Second Battle of Zürich
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The Second Battle of Zurich (25–26 September 1799) was a key victory by the Republican French army in Switzerland led by
André Masséna André Masséna, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli (born Andrea Massena; 6 May 1758 – 4 April 1817) was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.Donald D. Horward, ed., trans, annotated, The Fre ...
over an Austrian and Russian force commanded by Alexander Korsakov near
Zürich , neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon , twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco Zürich ...
. It broke the stalemate that had resulted from the
First Battle of Zurich The First Battle of Zurich, from 4 to 7 June 1799, forced French General André Masséna to yield the city of Zurich to the Austrians, under Archduke Charles, and to retreat beyond the Limmat, where he managed to fortify his positions, whi ...
three months earlier and led to the withdrawal of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
from the Second Coalition. Most of the fighting took place on both banks of the river Limmat up to the gates of Zürich, and within the city itself.


Background

After the
First Battle of Zurich The First Battle of Zurich, from 4 to 7 June 1799, forced French General André Masséna to yield the city of Zurich to the Austrians, under Archduke Charles, and to retreat beyond the Limmat, where he managed to fortify his positions, whi ...
Masséna had consolidated to a defensive line behind the lower reaches of the
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
River. At this time his entire army in Switzerland consisted of around 77,000 combatants, positioned as: * 1st Division ( Tharreau) in the Upper
Valais Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the S ...
and the
Simplon Pass The Simplon Pass (french: Col du Simplon; german: Simplonpass; it, Passo del Sempione, Lombard: ''Pass del Sempiün'') () is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canto ...
. * 2nd Division ( Lecourbe) in the St Gotthard and the valley of the Reuss. * 3rd Division (
Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Frenc ...
) Right wing near
Glarus , neighboring_municipalities= Glarus Nord, Glarus Süd, Muotathal (SZ), Innerthal (SZ) , twintowns= Wiesbaden-Biebrich (Germany) } Glarus (; gsw, Glaris; french: Glaris; it, Glarona; rm, Glaruna) is the capital of the canton of Glarus ...
, centre on the left bank of the
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
, the left near
Adliswil Adliswil is a town and a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The official language of Adliswil is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alem ...
on the
Sihl The Sihl is a Swiss river that rises near the Druesberg mountain in the canton of Schwyz, and eventually flows into the Limmat in the centre of the city of Zürich. It has a length of , including the Sihlsee reservoir, through which the river f ...
. * 4th Division ( Mortier) on the
Uetliberg __NOTOC__ The Uetliberg (also known as Üetliberg) is a mountain in the Swiss plateau, part of the Albis chain, rising to . The mountain offers a panoramic view of the entire city of Zürich (to the northeast of its summit) and the Lake of Zur ...
. * 5th Division ( Lorge) on the left bank of the Limmat between Altstetten and
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
. * 6th Division ( Ménard) from Baden to the confluence of the
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
with the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
. * 7th Division ( Klein) formed the Reserve in the Frick-thal. * 8th Division ( Chabran) at
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
. Following the overall strategic plan, the Austrian army under the
Archduke Charles Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Laurentius of Austria, Duke of Teschen (german: link=no, Erzherzog Karl Ludwig Johann Josef Lorenz von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field-marshal, the third s ...
was to be augmented by the 25,000 man Russian command of Korsakov, newly arrived at
Schaffhausen Schaffhausen (; gsw, Schafuuse; french: Schaffhouse; it, Sciaffusa; rm, Schaffusa; en, Shaffhouse) is a town with historic roots, a municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimate ...
after a 90-day march. Masséna meanwhile was preparing an offensive on his right flank against the Austrian positions in the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
. On 15 and 16 August General
Claude Lecourbe Claude Jacques Lecourbe (22 February 1759 – 22 October 1815), born in Besançon, was a French general during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Biography After having studied at a college in Poligny and in Lons-le-Saunier, Lecourbe e ...
with 12,000 men drove the forces of Gottfried von Strauch and
Joseph Anton von Simbschen Joseph Anton von Simbschen (6 October 1746 – 14 January 1820) served in the Austrian army during the War of the First Coalition as a staff officer in Italy. He rose in rank to general officer and fought at Battle of Loano, Loano, Battle of Limbur ...
from the St. Gotthard, Furka and Oberalp Passes in a series of violent assaults. As a distraction, on 14 August French forces under Soult made demonstrations across the
Sihl The Sihl is a Swiss river that rises near the Druesberg mountain in the canton of Schwyz, and eventually flows into the Limmat in the centre of the city of Zürich. It has a length of , including the Sihlsee reservoir, through which the river f ...
below Zürich. On the night of 16/17th Archduke Charles supported by Korsakov's troops launched a surprise attack over the river Aare at Gross-Döttingen using boats and
pontoon bridge A pontoon bridge (or ponton bridge), also known as a floating bridge, uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry. ...
s, but his
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...
s misjudged the strength of the
current Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...
and depth of the river, the pontoon bridge was unable to be secured and eventually after serious fighting the attack was called off. Archduke Charles and Korsakov planned no further joint action however, as following the strategic plans of the Austrian
Hofkriegsrat The ''Hofkriegsrat'' (or Aulic War Council, sometimes Imperial War Council) established in 1556 was the central military administrative authority of the Habsburg monarchy until 1848 and the predecessor of the Austro-Hungarian Ministry of War. Th ...
under
Baron Thugut Johann Amadeus Franz de Paula Freiherr von Thugut (24 May 173628 May 1818) was an Austrian diplomat. Early life He was born in Linz. His origin and his unusual name (literally "do good") have been the subject of some legends. One such legend was t ...
, Charles had been ordered to move his main command north into southern
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Reluctantly following these instructions, he left behind a column of 29,000 men under Friedrich von Hotze, and Korsakov's command with the Swiss in the Austrian service. The plan for these two commands was to wait for the arrival of the Russian column of Suvorov penetrating north from Italy over the Alpine passes and trap Masséna in a 3-point encirclement.


