The Story of Austrian Empire: Battle of Strasbourg

Outskirts of Strasbourg

Musket fires shot by the retreating Austrian rearguard fusiliers can still be heard thundering randomly across the field lying in front of the city. The battle had just came to a conclusion few hours before the sun set when one Austrian division commander ordered a full retreat to Strasbourg and since then the cramped unpaved road connecting the field of battle and the city was overcrowded by the retreating army.

The wounded together with several supplies wagon was forced to move to the side of the road to prevent unneeded traffic jam whilst the fusilier – the main fighting force of the army – marched through, many of them had not even fired their musket. It would be wise for one to actually call the recent engagement as a large skirmish instead of a battle.

“I want that very division commander be court-martialed at once gentlemen!” Field Marshall József Alvinczi shouted in anger to his staff after scanning the horizon with his long range field glass. His small headquarter was positioned just in the village outskirt of Strasbourg.

He had decided to reconnoiter the area after the battle with the rest of the staff together and the result was very-very disappointing. “God damn, how do you think I suppose to command an army without a proper communication?” Jozsef bashed his stirrup with his marshal stick.
His staff could not speak a word instead of nodding.

“There is no reconnaissance, there is no forward skirmishing group, there’s none that could prevent such a foolish defeat gentlemen!” Jozsef took his field glass again and scanned the road. Long muskets fitted with bayonets engulfed the whole body of the road. “I can’t see the cavalry, where’s my Hussars, where’s my Dragoons, where’s my god-damn Cuirassier!?”

“I think the ordered are not carried out successfully sir by our messenger sire,” One staff replied in a quiet voice, he himself wore a hussar uniform.

“So? Do you expect me to babysit all of my cavalry personally? You should have go and order them to charge those French you ignorant bastard!”
In fact most of the army did not even have had a time to deploy properly. Only the first infantry division together with one battalion guns who were able successfully deployed and engaged the French but of course the battle did not go as expected, the French artillery were far more superior. Yes, that division commander was very brave to charge but without any cannon or cavalry? Joszef galloped forward into the mass.

Tired expression combined with a still clean face… Joszef could not hold himself, “Did you kill a Frenchman? He asked to one of the soldiers, walking.
“Nein Herr Feldmarschall, we do not even have a time to un-shoulder our musket and to fire!” The young private replied. Such a gallant soldier wasted Joszef thought.

Another soldier passed, this time it was a grenadier with his tall bearskin head – the tallest and mightiest soldier of all army – considered as the elite and the most experienced. “I see your face covered with a dirt soldier, did you kill a Frenchman? Joszef asked the same question as before.

The grenadier stopped and turned his head slowly high to Joszef, “Nein Herr Feldmarschall, we charged, all of us, the grenadier, but the French cannon are too much. We have to retreat. We could not stand it. We lost half of the company men together with our brave officer who took a grapeshot shot.”

“I see, do you happen to know where our cannon are?” Joszef asked again but with a lower tone. The grenadier turned and pointed his finger west, toward some green bushes beside the road, where as far as Joszef can see with a naked eye, looked like very messy. The field marshal rode again, “Thank you soldier, you have done a good job for the empire and all of us. There’s no other thing you can receive instead of medals and decorations.”
Riding further west the situation of the very battalion guns that had experienced the might of the French battery was clear enough that Joszef did not need to ask the gun’s officer who was killed anyway.

“Third of our guns were destroyed, unimaginable Herr Feldmarcshall!” One staff who wore an artillery uniform commented. Supervising the deployment of artillery himself when the army first departed from Austria, he had no doubt about his observation.

“Did I tell you already to not to engage the French artillery at all cost Major!!?”

“Uhm…I think the order may be misinterpreted, considering that our brave artillery crew will not just leave the enemy battery alone and they’re the only one in the area to support the infantry.”

“Oh well, bugger! I have to report this to Prince Frederick Josias and hope that they changed the artillery system accordingly. Without that well…this thing can happen over and over again.”

Suddenly a crew stood from the bushes nearby, covered in blood and burns. He spotted the field marshal and approached him when he suddenly cried in tears, “I’m so sorry Herr fieldmarschall I already tried my best to counter those Frenchy but their cannon has longer range and better accuracy, after our Oberst was killed I did not know what to do…” Losing his balance because of too many wound he fell on the earth.

“Lieutenant, call the surgeons immediately!” Joszef ordered loud. He dismounted himself from his horse and kneeled.

“Hold on boy, you did a good job, you did a good job. The emperor would be very grateful for your service.” Joszef whispered to the dying crew, staining his silk white coat with a stain of blood from the soldier, and then he looked upon his staffs which were still on their horse. “What are you doing all of you, where’s the surgeon!!?”

“Promise me herr feldmarschall that we will win this war…” The crew whispered before he closed his eye and thus breathing his last breath.

“We will and we can win this war soldier.” Joszef knew that his promise would be heard by the crew, now flying up into the heaven.

“The surgeon is here Herr Feldmarschall!” A shout came from behind together but it was already too late.

“It’s too late already. We can just pray for his soul.” Joszef said grimly, standing and mounting again on his horse with red stains of blood covering his coat.

“What now Herr Feldmarschall?”

Joszef ignored his staff question and continue to ride back to the city where he stopped just in front of the city gates. Many soldiers are still marching. “Attention!” He shouted and snapped his feet upon his horse body, the horse galloped and in turns attracted the attention of the soldier.

“Soldiers of the great Holy Roman Empire, I know our first engagement is not too satisfying,” Joszef continued. “But hear men, we have no time to mourn, we have no time for sadness and falter!”

“We may lose the battle but not the war men!! Let us rest now and fight in another day!! You’ve done a perfectly good job for the empire and for all of us. Today we may lose, but tomorrow men, I promise that we…” He paused, “will be victorious!!”

“For victory!!”

The soldiers cheered loudly as the night continued.

***