The defenders offered stout resistance, but ultimately Marmont broke out of Dalmatia and joined Emperor Napoleon's army near Vienna with over 10,000 men.

After the Austrian defeat and subsequent retreat from Italy of the army of Archduke John of Austria, Marmont launched his own offensive.

[1] At the end of the War of the Third Coalition on 26 December 1805, the Treaty of Pressburg awarded the former Austrian provinces of Istria and Dalmatia to the French puppet Kingdom of Italy.

[4] The Army of Dalmatia was provided with an especially powerful artillery contingent of 78 guns[5] led by General of Brigade Louis Tirlet.

[10] An alternate order of battle for the Austrians lists three battalions of the Liccaner Grenz Infantry Regiment Nr.

Between 26 and 30 April, General Stoichevich mounted a series of attacks on the Zrmanja River crossings of Ervenik, Kaštel Žegarski, Obrovac, Vagic, and Kravli Most.

[13] The widely dispersed French forces were driven back to Knin (Kürn)[14] and Zadar (Zara).

Hearing of the defeat of Archduke John at the Battle of Piave River on 8 May and the French eastward advance toward Laibach, Stoichevich prepared to withdraw.

For negligible losses, the Austrians claimed to have killed 100 Frenchmen in an attack on the village of Stara Straza, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwest of Knin.

[18] On 16 May, Marmont inflicted a sharp defeat on the Austrians at Pribudić,[19] which is 14 kilometres (9 mi) northwest of Knin.

[a] While a holding force of French skirmishers and artillery probed at a well-defended mountaintop position, Marmont sent the 23rd Line to strike the Austrian flank.

Out of 9,000 men, the Austrians suffered losses of 200 dead, 500 wounded, and between 300[20] and 600 captured, including Stoichevich.

The Austrians, now commanded by Oberst (colonel) Matthias Rebrovich, reported losing 300 killed and wounded before retreating toward Gospić.

To open the action, the French voltiguer (light infantry) companies waded across the river at a ford under fire.

To counter the enemy's local superiority in artillery, the French formed in a single line with three-pace gaps between men.

[13] Noting that the Austrians fought in three disconnected forces, Marmont hurled his main blow at Rebrovich's center.

Historian Digby Smith called the action an Austrian victory,[22] though this appears to contradict the narrative of James R. Arnold, which strongly implied a French triumph.

[13] Historian Francis Loraine Petre suggested that only "remnants" of Matthias Rebrovich's command joined with Ignaz Gyulai near Zagreb (Agram) at the beginning of June 1809.

[23] On 26 June, Marmont's corps intervened in the Battle of Graz, joining with General of Division Jean-Baptiste Broussier to drive Gyulai's men to the east.

Not only Marmont, but Broussier, Eugene and other outlying elements of the French emperor's armies were called upon to march to Vienna.