French Troops

The French troops which took part in the battle included: * ''23éme Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval (Légion de Ardennes)'' * ''9éme Régiment de Hussards (la Liberté)'' * ''2éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne'' * ''37éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne'' * ''46éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne (Deuxieme Formation)'' * ''57éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne'' * ''102éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne'' * ''10éme Demi-Brigade d'Infanterie de Ligne''


Initial situation

On 22 August Korsakov and Hotze agreed that the Russians with 22,000 men would line the lower reaches of the River Limmat (Aare), and Hotze with 20,000 men would occupy the Obersee region below
Lake Zürich __NOTOC__ Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/ Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used ...
from the
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
to
Glarus , neighboring_municipalities= Glarus Nord, Glarus Süd, Muotathal (SZ), Innerthal (SZ) , twintowns= Wiesbaden-Biebrich (Germany) } Glarus (; gsw, Glaris; french: Glaris; it, Glarona; rm, Glaruna) is the capital of the canton of Glarus ...
. On 28 August the bulk of the troops of Archduke Charles departed Switzerland. Korsakov himself arrived in Zürich the following day, quickly displaying a vain over-confidence in the capabilities of his troops and disregard both for the French and his allies the Austrians: At the end of August the Allied army stood as follows. Korsakov with 33,000 men around Zürich and the Lower Limmat, distributed as: * Division Lieutenant-General
Gorchakov Gorchakov, or Gortchakoff (russian: Горчако́в), is a Russian princely family of Rurikid stock that is descended from the Rurikid sovereigns of Peremyshl, Russia. Aleksey Gorchakov The family first achieved prominence during the reign of ...
(Korsakov's main body in the Camp of Sihlfeld, between the Uetliberg and Limmat): Brigades of General-Major Tuchkov (6,314 men) and General-Major Essen (2,237 men) at Wollishofen. Total with gunners 10,330 men. * Division of Lieutenant-General Durasov: Brigade of General-Major
Markov Markov ( Bulgarian, russian: Марков), Markova, and Markoff are common surnames used in Russia and Bulgaria. Notable people with the name include: Academics *Ivana Markova (born 1938), Czechoslovak-British emeritus professor of psychology at ...
in a camp before Weiningen opposite
Dietikon Dietikon is the fifth biggest city of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, after Zürich, Winterthur, Uster and Dübendorf. It is the capital of the same-named district of Dietikon and part of the Zürich metropolitan area. Geography The i ...
(2,000 grenadiers and 300 cossacks) Brigade of General-Major Pushchin in a camp at Würenlos and in front of the village of
Wettingen Wettingen is a residential community in the district of Baden in the Swiss canton of Aargau. With a population about 20,000, Wettingen is the second-largest municipality in the canton. Geography Wettingen is located on the right bank of the Li ...
: 2,500 infantry, 1,000 cossacks (8 battalions, 10 squadrons). Along the right banks of the Limmat from
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
to the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
(1,000 men). Total with gunners 7,052 men. * The cavalry and cossacks (3,000 men) under Major-General Gudovich were distributed on the Rhine along the line of the road from Zürich to Baden. * Reserve Division Lieutenant-General Sacken, 5,700 men initially in a camp at
Regensdorf Regensdorf is a municipality in the district of Dielsdorf District of the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the biggest city in the region Furttal (ZH). Katzensee is a lake that also includes the bath/lido Strandbad Katzensee on the border ...
, then along the north bank of
Lake Zürich __NOTOC__ Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/ Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used ...
connecting to
Hotze Hotze is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze (1739–1799), Swiss-born field marshal in the Austrian army * Henry Hotze Henry Hotze (September 2, 1833 – April 19, 1887) was a Swiss Americans, Swiss ...
