Franz von Weyrother Franz von Weyrother ( 1755 - 16 February 1806 ) was an Austrian staff officer and general who fought during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars . He drew up the plan which resulted in disastrous defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz , in which Napoleon Bonaparte crushed the combined armies of Austria and Russia . Early career . Weyrother was born in Vienna as the son of general of cavalry Adam von Weyrother . After studies at the military engineering academy , he entered the Franz von Lacy Infantry Regiment # 22 as a cadet in 1775 . He was promoted to lieutenant two years later . In August 1778 he was appointed aide - de - camp to Wenzel Colloredo serving in that capacity until 1783 . Weyrother participated in the Austro - Turkish War ( 1787 - 1791 ) under Field Marshal Maximilian Browne , earning promotion to captain . During the early phase of the War of the First Coalition Weyrother served in Mainz . Promoted to major in 1795 , Weyrother was wounded at Weisenau . After his recovery he was sent to the Army of the Rhine under the Archduke Charles . In 1795 he was made a knight in the Military Order of Maria Theresia . Italy and Bavaria . In September 1796 , Weyrother transferred to Northern Italy where he fought in the Battle of Bassano under Field Marshal Dagobert von Wurmser . Later he served on the staff of Feldzeugmeister József Alvinczi . In this capacity , he helped plan the campaign that ended in a narrow defeat by Bonaparte at the Battle of Arcola . His plan for the Battle of Rivoli provided for three widely separated striking forces and unrealistically called for one flanking column to march across mountainous terrain in January . Rivoli ended in a decisive Austrian defeat and the consequent surrender of the fortress of Mantua . During the campaign of 1799 , Weyrother served as chief of staff to Feldzeugmeister Pál Kray , where he distinguished himself at Legnago ( 26 March ) , Magnano ( 5 April ) and Novi ( 15 August ) . He also planned an epic march by Russian Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov across the Saint Gotthard Pass . For his conduct in these actions he was promoted to colonel ( " Oberst " ) , given command of the Schröder Infantry Regiment # 7 , and mentioned in dispatches to Kaiser Francis II of Austria by Suvorov . In the fall of 1800 , Francis II assigned him to be chief - of - staff to the 18 - year old Archduke John of Austria , the new commander of the army in Bavaria . Believing Jean Moreau ' s French army to be in retreat , Weyrother organized an aggressive pursuit through heavily forested terrain by four non - mutually - supporting columns . Instead , Moreau stood his ground , sprang an ambush , and enveloped the Austrian left flank . The resulting Battle of Hohenlinden turned out to be a catastrophe for the Austrians , effectively ending the War of the Second Coalition . Napoleonic Wars . When the War of the Third Coalition broke out , Weyrother was promoted to " General - Major " and at the request of General Mikhail Kutusov he was made chief of staff of the Austro - Russian army . In this capacity he was responsible for the conception of the allied plan which was defeated by Emperor Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz . Two and a half months after the battle , Weyrother died aged 51 in Vienna . References . External references . Weyrother by Digby Smith , compiled by Leopold Kudrna