The commemorative event dedicated to the 214th anniversary of the battle of Austerlitz will be held from 29th November till 1st December 2019. The main points of program will be the saturday battle re-enactement under the Santon hill (14:00), with approx. 1000 participants in uniforms, 60 horses and 15 cannons, and the sunday act of piety at the Peace monument, the place of the hardest fight of the battle of Austerlitz (12:00).
The event is organized within the Project Austerlitz by the Central European Napoleonic Society, the communes of Tvarozna and Prace and the Austerlitz association, and is sponsored by the Region of South Moravia. The event is held under the auspices of the minister of the regional developement, Mrs. Klára Dostálová. The partner of the event is CzechTourism.
1075 participants are registered, of which 580 from the Czech Republic, 182 from Poland, 17 from Slovakia, 72 from Hungary, 70 from Germany, 61 from Italy, 18 from Russia, 11 from Belarus, 6 from Belgium, 21 from Austria, 24 from France , 9 from Lithuania, 2 from the UK and one from the US and Canada; they will be armed with 688 muskets, 15 cannons and the cavalry will ride 65 horses.
At Austerlitz the Emperor of the French Napoleon I has decided within a few hours the out-come of the campaign of 1805 and the war of the 3rd coalition. The defeated russian emperor Alexander I and his army have left the central Europe; the war between France and Russia would however continue untill 1807, the battle of Friedland and the Tilsit peace treaty. The austrian emperor Francis I has accepted the conditions of armistice signed on the 6th decem-ber 1805 at the Austerlitz castle and later also the conditions of the severe Presburg peace treaty signed on the 26th december. The severity of these conditions and Napoleon’s rising influence in Germany have led in three years to another conflict between Austria and France, the war of 1809, culminating in Moravia again, by the battle of Znaim. The Napoleonic epopee continued by the russian campaign of 1812, the war of the 6th coalition in 1813-1814 and culminated by the battle of Waterloo.
The commemorative events are not any celebration of Napoleon or his victory, and by no me-ans any celebration of war or battle. The international political and war events that, at their time, influenced Europe essentially, and divided it for a long time, are becoming ground for get-togetherness and common interest for many people from all around the world. The aim of the events is the commemoration and support of knowledge of the common european history.
The Project Austerlitz offers the possibility of presentation of partners and sponsors. The events are organized by the Project Austerlitz every year since 1998. There are five to ten thousand visitors to the main battle re-enactement every year.
Mark Schneider will portray the French Emperor Napoleon. This year’s scenario will conclude the scenario from 2018: after its initial success at Telnitz the Russian and Austrian troops are attacked by the French 4th Corps from the Pratzen Heights and the battle ends with Napoleon’s most glorious victory.
The Project Austerlitz was established in 1997 with the aim of preparation of the 200th anniversary in 2005, and has been organizing commemorative events at Austerlitz continuously since 1998, ie over two decades. It is the largest regularly held Napoleonic event in the world, and the only winter event of a similar theme and size. Every year around 1000 re-enactors from all over Europe and overseas take part, in 2005 there were 3600 participants, a number that was exceeded (for a few hundred) only ten years later at Waterloo. The Central European Napoleonic Society brings together about 600 members of military-historical units from the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Romania, Lithuania and Latvia.
Austerlitz 2019 will be the final act of this year’s season marked with the 210th anniversaries of the war of 18090 (Sacile, Wagram, Znaim) or by the 220th anniversary of the French Syrian campaign. One of the goals is also to prepare for the Austerlitz 2020 event, for the 215th anniversary we expect about 1500 re-enactors to come.
Program
Friday, 29th November 2019
17:30 Fires of Girzikowitz, Zuran hill (organized by the commune of Podoli)
(and launch of the Battle of Austerlitz book)
Saturday, 30th November 2019
07:30 Zuran hill, Sun of Austerlitz, review of the French troops
09:00 Tvarozna, review of the Coalition troops
10:30–12:00 Santon, battlefield – infantry and cavalry maneuvers
14:00-15:30 Re-enactment of the battle of Austerlitz
Sunday, 1st December 2019
12:00 Act of piety at the Peace monument
Change of program reserved. Program will be completed.
The VIP ticket for CZK 1700 includes: the entrance to the tribune for seating, catering during the entire program (food and hot drinks), in a tempered tent, parking place at about 200 m from the tribune. An hour before the battle starts the VIP guests will be welcomed by the commanders of the armies.