. Nauendorf, with 5,400 Austrians, on the right bank of the Rhine between Waldshut and
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
. Hotze with 25,000 Austrians, including 3,000 Swiss, from Uznach to
Chur , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers , twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
and
Disentis Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the ...
. Suvorov with 28,000 Russians on the march from Italy through the Alps. Shortly before the battle Korsakov detached Osten-Sacken's 5,000 man Reserve Division to
Rapperswil Rapperswil (Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dial ...
to reinforce Hotze in anticipation of Suvorov's approach, consequently weakening his defensive line along the Limmat before Zürich and exposing his line of communications. The departure of Archduke Charles gave the French a momentary superiority in numbers, Masséna was determined to exploit this and the redistribution of Austrians and Russians. His aim was to beat Korsakov and Hotze before any intervention by Suvorov. On 30 August he attempted to cross the
Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...
and push back the enemy before Zürich. This river crossing was unsuccessful, and Masséna now planned a crossing near Dietikon with a subsequent attack on Korsakov in Zürich. On 19 September, Masséna revealed his plan to his division commanders. Lorge's Division and part of Ménard's would cross the Limmat from Dietikon and attack Korsakov in Zürich. The remainder of Ménard's command would occupy the enemy by demonstrating at Vogelsang. At the same time Mortier's Division was to hold the attention of Korsakov's main body in front of Zürich by attacking
Wollishofen Wollishofen is a neighbourhood in Zürich's 2nd district. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1893. The neighbourhood has a population of 15,592 distributed on an area of 5.75 km2. Geography ...
. Klein was to cover the Alstetten road, while the Division of Soult was to cross the
Linth The Linth (pronounced "lint") is a Swiss river that rises near the village of Linthal in the mountains of the canton of Glarus, and eventually flows into the Obersee section of Lake Zurich. It is about in length. The water power of the Lin ...
at
Bilten Bilten is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Bilten is part of the municipality of Glarus Nord. History Bilten is first mentioned in 1050 as ''Billitun''. Geography Bilten has an ...
and prevent Hotze from assisting the Russians. All the boats available for transportation were assembled at
Brugg , neighboring_municipalities = Gebenstorf, Habsburg, Hausen, Holderbank, Lupfig, Riniken, Rüfenach, Schinznach, Untersiggenthal, Villigen, Villnachern, Veltheim, Windisch , twintowns = Rottweil (Germany) , website ...
, while a pontoon bridge was constructed at
Rottenschwil Rottenschwil is a municipality in the district of Muri in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. History The earliest trace of a human settlement in the area around Rottenschwil, is a Roman era farm. The modern municipality of Rottenschwil is ...
to mislead the enemy as to the point of crossing. Since June, French boats had been gathered from different waters and transported over land and water. By September, 37 boats of different types were gathered in secret near Dietikon. Under cover of the night of 23/24 September
Artillery General Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, ...
Dedon dismantled the pontoon bridge at Rottenschwil and transported it by convoy across the mountain to Dietikon. On 24 September news came that Suvorov's troops had finally conquered the
Gotthard Pass german: Gotthardpass , photo = File:Gotthardpass 2008.jpg , photo_caption = The area of the Gotthard Pass from the west , elevation_m = 2106 , elevation_ref = , traversed = National Road 2 Old paved road ( Tremola) Gotthard Rail Tunnel Go ...
. This delayed success for the Russians made the joint attack of Korsakov, Hotze and Suvorov impossible, but it persuaded Masséna to bring forward his attack from 26 to 25 September.


