Context
After Ulm and the capture of Vienna, Napoleon feigned retreat to lure the Austro-Russians onto ground of his choosing. The coalition, convinced the French army was weakened, launched an offensive on its right wing.
Forces
France: About 73,000 men under Napoleon's direct command. Soult's, Lannes's and Bernadotte's corps, Murat's cavalry.
Coalition: About 86,000 Austro-Russians. Russian Emperor Alexander I and Austrian Francis II witnessed the battle. Kutuzov commanded the Russian forces.
Course of the battle
On the morning of 2 December, fog masked movements. The coalition attacked the French southern flank. Napoleon let his right wing bend slightly, drawing the enemy towards the frozen ponds. Soult's corps climbed onto the Pratzen plateau, splitting the enemy army in two. Murat's cavalry and the grenadiers completed the rout. Russian and Austrian troops retreated in disorder, many perishing crossing the ponds as the ice gave way under artillery fire.
Consequences
The Treaty of Pressburg (26 December 1805) imposed heavy territorial cessions on Austria. The Third Coalition collapsed. Austerlitz cemented Napoleon's reputation for invincibility and marked the zenith of the imperial military system.