Dalmatian Campaign (1809)

Dalmatian Campaign (1809)
Part of the War of the Fifth Coalition
Date 26 April – 21 May 1809 Location Dalmatia, Croatia 44°02′N 16°11′E / 44.04°N 16.19°E / 44.04; 16.19 Result French victory
Belligerents
First French Empire	Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Auguste Marmont	Andreas Stoichevich Matthias Rebrovich
Strength
14,000	8,100–9,000
Casualties and losses
Zrmanja River: 1,200 Pribudić: light Gračac: 300 Gospić: 1,004	Zrmanja River: 250 Pribudić: 1,000 Gračac: 300 Gospić: 764, 2-5 guns

War of the Fifth Coalition:
Dalmatian Campaign

200km
125miles

Dalmatia

1

  

The Dalmatian Campaign saw several battles fought between 30 April and 21 May 1809 by Auguste Marmont's First French Empire soldiers and Andreas von Stoichevich's Austrian Empire troops. The Austrians drove the French from their positions on the Zrmanja River at the end of April. But in mid-May, the French counterattack forced back the Austrians. The defenders offered stout resistance, but ultimately Marmont broke out of Dalmatia and joined Emperor Napoleon's army near Vienna with over 10,000 men. The campaign was fought during the War of the Fifth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Dalmatia is part of the modern-day nation of Croatia.

At the beginning of the conflict, the Austrians thrust across the Zrmanja and forced the French back to the fortified cities. After the Austrian defeat and subsequent retreat from Italy of the army of Archduke John of Austria, Marmont launched his own offensive. The French beat the Austrians at Pribudić, capturing Stoichevich, and moved north. Two more actions were fought at Gračac on 17 May and Gospić on 21 May before Marmont reached Ljubljana (Laibach) in Carniola. Continuing north, the French general fought in the Battle of Graz on 25 and 26 June and in the decisive Battle of Wagram on 5 and 6 July.