The Crossing of the Limmat

On the evening of 24 September Masséna's troops concentrated at Dietikon amounted to more than 8,000 men of Lorge's infantry division and 26 guns, all laying silently in the vicinity of the river. On the other side of the Limmat between
Würenlos Würenlos is a municipality in the district of Baden in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. It lies north of the river Limmat, next to the canton of Zürich, located in the Limmat Valley (German: ''Limmattal''). Geography Würenlos has an are ...
and
Wipkingen Wipkingen is a quarter in the district 10 (Zürich), district 10 in Zürich. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1893. The quarter has a population of 15,446 distributed on an area of 2.11  ...
they were faced by only 2,600 Russians under
Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Markov Markov ( Bulgarian, russian: Марков), Markova, and Markoff are common surnames used in Russia and Bulgaria. Notable people with the name include: Academics *Ivana Markova (born 1938), Czechoslovak-British emeritus professor of psychology at ...
, including 1,100 men under Markov himself in Oetwil Würenlos, 290 men and 2 guns of the Misinov Cossack regiment between the rise of the monastery drive and the pine woods, 220 men of a Grenadier Battalion on the western edge of the pine woods and four squadrons of dragoons, with 550 men under Colonel Dmitry Dmitrievich Shepelev at Wipkingen. On 25 September at 04:45 as boats were rapidly launched across the Limmat the alarm was raised, and initial shots fired by a battalion of Gazan's
Advance Guard Brigade Advance commonly refers to: *Advance, an offensive push in sports, games, thoughts, military combat, or sexual or romantic pursuits *Advance payment for goods or services *Advance against royalties, a payment to be offset against future royalty pa ...
signalled the beginning of the attack. With prompt efficiency approximately 600 men in 37 boats crossed the Limmat and formed a
bridgehead In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over ...
on the opposite bank. The crossing of the boats alerted the weak Russian outposts on the opposite bank, but despite several rounds of musketry and artillery not a single boat was sunk, or a man drowned. At this point the Limmat sweeps back in a wide arc to the south, allowing Masséna's artillery to fire from both sides of the river bend on the landing and deeper beyond the bridgehead. 25 shots hit various buildings of the
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...
. As more French crossed, firing from the left bank ceased in fear of hitting their own men, and all effort was placed into traversing the river. At 05:00 Dedon directed the erection of the pontoon bridge. The French bridgehead was exposed to Russian artillery fire from the heights of Kloster-Fahr and the pine woods. This plateau, defended by seven guns and Markov's reserves was forthwith attacked, and after hard fighting by 06:00 the Russians were driven back, Markov wounded and taken prisoner. Barely an hour after the first shots the French had crossed 800 men and were in possession of the pine wood and the Russian camp. Behind them the pontoon bridge was rapidly assembled and completed at 07:30. By 09:00 the entire division of Lorge was on the right side of the Limmat with 8,000 men and a total of 26 guns. Masséna aimed to prevent the Russian right wing under Durasov joining their left at Zürich, and now quickly sent
Bontemps Bontemps is a surname of French language, French origin, meaning "good time". Individuals with the name "Bontemps" include: Artists and writers *Arna Bontemps, novelist **the Bontemps African American Museum, named for him *Georges Bontemps, artis ...
with his brigade to gain the slopes of the mountains of the Glatt and cut the communications between Regensberg and Zürich.
Bontemps Bontemps is a surname of French language, French origin, meaning "good time". Individuals with the name "Bontemps" include: Artists and writers *Arna Bontemps, novelist **the Bontemps African American Museum, named for him *Georges Bontemps, artis ...
' left was covered by 2 battalions of Quétard's brigade on the Wurenlos road. All the other troops, some 15,000 men including the advance guard under Gazan, followed chief of staff Nicolas Oudinot in the direction of Höngg.


