The Battles of Bergisel were four battles fought between
Tyrolese civilian militiamen and a contingent of Austrian government troops and the military forces of Emperor
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
and the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria ( ; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1806 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German Empire in 1871, the kingd ...
at the
Bergisel hill near
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
. The battles, which occurred on 25 May, 29 May, 13 August, and 1 November 1809, were part of the
Tyrolean Rebellion and the
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in Central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis I and Napoleon's French Emp ...
.
The Tyrolean civilian forces, loyal to
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, were led by militia commander
Andreas Hofer
Andreas Hofer (22 November 1767 – 20 February 1810) was a County of Tyrol, Tyrolean innkeeper and Droving, drover who became the leader of the 1809 Tyrolean Rebellion during the War of the Fifth Coalition. He was subsequently captured and exe ...
,
Josef Speckbacher,
Peter Mayr,
Capuchin Father
Joachim Haspinger, and
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
Martin Teimer. The Bavarians were led by French
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820) was a French military commander of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by N ...
, and Bavarian Generals
Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy and
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl (or Carl) Philipp Josef, Fürst, Prince von Wrede (; 29 April 176712 December 1838) was a Bavarian field marshal. He was an ally of Napoleonic France until he negotiated the Treaty of Ried with Austria in 1813. Thereafter Bavaria joined the c ...
. After being driven from Innsbruck at the start of the revolt, the Bavarians twice reoccupied the city and were chased out again. After the final battle in November, the rebellion was suppressed.
Background
After his humiliating defeat of the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
in the
War of the Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...
, Napoleon transferred the County of Tyrol to Bavaria. When the new rulers imposed conscription and Bavarian legal codes on the territory, they flouted ancient Tyrolean social, military and religious rights. Furthermore the Bavarian king ordered a compulsory
vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
program concerning
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
, which the Tyroleans saw as blasphemy. Before the outbreak of the
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition was a European conflict in 1809 that was part of the Napoleonic Wars and the Coalition Wars. The main conflict took place in Central Europe between the Austrian Empire of Francis I and Napoleon's French Emp ...
, Austrian agents circulated in the Tyrol to take advantage of the existing tensions. When
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles Louis John Joseph Lawrence of Austria, Duke of Teschen (; 5 September 177130 April 1847) was an Austrian field marshal, the third son of Emperor Leopold II and his wife, Maria Luisa of Spain. He was also the younger brother of ...
invaded Bavaria on 10 April 1809, the Tyrol militia decided to revolt.
Battles
''The
Tyrol 1809 Order of Battle lists the regular units and organizations of both armies.''
First Battle of Bergisel (12 April 1809)
On 11 April Hofer and 5,000 armed peasants scored a victory at
Sterzing
Sterzing (; ) is a comune in South Tyrol in northern Italy. It is the main town of the southern Wipptal, and the Eisack River flows through the medieval town. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
Hi ...
in the South Tyrol when they captured 420 Bavarians of the 4th Light Infantry Battalion.
Under Teimer and other leaders, the Tyroleans won a brilliant initial success. Attacked incessantly for 48 hours,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
Baron Kinkel surrendered his Innsbruck garrison of 3,860 Bavarian soldiers on 13 April. A body of 2,050 French conscripts under hard-drinking
General of Division
Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
Baptiste Pierre Bisson unwittingly marched into the trap. After an ineffectual defense, the French also put up the white flag. The rebels seized five cannon, two mortars, considerable equipment, and many muskets. The captured material would keep the Tyrolean supplied with weapons for months.
May 1809
Soon reinforced by a regular Austrian division under
Feldmarschallleutnant Johann Gabriel Chasteler de Courcelles
file:Interior of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Venice) - Monumeneto di Jean-Gabriel du Chasteler.jpg, His tomb in Venice.
Johann Gabriel Josef Albert, House of Chasteler, Marquess of Chasteler and Courcelles (22 January 1763 – 7 May 1825) was a Wal ...
, the Tyrolese posed a threat to the rear areas of Napoleon's armies in northern Italy and Bavaria. One column of irregulars stiffened by a few regulars under
General-Major Franz Fenner raided the area of
Lake Garda
Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...
in Italy. In consequence, Viceroy of Italy
Eugène de Beauharnais
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais (; 3 September 1781 – 21 February 1824) was a French statesman and military officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Through the second marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, ...
was forced to provide substantial Franco-Italian garrisons to guard the area.
In early May, Napoleon directed
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820) was a French military commander of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by N ...
and the VII Corps (made up of Bavarians) to move against the Tyrol. The Bavarian garrison of
Kufstein Fortress was relieved on 11 May. Lefebvre routed Chasteler at the
Battle of Wörgl on 13 May. After several more actions, Lefebvre occupied Innsbruck around 19 May.
Second Battle of Bergisel (29 May 1809)
On 25 May 1809, Lieutenant General Deroy's 3rd Bavarian Division clashed with the Tyrolese rebels at the Bergisel. Deroy committed 4,000 troops and 12 artillery pieces to the combat. Hofer commanded the rebel army and his lieutenants were Speckbacher, Teimer, Josef Eisenstecken, and
Oberstleutnant
() (English: Lieutenant Colonel) is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, ...
Ertel. Hofer's army included 9,400 armed rebels and 900 Austrian regulars. The regulars included one battalion each of the 16th ''Lusignan'' Infantry Regiment and 25th ''De Vaux'' Infantry Regiment, two companies of the 9th
Jäger battalion, a half-squadron of the 3rd ''O'Reilly''
Chevau-léger Regiment and five guns. The Bavarians lost 20 to 70 dead and 100 to 150 wounded, while inflicting losses of 50 dead and 30 wounded on the Tyrolese. Though historian
Digby Smith labels the action a Bavarian victory, his narrative says the battle was a draw. He notes that the rebels, discouraged that more local people had not joined the revolt, retreated to the south.
