Napoleonic maneuvers in Valtice 2018

13 – 15 APRIL 2018

Maneuvers of the Central European Napoleonic Society

The event is organized within the Project Austerlitz by the Austerlitz association, the Central European Napoleonic Society,

with support of the South Moravian Region

About 150 napoleonic re-enactors will take part at the event that will offer the visitors a unique possibility to see the military life in the early 19th century; the event is held as a main preparation of the CENS troops for the 2018 campaign, dedicated to the 220th anniversary of the French blockade of Malta or the 205th anniversaries of the war of 1813, and culminated by the Austerlitz 2018 event. Valtice were the main family residence of the Liechtenstein, active and important participants of the napoleonic wars.

In the Lednice-Valtice area there is an obelisk built by Alois Joseph von Liechtenstein to commemorate the peace treaty of Campo Formio, that ended the first italian campaign in 1797.

Two men of the Liechtenstein family took part in the battle of Austerlitz. Feldmarschall-Lieutenant Johann I, prince von Liechtenstein (1760-1836) commanded the coalition cavalry corps, and his cousin Generalmajor Moritz von Liechtenstein (1775-1819) commanded a cavalry brigade within Kienmayer’s avanced guard. Johann, prince von Liechtenstein is one of the most important austrian generals of the revolutionary and napoleonic wars. In 1809 he commanded the 1st reserve corps. By his military and diplimatic skills he was admired by Napoleon him-self. In 1805 and in 1809 he was designated, by the emperor Francis, to negotiate the conditions of armistice with Napoleon. After the battle of Austerlitz he was present to the meeting between Napoleon and Francis near the Spaleny mlyn, where the general conditions of armistice were concluded. Among many other moravian domains, the Liechtenstein possessed also the domain of Pozoritz, that belongs to the battlefield of Austerlitz. At the old post of Pozoritz Liechtenstein met Napoleon right after the famous battle, at 4 a.m., on the 3rd december 1805. At the end of the campaign of 1809, Lednice has been occupied by one battalion of the french 13th light infantry battalion of the corps of marshall Davout. During the armistice following the battle of Znaim, this corps camped in the area of Mikulov, Lednice and Valtice, untill the peace treaty of Schönbrunn in october 1809. The event’s main purpose is to offer the re-enactment groups the possibility to drill and maneuver to prepare for the 2018 season.

Program

Friday 13th april 2018

set of the camp near the Belvedere

Saturday 14th april 2018

09:30 – 11:30 exercice and maneuvers near the Belvedere camp

14:00 – 15:00 cavalry maneuvers near the Belvedere

15:30 – 17:30 battalion maneuvers in the castle park

Sunday 15th april 2018

09:30 – 11:30 presenation of the troops, skirmish in the castle park

11:30 – 11:45 final parade at the courtyard of the castle, end of the event

Photogalleries from 2017, 2016, 2015

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