Mortier's attack

Meanwhile, at 05:00 Mortier's Division had launched its feint attacks against Korsakov's main command. His left under Brunet advanced to the small plateau at Wiedikon where they were soon pinned down by superior forces. His right under Drouet drove the Russians from
Wollishofen Wollishofen is a neighbourhood in Zürich's 2nd district. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1893. The neighbourhood has a population of 15,592 distributed on an area of 5.75 km2. Geography ...
, but were soon counter-attacked by
Gorchakov Gorchakov, or Gortchakoff (russian: Горчако́в), is a Russian princely family of Rurikid stock that is descended from the Rurikid sovereigns of Peremyshl, Russia. Aleksey Gorchakov The family first achieved prominence during the reign of ...
's six battalions, assisted by William's
flotilla A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' ( fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. Composition A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same clas ...
of
gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...
s, and pushed back towards the Uetli. Gorchakov however, not satisfied with merely repulsing the enemy attack, pursued the French to the
Uetliberg __NOTOC__ The Uetliberg (also known as Üetliberg) is a mountain in the Swiss plateau, part of the Albis chain, rising to . The mountain offers a panoramic view of the entire city of Zürich (to the northeast of its summit) and the Lake of Zur ...
and succeeded in capturing some batteries. This gain was however to contribute to the day's disaster, as the French success on the right bank, together with Klein's advance from Alstetten onto the
Sihlfeld Sihlfeld is a quarter in the district 3 of Zürich. It was formerly a part of Wiedikon Wiedikon is a district in the Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Caro ...
plane enfiladed the right of the Russian corps, obliging Korsakov to withdraw it at 13:00. Closely pursued as they retreated, Gorchakov's men suffered considerable loss.


Ménard's feint

The river crossing over the Limmat was successful as the Russians were too weak in their front section, and because they had been distracted away from Dietikon with feints by Mortier's Division at Wollishofen and Ménard's Division at Vogelsang. Ménard had succeeded in completely outwitting the Russians with his attack and also demonstrations against Brugg. From daybreak he had opened a barrage of artillery fire with all his guns in the vicinity of Baden and at the confluence of the Aare and Limmat against Durasov's forces, spread his remaining brigade out in full view of the enemy, and put into motion the remaining boats on the river. Durasov was completely duped by this, and stationed his troops nearly the entire day between Freyenwyl and Wurenlingen. By the time he realised his mistake and marched to rejoin troops on the heights of Oetlikon he found the passage barred by Bontemp's brigade, and had to make a substantial detour to Zürich, where he arrived late at night. At Vogelsang Ménard succeeded in throwing a small detachment over the Limmat on boats transported overland from the Aare while under fire, this enabled him to re-establish a
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, with which he crossed part of his command the next morning.


