GERMANY. 455 



the king of Prussia, and the elector of Saxony, at which the plan of 

 attacking France was proposed and discussed. Leopold for some 

 time was very irresolute, but at last seemed to be resolved on war, 

 when he died of a pleuritic fever, on the 1st of March 1792, after an. 

 illness of four days. 



His son Francis was raised to the imperial throne in the middle of 

 July following. He embarked with zeal in the confederacy formed 

 against France. The disastrous consequences of this war to the 

 house of Austria, till its conclusion, or rather suspension, by the 

 treaty of Campo Formio ; and the transient success, but final failure, 

 which attended its renewal, till its termination by the peace of Lune- 

 ville in 1801; have been related in our account of the affairs of 

 France. The war which afterwards broke out between Russia and 

 Austria on the one part, and France on the other, has been noticed in 

 our account of Russia. 



Austria seemed inclined to submit to France, for no greater a length 

 of time, than was sufficient, to renew her resources. For the imme- 

 diate causes of the war of 1809, we must refer to France. On the 

 10th of April, the archduke Charles entered Bavaria; but was not 

 enabled to proceed far, being met by the French army. A corps of 

 Austrians, under the archduke Louis, had been left without support. 

 Bonaparte, perceiving this, attacked them with a superior force, and 

 defeated them, taking 18,000 prisoners. While Bonaparte was pur- 

 suing this advantage, the archduke Charles, by a sudden movement, 

 occupied the same spot where his brother had been defeated. Bona- 

 parte immediately i-etraced his steps, attacked the archduke on the 22d 

 of April, at Eckmuhl, and completely overthrew him. The Austrians 

 fled to Ratisbon, where they were again attacked, and driven across 

 the Danube. Bonaparte now marched directly for Vienna. He appear- 

 ed before that city on the 10th of May, and entered it, after meeting 

 with a slight resistance. The archduke Charles, now posted his army 

 on the north bank of the Danube, behind Vienna. His line extended 

 from Krems to Presburg. Bonaparte determined to cross the river 3 

 and attack him. The passage not being disputed, the French crossed 

 on the 20th, and occupied the villages of Aspern and Esling These 

 positions were suddenly attacked on the 21st, and a dreadful slaughter 

 ensued. The battle was only terminated by night. The advantages 

 of the day, were decidedly on the side of Austria. The French were 

 driven from Aspern, and their general position was much nearer the 

 Danube, than on the preceding day. The next day the contest was 

 renewed, and Bonaparte was completely discomfited. In the night 

 he retired to the island of Lidau, in the river. From that time, to 

 the 5th of July, both armies occupied themselves in preparing for 

 another battle. The Austrian general erected strong fortifications 

 opposite the French army. But Bonaparte crossed on the 5th at 

 some distance below, and thus rendered the Austrians batteries use- 

 less. On the 6th the grand engagement took place, which decided 

 the fate of the campaign. The Austrians were driven from all their 

 positions, and pursued toZnaim. Here the emperor Francis proposed 

 an armistice, which was signed on the 12th, and negociations for a 

 definitive treaty were immediately entered into. Among other mor- 

 tifying concessions, the emperor Francis was obliged to relinquish his 

 title, of emperor of Germany, which had, for a considerable time, been 

 merely nominal. 



