling , and Kronacker , which run in a north to south line . The Austrian " Murray " Infantry Regiment # 55 distinguished itself in the fighting for Kronacker , which lies only 1 . 3 km north of Hohenlinden . On the far north flank , FML Archduke Ferdinand ' s division began coming into action against Legrand near the town of Harthofen . Latour , moving along muddy forest trails amid snow and sleet squalls , fell badly behind schedule . At 10 : 00 am , his column was still well to the rear of Kollowrat ' s corps . By this time , the gunfire from Kienmayer ' s and Kollowrat ' s combats could be clearly heard to the front . Even more disturbing were sounds of battle from the south . Latour made the extraordinary decision to divide the divisions of FML Prince Friedrich of Hessen - Homburg and FML Friedrich Hohenlohe - Ingelfingen into small task forces . He sent one infantry battalion and six cavalry squadrons to the north to look for Kienmayer . One battalion and four squadrons marched south to find Kollowrat . After advancing the bulk of his column to the village of Mittbach , Latour sent two battalions and two squadrons to assist Schwarzenberg ' s attack and three battalions and an artillery battery to help Kollowrat . This left him with only three battalions and six squadrons . Richepanse ' s envelopment . Like Latour , Riesch ' s troops had to contend with terrible roads and snow squalls . They fell far behind Kollowrat , reaching Albaching only at 9 : 30 am . Consequently , Richepanse ' s division passed in front of Riesch . Near the village of St . Christoph , the two Austrian grenadier battalions sent by Kollowrat stumbled upon Richepanse ' s marching column , cutting his division in half . With single - minded determination , the Frenchman left his rear brigade under BG Jean - Baptiste Drouet to fight it out and drove to the north with his leading brigade . With the 8th Line DB and 1st Chasseurs à cheval leading , Richepanse seized the village of Maitenbeth and advanced to the main highway . There he confronted elements of FML Prince Johann of Liechtenstein ' s cavalry division . Leaving his two advance units to bear the brunt of GM Christian Wolfskeel ' s cuirassier charges , Richepanse wheeled the 48th Line DB west onto the highway . Aware that this route took him directly into Kollowrat ' s rear area , he formed the demi - brigade ' s three battalions side by side with skirmishers protecting the flanks . Hearing firing to the east , Weyrother gathered up three Bavarian battalions from Kollowrat ' s column and sent them to investigate . These units moved to the southeast and became embroiled in the fight with Drouet . Two more Bavarian battalions under GM Karl Philipp von Wrede now appeared and blocked Richepanse ' s path . After a brief fight , the 48th overwhelmed Wrede ' s men and Weyrother fell wounded . Riesch ' s patrols told him that two French divisions were in the area . Instead of pushing into the combat raging to his front , he cautiously decided to wait for his stragglers to arrive at Albaching . He then fell into the same error as Latour . Dividing his two powerful divisions under FML Ignaz Gyulai and FML Maximilian , Count of Merveldt into five small columns , he sent each forward on a separate forest trail . Riesch held back three battalions and most of his cavalry as a reserve . Crisis . At 11 : 00 am , Decaen came up in support of Drouet ' s brigade near the southern edge of the battlefield . The situation was very fluid , with units blundering into each other in a heavy snowfall . The fresh infusion of French troops finally broke through the opposition . Drouet led his troops north to the highway , where the 8th Line still battled Liechtenstein ' s cavalry . Spearheaded by the Polish Danube Legion , Decaen turned east to grapple with Riesch . Decaen ' s men overcame Riesch ' s small columns one by one and pushed them back to the heights of Albaching . The Austrian managed to hold onto his hilltop position and capture 500 French soldiers while suffering 900 casualties . Scenting victory , Moreau ordered Grenier ' s divisions and Grouchy to attack around noon . Undeterred by Latour ' s weak pressure on his front , Ney swung to his right and began pounding Kollowrat ' s troops . Pressing his attack , he overran their positions , capturing 1 , 000 soldiers and ten cannon . Grouchy also returned to the offensive . Hemmed in on three sides by Ney , Grouchy and Richepanse , Kollowrat ' s column finally disintegrated in a disorderly rout . Archduke John escaped capture on a fast horse , but many of his men were not so lucky and thousands of demoralized Austrians and Bavarians surrendered . In addition , over 60 artillery pieces fell into French hands . Latour learned of the Left Center Column ' s fate when its fugitives flooded the nearby woods . Abandoning his position , he retreated to Isen , leaving Kienmayer to fend for himself . When Kienmayer got news of Kollowrat ' s destruction , he ordered his division commanders to fall back . After a brief fight against Legrand on the north flank , Archduke Ferdinand pulled back with GM Karl Vincent ' s dragoon brigade covering his withdrawal . Legrand reported fewer than 300 casualties while rounding up 500 prisoners and three guns . Thanks to Schwarzenberg ' s able combat leadership , his division escaped a very tight spot . At one point , a French officer came forward under a flag of truce to demand his surrender . But the Austrian successfully disengaged his command and brought them to safety that evening without the loss of a single cannon . Aftermath . The Austrians reported losses of 798 killed , 3 , 687 wounded , and 7 , 195 prisoners , with 50 cannons and 85 artillery caissons captured . Bavarian casualties numbered only 24 killed and 90 wounded , but their losses also included 1 , 754 prisoners , 26 artillery pieces , and 36 caissons . In round numbers , this amounts to 4 , 600 killed and wounded , plus 8 , 950 soldiers and 76 guns captured . The French admitted casualties of 1 , 839 soldiers , one cannon , and two caissons . Since several units failed to turn in reports , Moreau ' s army probably lost at least 3 , 000 men . Bastoul was mortally wounded . After the disaster , the Austrian high command found its scapegoat in Lauer who was summarily retired . Archduke John heaped blame on Riesch for being slow , but also considered Latour and Kienmayer at fault . Weyrother escaped censure and in 1805 his plan at the Battle of Austerlitz contributed to that disaster . Bavarian Lieutenant General Christian Zweibrücken blamed Austrian ignorance and ineptitude . Apart from Schwarzenberg , the Austrian commanders showed little initiative . Meanwhile , Moreau ' s division commanders performed well , particularly Richepanse . Archduke John ordered his demoralized army into a retreat . Moreau pursued slowly until 8 December . Then , in 15 days , his forces advanced 300 km and captured 20 , 000 Austrians . MG Claude Lecourbe ' s Right Wing brushed aside Riesch at Rosenheim on 9 December . At Salzburg on 14 December , the archduke held off Lecourbe in a successful rearguard action . However , in a series of actions at Neumarkt am Wallersee , Frankenmarkt , Schwanenstadt , Vöcklabruck , Lambach and Kremsmünster during the following week , the Austrian army lost cohesion . Richepanse greatly distinguished himself in the pursuit . On 17 December , when Archduke Charles relieved his brother John , the Austrian army was practically a rabble . With French forces 80 km from Vienna , Charles requested an armistice , which Moreau granted on 25 December . The decisive French victory at Hohenlinden set Moreau up as a potential rival to Napoleon Bonaparte . Legacy . The battle is the subject of a poem " Hohenlinden " by Thomas Campbell ( 1777 – 1844 ) . The first verse is : The American city of Linden , Alabama , originally known as Hohenlinden , is named in honor of this battle . It was established to serve as the county seat of Marengo County . The county ' s first European settlers were exiled French Bonapartists and many of the settlements they established were named in honor of Napoleonic victories .