Battle closes on Zürich

In Zürich, Korsakov had felt his position secure to the extent that he had not made a single inspection of the line, nor had he removed his baggage or hospitals to a safe distance; instead, everything was left jumbled up in the city. Roused by the cannonade, he rode out to
Höngg Höngg is a quarter in district 10 in Zürich. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1934. The quarter has a population of 21,186, distributed across an area of 6.98 km². Höngg is renowned f ...
with a small detachment of troops and learned of Markov's defeat. Nevertheless he was convinced that the crossing of the Limmat was merely a demonstration, and that the main threat came from Mortier's attack on
Wollishofen Wollishofen is a neighbourhood in Zürich's 2nd district. It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zürich in 1893. The neighbourhood has a population of 15,592 distributed on an area of 5.75 km2. Geography ...
. By 10:00 the French were advancing on both banks of the Limmat supported by a heavy artillery barrage. Oudinot seized Höngg and the Wipkingen Heights from the weak detachment left by Korsakov, then, joined by part of the Reserve, at shortly before 15:00 he began attacking the Zürichberg, held by several Russian battalions. Gazan marched to
Schwamendingen Schwamendingen is a district in the Swiss city of Zürich. Formerly an independent community, it was incorporated into Zurich in 1934 to build district number 12. The district comprises the quarters Schwamendingen Mitte, Saatlen and Hirzenb ...
to cut the road to Winterthur. By this time Korsakov had finally become aware of his dangerous situation and withdrew troops from the right bank through Zürich to face the advancing Oudinot, however they could only do this by filing through the narrow streets of the town, jammed with wounded and baggage. A barrage of howitzer shells from the French further increased the confusion and impeded the Russians even more. By the time they had cleared Zürich it was too late, the French had gained the mountain on that side of town and on the plains took possession of the Beckenhof country house. The Russians attacked bravely, but could make no impression on the troops of Lorges, supported by the Helvetian Legion. In the meantime four Russian battalions sent back to Zürich by Hotze arrived, Korsakov put himself at their head and with the help of Bachmann's Swiss Legion drove back the French to the foot of the Heights of Wipkingen. Gazan however, held on at Schwamendingen. The Russian counterattacks against the Zürichberg, though incredibly brave, were inadequate in number and "instead of gaining the heights, the troops kept fighting before the gate, and charging the enemy with the bayonet among the vines and hedges, in a ground which did not admit of such an operation". As night drew on Korsakov shut himself up in Zürich, having conceded the plains to the French. Masséna summoned the town but received no answer.


Soult's Attack against Hotze

While all this was going on around Zürich, at the eastern end of Lake Zürich the Austrian corps of Hotze faced the French division of
Jean-de-Dieu Soult Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia, (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman, named Marshal of the Empire in 1804 and often called Marshal Soult. Soult was one of only six officers in Frenc ...
in the channels and marshes around the lower Linth and the Walensee. For days beforehand Soult had dressed himself in an ordinary infantryman's uniform and performed outpost duty to observe the Austrian positions. The
Battle of Linth River The Battle of Linth River (25–26 September 1799) saw a First French Republic, French division under General of Division Jean-de-Dieu Soult face a force of Austrian monarchy, Austrian, Russian Empire, Imperial Russian, and Swiss rebel soldiers l ...
began at 2:30 am on the 25th when a small group of soldiers, stripped to their underclothes, with pistols and ammunition tied above their heads and swords in their teeth, swam across the channel near
Schänis Schänis is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. History Schänis is first mentioned in 972 as ''Schennines''. Until 1798 it was the capital of the Herrschaft of Gaster an ...
. They were able to pull up rafts with ropes, and under the darkness and a thick mist which lingered all day, a whole battalion was ferried across before the alarm was raised. Similar crossings were made at Grynau Castle and Schmerikon. At 4.00 Hotze was awakened by the noise of artillery fire and rode out to find his troops fighting bravely at Schänis. He then rode with his chief of staff towards Weesen to reconnoitre, but in the fog they ran into French troops concealed in a wood. As the two Austrians turned to flee they opened fire and both men were shot dead. News of the death of Hotze spread quickly and the dismayed Austrians now under the hapless command of Franz Petrasch fell back towards
Lichtensteig Lichtensteig is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Toggenburg (Wahlkreis), Toggenburg in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of St. Gallen (canton), St. Gallen in Switzerland. History Lichtensteig w ...
, abandoning their small flotilla of boats at
Rapperswil Rapperswil (Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dial ...
. Further east on Soult's right flank, Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor's brigade had been attacked by the Austrian far left flank columns under Franz Jellacic and Friedrich von Linken on the upper Linth. The two Austrians were unaware of the fate of Hotze's and Korsakov's forces and out of touch with each other. The French 84th Line Infantry demi-brigade held on behind the Linth all through the 25 September, then counter-attacked on the following day. Encouraged by the defeat of Hotze, Molitor's men drove Jellacic's Austrians back towards
Walenstadt Walenstadt is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is located on Lake Walen (also known as "Lake Walenstadt"). Geography Walenstadt has an area of . Of this area, ...
. On the 25th, Linken's column appeared in the
Sernftal The Sernftal or ''Kleintal'' is an alpine valley within Glarus Süd, in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It is formed by the Sernf, a right tributary of the Linth. Situated in the Sernftal are the villages of Elm (977 m) and Engi (812 m). T ...
, surprising and capturing two battalions of the French 76th Line Infantry. Linken's troops, which consisted of
Joseph Anton von Simbschen Joseph Anton von Simbschen (6 October 1746 – 14 January 1820) served in the Austrian army during the War of the First Coalition as a staff officer in Italy. He rose in rank to general officer and fought at Battle of Loano, Loano, Battle of Limbur ...
's brigade, soon found themselves opposed by a battalion of the 84th Line. By 27 September, Molitor attacked Linken after being reinforced by two of Soult's battalions, but the fighting was inconclusive. On 29 September after more skirmishing, Linken gave the order to retreat to the Rhine valley after receiving a misleading note from a
double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organ ...
and not getting any other news from Suvorov or Hotze.


