The Austrians, under the leadership of Archduke John of Austria, forced their enemies to retreat, though they sustained greater losses than the French.

After the expiration of the summer truce in November 1800, both the Austrian and French armies rushed to come to grips with each other in the terrain east of Munich.

Outnumbered, two French divisions fought a stubborn rear guard action for six hours before retreating in good order.

A Congress convened at Rastatt for the purposes of deciding which southwestern German states would be mediatized to compensate the dynastic houses for territorial losses, but was unable to make any progress.

The uprising in Naples raised further alarms, and recent gains in Switzerland suggested the timing was fortuitous to venture on another campaign in northern Italy and southwestern Germany.

In addition to his Austrian regulars, his force included 12,000 men from the Electorate of Bavaria, 6,000 troops from the Duchy of Württemberg, 5,000 soldiers of low quality from the Archbishopric of Mainz, and 7,000 militiamen from the County of Tyrol.

Unwisely, Kray set up his main magazine at Stockach, near the northwestern end of Lake Constance, only a day's march from French-held Switzerland.

First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte offered a plan of operations based on outflanking the Austrians by a push from Switzerland, but Moreau declined to follow it.

However, while the two main armies were engaged at Engen, Claude Lecourbe captured Stockach from its Austrian defenders under Joseph Louis, Prince of Lorraine-Vaudémont.

The loss of this main supply base at Stockach compelled Kray to retreat to Meßkirch, where they enjoyed a more favorable defensive position.

At nearby Krumbach, where the Austrians also had the superiority of position and force, the 1st Demi-brigade took the village and the heights around it, which gave them a commanding aspect over Meßkirch.

Fighting at nearby Biberach ensued on 9 May; action principally consisted of the 25,000 man-strong French center's (commanded by Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr), assault on the Austrian force.

[13] The French war goal, to occupy Vienna and force the Habsburgs to accept and comply with peace terms established in 1798, required a double-pronged invasion through northern Italy, which First Consul Napoleon commanded, and through southern Germany, a campaign that fell to Moreau.

Emperor Francis II dismissed Pál Kray and appointed his brother, the 18-year-old Archduke John, to command the Austrian army.

At this time, the Bavarian fortresses of Ingolstadt, Ulm, and Philippsburg were ceded to the French, but these concessions allowed Austria to augment their field forces with 20,000 line infantry belonging to the garrisons.

[20] Unlike most French armies of the Revolutionary period, Moreau's troops in late 1800 enjoyed a well-organized supply service.

Though the onset of winter lengthened the army sick list, the months-long truce allowed many units to approach their full strength.

However, in the last days of November, the Austrian army proved unable to advance with the necessary speed to turn the French north flank.

[24][25] The cavalry charge gave Ney enough time to place the brigade commanded by Gabriel Adrien Marie Poissonnier Desperrières [fr] in line of battle to meet the first shock.

At noon, a horse artillery battery led by Jean Baptiste Eblé arrived and its accurate fire quickly dismounted four Austrian guns and destroyed three caissons.

[26] While Latour battered against Ney, Riesch launched attacks against the 4,100 foot soldiers, 2,000 horsemen, and 16 guns belonging to Jean Hardy's division.

A brigade belonging to Claude Legrand's division marched up and helped block Riesch's attempt to turn Hardy's flank.

After falling back 8 km (5.0 mi), the French soldiers reached the open ground around Haag, where they assumed a defensive position.

[30] Expecting to fight a major battle the following day, the Austrian generals were surprised to find that the French evacuated Haag and vanished into the deep woods.

"This erroneous idea prompted Austrian headquarters to ignore all normal precautions in the haste to come to grips [with the French force].

To complete the victory at Hohenlinden, MG Antoine Richepanse's division accomplished a surprise envelopment of the Austrian left flank.