Napoleonic Austria - Commanders

Last Update 19th October 2002

Painting Guide

Field Marshals (FM), Generals (FZM) and Lieutenant Generals (FML) – white jacket with red turnbacks. White cuffs and collar with gold trim, gold sash, brown scabbard with gold trim. White breeches. Great coats are hechtgrau (mid grey) with red and gold cuffs and collars, black bicorne with gold edging and green plume, the bicorne usually worn with the ridge parallel to the shoulders

Major General (GM) – As per line infantry officer, except with red cuffs with gold trim and red turn back, collar is white. Colour of breeches may vary, but are generally red or white. Gold trim to bicorne edge with green plume, the bicorne usually worn perpendicular to the shoulders. Gold sash, black scabbard with gold trim.

Hungarian Cavalry Generals – Looking roughly like a hussar with white pelise, red dolman, red trousers with gold seam, gold spurs, red sabretache with gold imperial arms and iron sword scabbard, white plume, green plume

Adjutants – green jacket with red cuffs/collar/turnbacks and gold buttons, plain black bicorne with no gold edging and with green plume, straw breeches, a black scabbard with gold fittings

The horse furniture and shabraque matched the cavalry in general with black leatherwork, and red shabraque with gold trim. The double gold border to the shabraque was quite thick, and for FM's such as Archduke Charles could also be in a wavy pattern.

ADC's and Generals

Here we have a selection of ADC's and generals [Elite Miniatures] To the left is an ADC, noteable for his green coat, white breeches. GM Frimont wears his white coat and breeches with red facings and gold trim. Standing next to him are senior officerrs noteable for their red breeches. Third along we have FML O'Reilly, noteable as a Hungarian cavalry general. He wears his white pelise with black lambswool edging, over red dolman and breeches. Lastly we have a made up Hungarian ADC, with green pelise over a green dolman and white breeches. Note all figures wear a green plume to their hat.

Abbreviations used:

The Leaders

The Austrian army was severely hampered by its so-called leaders, hereafter referred to as their "generals". The comments below are generic ones for the generals as a collective, refer the individual listings for added description. For detailed comments on the planning aspects of the senior commanders and politics for the 1805 war, refer the history sections.

Generally speaking the Austrian generals were not professional enough to study and analyse the new form of war introduced by Napoleon. Archduke Charles was in the process of writing new manuals for operations, but these were not implemented in the field effectively, and in hind sight did not overhaul the Austrian army enough to bring it in line with their French opponents. This overhaul was still not complete even by the 1809 war.

The generals had little experience in commanding combined arms in the field, and above regimental level co ordination was very poor. They took little direct interest in their troops, particularly as the Bavarian invasion tended to shuffle regiments between the generals. The bickerin gof the generals in Bavaria became so bad that they only communicated via letters. Their involvement in grand strategy was more theoretical than practical, and idealised on an older, slower, and in some ways, more gentlemanly way of war. They tended more to caution and indecision and their lack of flexibility and all out war attitude left their army open to exploitation by the ruthless French.

The leadership in the Bavarian theatre was totally uninspired. The generals quickly lost any respect for Mack and one might equate it with a bunch of public servants that had lost their respect for their political masters and lapsed into indolence. This eventually resulted in Archduke Ferdinand and Prince Schwarzenburg taking a significant cavalry and infantry force and attempting to flee before they were destroyed by the French.

The leadership in the Tyrol under Archduke John was hardly inspired. John was a popular leader among the Tyroleans, but was not by nature a leader of soldiers. He was probably fortunate to be stationed on the edge of the action. He also suffered from being stripped of troops as the campaigns unfolded.

Leadership under Charles in the Italian theatre was solid, but befitting Charles nature, overly cautious. The Austrians found opponents roughly similar in training to themselves, and performed competently.

The Generals

Alvintzi de Berberek, Baron Joseph

d' Aspre, FZM

Argentau, FML

Auersperg, Prince Carl GM

Auffenberg, Baron Franz Franz Xavier FML

Beaulieu, General JP (b1724)

Bellegarde, Count Heinrich Graf GdK

von Berberek, Marshal Joseph Alvinsky

Bernkopf, Colonel

Caramelli, Major General

Carneville

Charles, Archduke

Clerfayt de Croix, Count Karl Josef

Coburg-Saaufeld, Prince of Josias FM

Davidovich, FML

von Diemar, Freiherr

Dinnersberg, GM

Duka von Kadar, Baron Peter Colonel later FML

Ferdinand de Este, Archduke FML

Francis II, Emperor of Austria

Fresnel, Fieldmarshall-Lieutenant Baron

Genegdegh, GM

Hermann, GM

Hessen-Homburg, Prince Friedrich FML

Hiller, Baron Johan FML

Von Hillinger, Carl GM

Hohenloe-Kirchberg, Prince Friedrich Wilhelm FZL

Hohenzollern-Hechingen, Prince Friedrich Xavier GM

Jellacic de Buzim, Baron Franz FML

John, Archduke

Jurczik, Major General

Kienmayer von Odenburg, Michael General

Kinsky, Prince Franz Ulrich

Klenau, Count Johann Graf

Kollowrath-Krakowski, Count Carl FZM

Laudin, FML

von Lichtenstein, Lieutenant General Prince Johann FML then FM

Lichtenstein, Prince Moritz GM then FML

Liechtenstein, GdK

von Lindenau, Carl Friedrich FML

Louis, Archduke FML

Mack, Quartermaster-General Baron Karl Leiberich FML

Mayer von Heldenfeld, Baron Aton FZM

Melas, Baron Michael FML

Merveldt, Count Maximilian FML

Mescery, GM

Metternich

Muller, Major General

von Nostitz-Rieneck, GM Count Johann Neponuck

O'Reilly, Andreas General

Ott, General

Quasdanovitch

Radetsky, Count Joseph FML

von Reisch, FML Count

Rosenberg, Prince von Orsini Franz FML

Rottermund, Major General

Schustekh, Baron Emanuel

Schwarzenberg, Prince Karl Philipp FML

Spangen, FML

Stutterheim, Baron Karl Major General

Terzy, Baron Ludwig FZM

Ulm, GML

Unterberger, Baron Leopold FML

de Vaux, FML

Vecsey, GM

Vogel, GM

Vukassovich, Baron Philipp FML

Weber, GM

Werneck, Baron Franz FML

von Weyrother, Franz Ritter FML

Wurmser, Count Dagobert Sigismund GdK

von Zach, Baron Anton Colonel Freiherr then FML