Actions on 26 September

During the night Korsakov was finally joined by Durasov's troops, and by the corps returned by Hotze from the Linth. Now mustering 16 battalions Korsakov was determined to hold his position at Zurich until he could be joined by Suvorov. That morning he received the news of the death of Hotze. Facing the Russians, Oudinot assembled all the troops on the right bank to attack the Zürichberg - Bontemp's brigade was to block the Winterthur road on the left. Lorge was to march along the Limmat to connect with the attacks of Klein and Mortier, who in their turn would advance by the Sihlfeld with Masséna at their head. By cutting the retreat of the Russians they would be driven into the lake. At dawn the Russians launched a powerful attack against Lorge's Division in two lines which succeeding in driving back Bontem's brigade and re-taking the Winterthur Road, thus foiling the plan to drive them into the lake. This was very fortunate for Korsakov, as at that moment Klein and Mortier were bombarding Klein Zürich, and Oudinot's ordinance breaking in the Höngg gate. Terrible confusion reigned in the confines of the town, Korsakov proposed a parley, but no one paid any attention. Instead the Russians began a general retreat, leaving only a weak rearguard in the town. Though he made no effort to prevent the withdrawal, Masséna advanced Dedon's light artillery to successive positions to fire on the left flank of the retreating column, which spread complete disorder through their ranks. Masséna then ordered Lorge, Bontems and Gazan to charge the centre of the Russians, who defended themselves with desperation. Generals Sacken and Likotsuchin were severely wounded, the troops fought in isolated pockets without cohesion of any sort. At the same time Oudinot broke through the Limmat gate, still defended by the Russian rearguard, while Klein stormed through Klein Zürich with the Reserve. There was no pursuit and the Russians were able to retreat without further interference, however Korsakov determined to continue withdrawing with undiminished speed as far as the Rhine, and beyond. Wickham claims that the greater part of the Russian command were able to reach Eglisau unmolested by the French. Nevertheless by the time Korsakov finally reached the Rhine with 10,000 remnants via Bülach and Eglisau, he had lost 8,000 men, including 5,200 prisoners (mostly wounded), 100 guns, his military chest and records.