The Tyrolese returned on 29 May and subjected Deroy to a second attack, which he resisted with 5,240 troops organized in 12 battalions, eight squadrons, and 18 guns. The 13,600 Tyrolese irregulars were joined by 1,200 Austrian regulars and six pieces of artillery. The rebels included 35 North Tyrol and 61 South Tyrol
schützen and
landsturm companies. The Bavarians managed to hold their ground after suffering 87 dead, 156 wounded, and 53 missing. The rebels lost 90 dead and 160 wounded. The next day, low on ammunition and food, Deroy evacuated Innsbruck and retreated to
Kufstein Fortress in the north, see also
:de:Bernhard Erasmus von Deroy
July and early August 1809
After Napoleon's war-winning victory at the
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram (; 5–6 July 1809) was a military engagement of the Napoleonic Wars that ended in a costly but decisive victory for Emperor of the French, Emperor Napoleon's French and allied army against the Austrian Empire, Austrian arm ...
on 5 and 6 July, Lefebvre invaded the Tyrol again and Deroy won a minor action at the
Lueg Pass on 24 July. However, the Tyrol responded to Hofer's call for another uprising. About 5,000 Tyrolese led by Haspinger and Speckbacher smashed French General
Marie François Rouyer's 3,600
Confederation of the Rhine
The Confederated States of the Rhine, simply known as the Confederation of the Rhine or Rhine Confederation, was a confederation of German client states established at the behest of Napoleon some months after he defeated Austrian Empire, Austria ...
troops at
Franzensfeste on 4 and 5 August. The ''Ducal Saxon'' Infantry Regiment was annihilated with 988 casualties, while the Bavarians lost an additional 100 men and two cannons. Tyrolean losses were trifling. The valley is still known as the ''Sachsenklemme'' (Saxon Trap). The next day, Lefebvre arrived with the 1st Bavarian Division, but he was also repulsed by the Tyrolese. On 8 and 9 August at
Prutz, 920 Tyrolese led by Roman Burger routed Oberst Burscheidt's 2,000 soldiers of the 10th Bavarian Infantry and 2nd Dragoon Regiments, which belonged to Deroy's 3rd Division. The Tyrolese inflicted 200 killed and wounded on their enemies while capturing 1,200 men and two cannons. Rebel losses were only seven killed.
Third Battle of Bergisel (13 August 1809)

On 13 August, Hofer and 18,000 Tyrolese fought Deroy's division in the third battle of Bergisel. Four Bavarian battalions belonging to General Siebein's 2nd Brigade lost 200 dead and 250 wounded. The 70 companies of rebels lost 100 dead and 220 wounded. After taking hostages from leading local families, Lefebvre abandoned Innsbruck and the last occupation troops were gone from the Tyrol by 18 August.
September and October 1809
Speckbacher and 2,000 Tyrolean militiamen attacked the Bavarian garrisons in the villages of
Lofer, Luftenstein,
Unken, and Mellek on 25 September. Of the 700 soldiers belonging to the ''Leib'' Infantry Regiment # 1, 50 were killed and wounded, 300 captured, and 100 missing. The troops were dispersed with only two companies in each village. The detachment in Mellek broke out and retreated north to
Bad Reichenhall; the other garrisons were wiped out. On the same day Haspinger with 2,400 Tyrolese and four guns evicted General-Major Stengel's brigade from the Lueg Pass near
Golling an der Salzach. The 3,500 Bavarians and three cannons retreated north to Salzburg. Lefebvre, with 2,000 of Stengel's troops attacked
Hallein
Hallein () is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. It is the capital of Hallein (district), Hallein district.
Geography
The town is located in the ''Tennengau'' region south of the City of Salzburg, stretching alo ...
on 3 October. Haspinger's force, which had lingered in the town, was chased back into the mountains, leaving their six cannons behind.

At this time,
Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon
Jean-Baptiste Drouet, Comte d'Erlon (; 29 July 176525 January 1844) was a Marshal of France and a soldier in the Grande Armée during the Napoleonic Wars. He notably commanded the I Corps of the '' Army of the North'' at the Battle of Waterloo. ...
replaced Lefebvre in command of VII Corps and the third invasion of Tyrol was launched. On 17 October, the 1st Bavarian Division led by General-Major Rechberg caught Speckbacher and his 2,000 men by surprise at Bodenbichl. The Tyrolese failed to properly picket their camp and the 3,000 Bavarians inflicted a serious defeat on the irregulars. Rebel losses were 300 dead and 400 captured, while the Bavarians admitted only seven casualties. For this action, Rechberg was awarded the
Military Order of Max Joseph from his grateful sovereign.
Fourth Battle of Bergisel (1 November 1809)
The fourth battle of Bergisel took place on 1 November 1809. Lieutenant General Wrede's 2nd Bavarian Division defeated Hofer's and Haspinger's 70 companies of Tyrolean militia. The Bavarians committed 6,000 troops and 12 guns to the action and lost only one killed and 40 wounded. The 8,535 Tyrolese suffered 350 killed, wounded, and captured, and abandoned five cannons. The fourth battle and the disaster at Bodenbichl broke the back of the rebellion.
Hofer was betrayed to the French on 28 January 1810 and was executed on Napoleon's order on 20 February 1810 at
Mantua
Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
in Italy.
Notes
References
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External links
Battle of Bergisel cyclorama*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergisel 1809
History of Tyrol (federal state)
County of Tyrol
Battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving Bavaria
1809 in the Austrian Empire
1809 in the First French Empire
Andreas Hofer
April 1809
May 1809
August 1809
November 1809
Battles of the War of the Fifth Coalition involving Austria