Assessment

The defeat of Korsakov came about through a combination of careful planning by the French and poor leadership on the part of the Russians. On his arrival at the front Korsakov had made no personal reconnaissances, but gave himself over to comfortable existence in Zürich and relied entirely on a misplaced faith in the superiority of his troops to all others. Masséna described him as "more of a courtier than a soldier". Equally, the very rigid linear style of fighting the Russians had developed in their wars against the Ottoman Empire stood against them in this terrain against the more fluid French. Accustomed as they were to seize victory by aggressive bayonet advances to their front, it never occurred to them that they might be outflanked. Korsakov and Petrasch have also been strongly criticised for their rapid withdrawal over the Rhine despite very little pursuit by the French and in full knowledge that Suvorov was struggling to join them from the south. The Republican victory was undoubtedly Masséna's greatest triumph, however he too has been criticised for failing to fully exploit his success. Rocquancourt, Jomini and the Archduke Charles question why Masséna on the evening of the 25th, when it became clear the Russians were concentrating against Oudinot, didn't move up all of Klein's reserve and the remains of Ménard's Division to support the left wing and hence surround the Russians. Nevertheless the action remains a brilliant feat of arms for the French.


Aftermath

Masséna, aware of Suvorov's advance toward St. Gotthard, quickly shifted his troops southward. Lecourbe's division had already performed heroics in delaying the Russians at the St. Gotthard Pass, and later at the spectacular crossing over the Reuss at the Devil's Bridge. When Suvorov finally forced the Reuss he was met by units of Soult's division blocking the route at Altdorf. Unable to break through the French lines and aware of Korsakov's disastrous defeat, the Russian general turned east through the high and difficult Pragel Pass to Glarus, where he was dismayed to find other French troops awaiting him on 4 October. In waist-deep snow, his troops attempted six times to break through the French lines along the Linth but each attack was beaten back. Suvorov had no alternative but to make his escape across the treacherous
Panixer Pass Panix Pass or Panixer Pass ( Romansh: ''Pass dil Veptga'', German: ''Panixerpass'') (2404 m) is a Swiss Alpine pass between the cantons of Glarus and Graubünden. The pass was once an important trade route between the canton of Glarus and Ital ...
(which is a difficult mountain trail to this day), abandoning his baggage and artillery, and losing as many as 5,000 men. On 15 October the last Coalition troops left Swiss territory, which therefore returned to the control of the Helvetic Republic. After the French victory Russia pulled out of the Second Coalition. The French extended their control of the territory of the Confederation and created favourable conditions for the attack on Austria. Under accusations of looting Masséna requisitioned enormous quantities of food, livestock and feed as well as soldiers and money. Want and misery dominated in the war-affected areas. The Second Coalition War had greatly weakened the Helvetic Republic, the consequent loss of popular support led ultimately to the 1803
Act of Mediation The Act of Mediation () was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasi ...
. On the Zürichberg up a short forest trail and a monument to Masséna and the French. On the monument in the forest both battles of Zürich are briefly described. There is another commemorative memorial at
Langnau am Albis Langnau am Albis is a village in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Langnau am Albis is first mentioned between 1101 and 1150 as ''Langenow'' (in a 14th Century copy of the 12th century document). Between 113 ...
south of Zürich to the defence of the
Albis pass Albis Pass (el. ) is a mountain pass in the Albis range in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It connects Langnau am Albis with the small village of Türlen on the Türlersee and, further on, Aeugst am Albis, Hausen am Albis, Mettmenstetten and ...
. In Paris the village names of
Dietikon Dietikon is the fifth biggest city of the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, after Zürich, Winterthur, Uster and Dübendorf. It is the capital of the same-named district of Dietikon and part of the Zürich metropolitan area. Geography The i ...
and Muta Thal are chiselled on the Arc de Triomphe. In Schöllenenschlucht (near the Devil's Bridge) is a monument to the Alpine crossing of the Russians under Suvorov.


Notes


References

* * Clausewitz, Carl von (2020). ''Napoleon Absent, Coalition Ascendant: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 1.'' Trans and ed. Nicholas Murray and Christopher Pringle. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. * Clausewitz, Carl von (2021). ''The Coalition Crumbles, Napoleon Returns: The 1799 Campaign in Italy and Switzerland, Volume 2.'' Trans and ed. Nicholas Murray and Christopher Pringle. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. * *. *


Further reading

* *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zurich, Second Battle of Zurich, 2nd Zurich, 1799 History of Zürich Zurich 1799 in Austria 1799 in France Zurich, 1799 Battles inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe